HUMAN RIGHTS-BASED APPROACH TO WILDLIFE CONSERVATION

Learn how to identify and respond to the human rights effects of your conservation work

LEARN HOW TO

• Recognise when your conservation work may affect the rights of local communities.
• Apply a structured process to assess effects on justice, basic needs, territory, self-determination, cultural, and knowledge rights.
• Select appropriate management responses to prevent, reduce, remedy, or compensate for human rights effects.
• Uphold your responsibilities as a duty bearer under international, regional, national, and local legal frameworks..

    Hours

    Videos

    Exercises & quizzes

    EARN YOUR CERTIFICATE

    To earn your certificate, you will need to take and pass our exam. This will be a multiple choice exam. Earning your certificate in this way is important to demonstrate to yourself and others (e.g. employers) that you have attained a high standard in this key skill set.

    However, the exam is nothing to worry about. If you need more time or any kind of additional support for the exam then the instructor is there to help. Most people pass first time and there is a free retake for anyone that doesn't.

    Once you earn your certificate you will be added to our WildTeam global skills directory.​

    Join over 2.5k conservationists already learning with WildTeam

    I have really enjoyed completing all the WildTeam wildlife conservation courses. They have equipped me with the necessary skills I need to begin searching for jobs in conservation after university.
    Neo Channing, Wales

    CAREER STARTER

    I enjoyed the flexibility of the training and the support we got from the faculty members. I feel empowered to volunteer with organizations in my local community to apply all I have learned.
    Ahemen Ivande, Indianapolis

    CAREER SWITCHER

    I truly enjoyed Project Management for Wildlife Conservation (PMWC) offered by WildTeam UK. It gave me practical tools and a clearer structure for planning, monitoring and evaluating conservation projects.
    Junior Jaime Alberto, Mozambique

    PRACTITIONER

    The WildTeam courses have been incredibly valuable in my career. As a Projects Manager, the skills I've learned have improved the way I organise and manage conservation work. The courses are thoughtfully designed, inspiring, and offer a great opportunity to learn from others who are making a real difference to secure a future for wildlife around the world.
    Reetika M, India

    PRACTITIONER

    The WildTeam courses have strengthened my ability to plan, manage, and evaluate conservation projects with clarity and purpose. These skills are already shaping the way I contribute to conservation efforts, helping me work more effectively and strategically toward what matters most to me: protecting biodiversity and making a meaningful, lasting impact on species conservation.
    Tomás Fernandes Pinheiro, Portugal

    CAREER STARTER

    This course has equipped me with practical skills to design, implement, and manage sustainable conservation projects that create impact. With this certification, I am better prepared to plan and coordinate wildlife conservation initiatives that promote environmental sustainability and community involvement.
    Vincent Orwa, Kenya

    CAREER STARTER

    The Grant Writing course was both practical and insightful. I not only learned how to structure and present proposals effectively while communicating ideas clearly, but I also discovered critical preliminary steps to take before the actual writing process—steps I hadn’t considered before but now understand are essential for creating strong and impactful proposals. I believe these skills will significantly enhance my organization’s chances of securing funding for our bird conservation work.
    Mary Malasa, Zambia

    PRACTITIONER

    I have already used the skills I learnt from this course. It has set me up for success!
    Kiah Davies, England

    CAREER STARTER

    This course has helped me perfect on my skills, learn new knowledge and more so, I was able to built rapport with the conservationists who took part. I highly recommend this course to anyone having imposter syndrome as at the end of the course you will have perfected in the areas you doubted yourself.
    Cynthia Kiptoo, Kenya

    CAREER STARTER

    WHY ARE HUMAN RIGHTS SKILLS SO IMPORTANT?

      Conservation work almost always affects people. Establishing a protected area, implementing anti-poaching patrols, restricting access to fishing grounds, or documenting traditional ecological knowledge can all have significant consequences for the communities involved. When those effects go unrecognised or unaddressed, they can undermine trust, generate conflict, expose your organisation to legal and reputational risk, and ultimately reduce the long-term sustainability of your conservation impact.

      The Human Rights-Based Approach to Wildlife Conservation course gives you the knowledge and tools to avoid those outcomes. You will learn to identify effects on the full range of rights most relevant to conservation work, assess their significance, and choose responses that are proportionate, legally grounded, and shaped by the priorities of affected communities. For the rest of your career, that ability will make you a more effective, more ethical, and more trusted conservation professional.

      IS THIS COURSE RIGHT FOR ME?

        This course is suitable for:

        Aspiring conservationists, looking for their first conservation job.
        Professional conservationists, already working in the conservation sector.

        Whether you are new to human rights thinking or have some existing awareness, this course will give you a structured, practical approach you can apply to any conservation context. As a certified practitioner, you will be able to identify potential human rights effects before they occur, navigate complex situations involving local communities and legal frameworks, and make better-informed decisions at every stage of your work. If you are still unsure, simply sign up for free and check out the introductory module to find out more.

        ONE PAYMENT, FULL ACCESS, MAXIMUM VALUE.

        Project Management | Project Planning | Grant Writing | Stakeholder Engagement | Monitoring and Evaluation | Launching Your Career | Consulting | Facilitation | Delivering Training | Ethical Decision Making | Human Rights-Based Approach | Free, Prior and Informed Consent

        Unlock unlimited learning with the WildTeam Memberships. For £290/year or £29/month, you get full access to every course in our school, including all current courses and all future courses released during your membership. Individual courses cost £190 each. With 11 courses already available, buying them separately would cost £2,090. Memberships give you access to all of them, plus future releases, for less than the price of two.

        COURSE CONTENT

        DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE BEST PRACTICE AND ONLINE TEMPLATES

        The Human Rights-Based Approach to Wildlife Conservation best practice is the official manual for this course.

        This best practice can be used as a step-by-step guide to assess and respond to human rights effects across any type of conservation work. For example, it could be used when establishing a community conservancy in East Africa, designing a marine protected area in the Pacific, or planning a landscape restoration programme in Southeast Asia.

        This best practice can also be used as a supporting resource for training and facilitation. It comes with a free online worksheet to help you document, assess, and manage the human rights effects of your project.