The emerging Smithsonian Conservation Commons presents unique challenges for developing integrative approaches to address global conservation. A multitude of scientists has expressed urgency that research results serve the conservation community more effectively. New types of facilitation and processes will be required in order to move the needle to connect scholarship with application. This is an opportunity to engage with historical records while creating new records that document new science as it is being developed, and new methods for sharing that science with the field more nimbly. We are forming multiple-disciplinary teams, while also studying models from other fields. Given the number of fragmented conservation science efforts across multiple Smithsonian units, research stations, and centers, we have selected four broad global challenges as areas of focus for the launch of this effort: Global Conservation Attitudes; Biodiversity Friendly Food; Working Landscapes and Seascapes, and; Movement of Life.
Results/Conclusions
By the time of this presentation at ESA, Working Groups will have formed around each of the four broad problems, along with an administrative working group that looks at data management, infrastructure, and resource developemnt. By the time of the ESA meeting, some fast-track projects will have already been launched. We will report interim results of this dynamic situation at that time.