North American Model of Wildlife Conservation- Do you know it?

Perhaps the most appropriate fashion to begin our odyssey of discussing wildlife conservation is to start at the beginning. What is the foundation for what we have come to develop as a tradition, passion, or career? I would surmise that the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation is the quintessential explanation to our beginning (see links below). The model is known for its "7 pillars" that were derived as the result of necessity in the field of conservation in the late 1800s. Market hunting and over-exploitation posed a great threat to the sustainability of wildlife and natural resources; necessity was indeed the mother of inspiration for the conservation movement.

Theodore Roosevelt is often regarded as The Father

of Conservation among many other conservationists 

of the 19^th and 20^th century.

As time has progressed, we as society have accomplished much in the field of conservation. However, concomitantly, our development has come with complexity and challenged by inevitable facets of the new world. Global population expansion and public perception are among these challenges (Mahoney and Cobb 2010). (See Future Challenges to the Model)

Given the dynamic present, innovation in the realm of wildlife professionals is of utmost importance. Does the model need revisions or do we need to conform to the model?

 

Links:

North American Model of Wildlife Conservation

Organ, J. F., S. P. Mahoney, and V. Geist. 2010. Born in the hands of hunters: the North American model of wildlife conservation. The Wildlife Professional Fall:22-27.

History and 7 Pillars 

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation [RMEF]. 2015. The North American Wildlife Conservation Model. <http://www.rmef.org/Conservation/HuntingIsConservation/NorthAmericanWildlifeConservationModel.aspx>. Accessed 29 Jan 2015.

Future Challenges to the Model

Mahoney, S. P., and D. Cobb. 2010. Future challenges to the model: why collapse is possible and alteration inevitable. The Wildlife Professional Fall:83-85.