Poacher or Protector?

"...that's the real core, that if you are going to an area where parrots are in trouble, the people are in trouble too." - LoraKim Joyner

A member of Biometepe, one of our conservation partners on Ometepe Island in Nicaragua, climbing a tree to monitor parrot nests

LoraKim was recently interviewed for an episode of the podcast Outside In, created by Joel Krieger and Pavani Yalla. Outside In has a unique focus on "experience design for change." Below is what Joel and Pavani wrote about their interview with LoraKim:

"Deep in the jungles of Latin America, front-line wildlife conservation is often met with violent opposition from the extraction economy. Here, hundreds of thousands of parrots are illegally taken by poachers every year. LoraKim Joyner, a wildlife veterinarian, avian conservationist, and Unitarian Universalist minister stands in solidarity and resistance with the people. In a highly adaptive form of culture design, she combines science and spirituality to transform marginalized communities—building their capacity to transform poachers into protectors."

The result is a fascinating exploration of how conservation and experience design intersect. You can listen to the podcast on multiple platforms, listed below. We'd love to receive your feedback - what did you think of the interview? Did it change the way you think about parrot conservation or conservation in general? Send us an email at info@oneearthconservation.org and let us know!

Listen on Apple

Listen on Spotify Listen on Amazon

Episode webpage with key takeaways and resources

Banner at our conservation project in Guyana.