Conservation & Social Science
Conservation isn’t just about species and ecosystems—it’s about people, decisions, and systems. We combine conservation expertise with social science insights to help organizations design smarter, fairer, and more effective strategies that create real-world impact.
When Social Science in Conservation is implemented well, teams walk away with:
Decisions based in evidence—and people excited to make them
Strategies that honor complexity, embrace collaboration, and drive change
Confidence that you’re using the best available information to achieve your mission
Clarity and focus replacing overwhelm and uncertainty
Research that feels energizing—not heavy
How We Work
We bridge the gap between science and action, translating research into strategies your team can implement right away—so you never have to choose between rigor and timely decisions.
Because we’ve done this work ourselves, our clients often say, “You get us.” We’re trusted partners who know how to navigate the realities of conservation and social change.
Our work moves teams from good intentions to measurable impact by:
Grounding conservation plans in robust ecological and social data
Synthesizing complex evidence into clear, usable insights that guide action
Designing behavior change initiatives that influence outcomes for people and nature
Using participatory evaluation and real-time data to adapt strategies as conditions change
What We Do
Whether we’re designing behavior-change campaigns, facilitating stakeholder engagement, or conducting assessments, we meet teams where they are—probing with curiosity, surfacing blind spots, and co-creating solutions that are both evidence-based and achievable.
This often looks like:
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Strategic Planning & Facilitation
Blending process with rigor through frameworks like the Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation, theory of change models, and adaptive management principles.
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Literature Reviews
Turning research into practical recommendations by scanning emerging evidence, identifying best practices, and presenting findings in ways that support real-world decisions.
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Assessment & Evaluation
Designing research plans, surveys, interviews, and participatory evaluations that generate rich insights to guide strategy and improve decision-making.
featured project
Jane Goodall Institute
In Western Tanzania, Impact by Design partnered with the Jane Goodall Institute through the USAID-funded Landscape Conservation project to address soil infertility that was pushing farmers to clear forests and threaten chimpanzee habitats.
