The Importance of Champions in Endangered Species Conservation

Conservationist Bill Konstant has spent over four decades helping build species-conservation programs and supporting threatened wildlife around the world. He argues that successful conservation often depends on strong local leadership, committed species champions, diverse teams, and relatively small, strategically targeted grants.

Konstant's career has centered on primates, although he has worked with a wide range of animals, from golden frogs and rhinos to wolves, elephants, and a squirrel his family raised when he was young. He has worked for the World Wildlife Fund and Conservation International, built conservation programs at zoos, and helped direct grants to field biologists working on threatened species.

## The Role of Champions in Conservation

Konstant believes that every endangered species needs a champion, someone who can provide the necessary support and resources to help conserve the species. He says that small grants can fill gaps that larger conservation funding does not, and that the best field biologists often become adept at cobbling together funds from multiple sources.

Konstant's own career is a testament to the importance of champions in conservation. He credits Dr. Jane Goodall with inspiring his interest in chimpanzees, and Dr. Russell Mittermeier with putting him on a career course. Mittermeier hired Konstant as his assistant at the World Wildlife Fund, took him to Brazil, and introduced him to a number of primatologists.

## The Power of Small Grants

Konstant has seen firsthand the impact that small grants can have on conservation efforts. He has worked with grant programs that provide a few thousand dollars to field biologists, which can help them begin collecting data on a poorly known species, keep a project going between larger awards, or demonstrate enough progress to attract additional funding.

| Grant Program | Amount | Purpose | | --- | --- | --- | | Small Grants Program | $5,000 | Support field biologists working on threatened species | | Conservation Grant | $10,000 | Fund projects that conserve endangered species | | Research Grant | $20,000 | Support research on poorly known species |

## The Importance of Diverse Teams

Konstant also emphasizes the importance of diverse teams in conservation efforts. He says that the strongest efforts assemble a motley crew of people with different backgrounds and abilities who can be brought to bear on the same problem. This approach can help to identify and address the complex issues that often surround conservation efforts.

Konstant's memoir, Wrestles With Wolves, tells the story of his career in conservation and the many species he has worked with over the years. The book is a testament to the power of storytelling in conservation, and the importance of sharing the stories of people who are working to make a difference.