Leveraging Community Capacity for Nature Conservation in a Rural Island Context: Experiences from Brier Island, Canada

In many instances nature conservation projects require input from and collaboration with communities that live near or in ecosensitive regions. The ability of communities to be collaborative varies and often requires capacity development for full participation in conservation planning and management. Such capacity development can be expensive, and where sufficient resources are not available the success of conservation projects can be limited. Through a case study of the Brier Island Nature Preserve, near Westport, Nova Scotia, ways in which existing capacity in a community can be better leveraged for the purpose of conservation are examined. We describe how the linked concepts of community values, place dependence, place identity and motivation have influenced conservation on the island. We then suggest how these concepts can provide opportunities to leverage additional resources within the community of Westport for conservation activities. We conclude that an integrated approach that more comprehensively reflects community values, place dependence and identity should foster and enhance local motivation for conservation management and planning.