Supporting the right people

Advocating for conservation is not an easy job. Everyone can tell you that. In fact studying any conservation biology modules or degrees can be downright depressing. Sometimes it feels like for every good thing that happens, three more bad things occur. It feels bleak, grim and sometimes soul crushing. But these people give their everything for every inch of ground gained against those who don't care about the environment. Is it always the case though? Be careful which organizations you support, where you work or volunteer and where your funding goes. Today I will tell you why you should be careful.

Firstly conservation organizations have goals in mind. Without goals there is no point in having them around, and although it might seem that they are working for the greater good of the environment some of these organizations have secret agendas that they pursue. For example, apart from some extreme organizations, an organizations won't call itself “the organization for killing wolves and slaughtering cougars and bears”. Instead it will choose to call it itself “the balanced nature organization”and advocate for predator culls and eradication claiming that the predator population is harming the rest of the ecosystem. Most organization like that often are under disguise and their motives should be questioned.

Although most of these “organizations” have been subjected to scrutiny and may have had their real motives known to the world, there are still those who might mislead people into supporting them. If possible take some time and do some research before choosing to support a local conservation organization.

In addition to motives, actions speak louder. Before choosing to volunteer or donate money to a conservation organization observe them a bit. How active are they? Have their actions had some sort of impact? Have the money you are giving them produced some result? Usually donations are in packs of a monthly or yearly donation. Do you feel that the money you are giving them produce an equivalent amount of work? Remember you are donating an organization who coincides with your ideals or does work that you believe is right. If an organization has 10 000 members that donate around $30 a year but the organization does nothing but organize a fund raiser and is not even present in the conservation front line then maybe its time to change your donations. Be careful though. Your organization may not win the battles it is fighting. It is often the problem with conservation, that people are fighting a losing battle but every inch saved is a small victory. Sometimes grand victories will be won but more often than not conservation is about a collection of small victories that matter. So if your preferred organization is out there everyday, attending conferences, participating in research, fighting legislation and getting involved but the government refuses to listen to them then it might not have been their actions that prompt the government to ignore them. Internet is your best ally at this point. Use a search engine and find out what your organization has been up to and what have they done in the past. Here are few bullet points that in my opinion can give you a broader perspective about the groups that you support:

• How long have they been set up? Through age you know that there will be a record of the group's actions
• How often are they mentioned? With age comes exposure. The younger the group the less exposure will be around. If an organization is young but is mentioned in news articles constantly it means they are driven which is usually good. If they are an old organization and not mentioned then that they might not be as driven.
• Observe the website. The news section, the networking and the design usually points to a well structured organization.
• Ask around. Don't be afraid to email them asking for actions taken and why you should support them. If they are driven or care they will reply to you with information. Further more look around in different forums and read what other people say.

In regards to volunteering, then things are often easier to distinguish. By entering an organization you join a circle. That circle may be small and limited to your coworkers but you learn things. While you are there you will hear conversations, you will hear viewpoints and if you don't agree with what they are saying then get out. If you support any sort of organization with your time and effort and don't feel good doing it then there is hardly any point of volunteering there. Be careful of what you support as well while volunteering there. Know your organizations objectives, ideas and viewpoints and covey them whenever you can. If you think you are doing doesn't agree with you then stop volunteering there.

Finally use your judgment. You have done some pocking around and read about the organization. Now it's time to use your judgment. Apply it to what you learned. If in the end you think that the organization is worth it then support them in any way you can. If you can't volunteer in the field and don't have money to donate but want to help, email them. They might direct you in some ways that you can help. It might seem like nothing to you but liking&sharing on Facebook, setting up a website, monitoring websites or inputting numbers on a spreadsheet might help an organization a long way. Don't be afraid to offer your services no matter what they might be.