Wildlife & People Suriname
Wildlife and People Suriname (WPS) is a Surinamese organization dedicated to nature conservation. We work closely with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) who live in and depend on nature, ensuring that conservation efforts directly benefit them.
Our projects focus on protecting and monitoring (endangered) wildlife and nature reserves, strengthening communities in wildlife and habitat monitoring, and actively involving them in conservation initiatives. By doing so, we help create alternative sources of income, ensuring that local communities benefit from protecting both wildlife and their natural environment.
Core Values
🔍 Openness and Transparency
We believe in honesty and accountability. We acknowledge our mistakes, learn from them, and openly share our challenges and successes with our team, partners, and communities. Transparency builds trust and ensures that our work remains ethical and effective.
🤝 Building Partnerships
Collaboration is key to achieving meaningful impact. Instead of viewing other organizations as competitors, we actively seek partnerships where we can complement each other's strengths. By working together with local, national, and international stakeholders, we create stronger, more resilient conservation initiatives.
📊 Impact-Driven
Our actions are guided by measurable outcomes. We focus on initiatives that bring tangible benefits to both wildlife and local communities. Every project we undertake is designed to create lasting change and sustainable conservation solutions.
🧭 Integrity and Honesty
We uphold the highest ethical standards in all aspects of our work. Whether in conservation, research, or community engagement, we act with integrity, ensuring that our commitments align with our mission and the well-being of nature and people.
🔬 Field- and Science-Based
Our work is rooted in both scientific research and traditional knowledge. We combine fieldwork with academic expertise to make informed decisions, ensuring that conservation strategies are evidence-based and adapted to real-world challenges.
⚖️ Equity and Equality
We believe in fair and inclusive partnerships. Indigenous and local communities are key stakeholders in conservation, and we work to ensure that they have equal opportunities, resources, and recognition in decision-making processes.
👥 Team-Driven
Success comes from collaboration. We foster a supportive and dynamic team environment where every member plays a crucial role. By working together with dedication and respect, we strengthen our impact and effectiveness.
❤️ Passion
Conservation is not just our work—it's our calling. Our team and partners are deeply committed to protecting wildlife and supporting communities. This passion drives us to go the extra mile in everything we do.
💡 Innovation
We embrace creative and forward-thinking solutions to conservation challenges. From biodiversity credits to community-led ecotourism, we explore new ways to integrate sustainability, conservation, and livelihoods.
🛠️ Professionalism & Efficiency
We hold ourselves to high standards of professionalism in our operations, project execution, and stakeholder engagement. By using resources effectively and efficiently, we maximize our conservation impact.
🌍 Diversity and Inclusivity
Nature thrives on diversity, and so do we. We value different perspectives, cultures, and backgrounds, ensuring that our work is inclusive and representative of the communities and ecosystems we aim to protect.
🌱 Respect
Respect is at the heart of our relationships—with people, wildlife, and the environment. We honor the knowledge, traditions, and rights of indigenous and local communities while ensuring that conservation efforts respect nature's intrinsic value.
Objectives
- Gather and update existing population status data on species and monitoring of threats by developing research and monitoring programs in different locations in Suriname to support the development and implementation of conservation actions and species action plans .
- Actively involve Indigenous and local communities in monitoring species by building their capacity and offering jobs such as local rangers, research assistants and monitoring personnel.
- Raise the awareness of the public in Suriname about the biodiversity and the role of species in the different ecosystems in Suriname by awareness programs in schools and communities.
- Support the government's Nature Conservation Division (NCD) with collection of data and intel, defining threats of species to formulate species conservation policies and with facilitation of logistics for law enforcement activities.
- Build bridges between communities and NCD / Government of Suriname on environmental and wildlife related topics and support communities to become part of nature conservation solutions.
- Support of Indigenous and local communities with the development of alternative income sources, such as ecotourism to decrease the need for wildlife trade and other threats to wildlife.
- WPS is also in the process of establishing a (primate) research station in the Central Suriname Nature Reserve.
- Funds for conservation activities flow directly to communities through collaboration with community-based organizations and employment.