Pre-Conference Trainings

14 June 2026 | 10:00-16:00

In an increasingly polarized world, our ability to communicate across divisions is essential to building stronger, more resilient communities. Polarization has become one of the biggest barriers to conservation today – whether it’s wolves, land use, or climate policy, polarized debates stall decision-making and erode trust. Most stakeholder engagement processes aren’t designed to reduce conflict; too often, they entrench it by overlooking the human dimensions of conservation challenges. Behind every conflict are people with histories, emotions, and values that shape their positions.

This interactive workshop equips participants with facilitation techniques to reduce polarization and support constructive dialogue in contentious conservation contexts. Drawing from real-world examples in human-wildlife conflict, participants will explore strategies to engage diverse values, manage difficult emotions, and design processes that move groups from entrenched positions toward shared goals. The workshop begins with a broader look at how to design effective and inclusive stakeholder engagement processes aimed at achieving critical social outcomes such as depolarization and conflict resolution. The workshop reframes stakeholder engagement as a tool not just for consultation, but for depolarization and reconciliation. It also introduces research-based frameworks from deliberative democracy, peacebuilding, and reconciliation, highlighting how theory can inform practice in accessible and applied ways. Geared toward both practitioners and researchers, the workshop blends case studies with scholarly insights to show how these approaches can be applied in real-world settings as well as studied in academic contexts. Through interactive activities, participants will practice navigating social conflict, fostering empathy and perspective-taking, and reframing conservation issues in ways that open space for more constructive dialogue.

Learning objective: Participants will leave with practical facilitation tools to navigate conflict, reduce polarization, and foster more constructive group dialogue.

Led by:

Dr. Mireille Gonzalez, Co-Director & Research Associate, Center for Human-Carnivore Coexistence, Colorado State University

Registration:

£85 per person; includes coffee/tea breaks and lunch

14 June 2026 |  13:00-16:00

During the Pathways: Human Dimensions of Wildlife Conference in Cordoba, we hosted a workshop on human–wildlife coexistence. The conversations that unfolded — raw, reflective, and rich in perspective — confirmed something we already sensed: this topic deserves more space. More depth. And more voices. That’s why we’re organizing a follow-up:

Next-Level Coexistence: Wildlife and People

An interactive, hands-on workshop for professionals working directly with human–wildlife conflict and coexistence — whether in policy, practice, or research.

We’ll revisit key outcomes from Cordoba, but this is not a recap. It’s an invitation to go further. Together, we’ll:

• Share practical insights — including what didn’t work.
• Examine how “coexistence” is framed across disciplines.
• Explore perspectives, including the non-human lens.
• Reflect on gaps between science and practice.
• Connect local realities with broader visions.

Let’s keep the momentum going.

The workshop mainly aims at connecting professionals from the field of coexistence – both, practitioners and scientists – and to give them a platform to share experiences and learn from each other while improving their own work, building networks, forming collaborations etc. In this, we also aim at bridging science-practice gaps that professionals experience, while also advancing the field of coexistence as such.

The perfect event to spark an important conversation about coexistence and to kick off the conference!

Led by:

Dr. Susan Boonman-Berson, Founder & Director, Bear at Work / Bear at Work Academy — Multispecies Relations in Human–Wildlife Coexistence

Registration:

£47 per person

Pathways Europe 2026 Cohosts: