Increasing Awareness of and Support for Integrated Approaches to Conservation for the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust - Spring

Team Members: Sayoko Kubotera (Manager), Merav Cohen (Deputy Manager), Tiffany Sieler (Editor), Mauricio Child, Saumya Mehrotra, Shira Yashphe, Arina Larasati Susijo, Hantian Rong, Kaiyu Qiu

Wildlife conservation organizations face growing competition for public attention, funding, and policy influence, even as threats to biodiversity intensify. This project evaluated the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust’s communications strategy to strengthen global awareness and support for its integrated conservation model. The Trust’s work—rehabilitating orphaned elephants, combating poaching, and protecting habitats—has achieved significant conservation success, but analysis revealed gaps in audience targeting, messaging effectiveness, and engagement strategies. Comparative analysis with peer organizations showed opportunities to better leverage digital platforms, data analytics, and strategic messaging to reach priority audiences, particularly millennials, academic institutions, and NGO leaders.

The research developed a comprehensive communications strategy to increase global engagement and policy influence. Key recommendations included implementing targeted social media campaigns, expanding digital storytelling to highlight conservation successes, strengthening partnerships with academic and NGO networks, and developing metrics to evaluate communication effectiveness. Tailored outreach strategies were designed to maximize impact while accounting for resource constraints, enabling scalable implementation. By enhancing its communications approach, the Trust could expand its supporter base, increase funding opportunities, and strengthen its role as a global conservation leader. These improvements would ultimately support broader wildlife protection goals by increasing awareness of integrated conservation strategies and influencing international conservation policy.

Learn more about the MPA-ESP Capstone projects.