Paul Jepson

About.

Visioning

I believe that conservation needs vision – imaginings of futures that we can collectively aspire to create. I work up visions that blend emerging trends in science, technology and society with a sense of confidence, innovation and hope.

Solutions

I design solutions that are situated – solutions that emerge from an understanding of the cultural assets and political realties of a place interacting with cutting-edge insight from interdisciplinary conservation science.

Dialogue

I engage with current debates within in conservation – through my writing, teaching and convening, I aim to stimulate and support an open, constructive and forward-looking dialogue between the values, ideologies and interest groups that make up our dynamic conservation movement.

Areas of Focus

Areas of Focus.

Rewilding

In 2005 I travelled to Holland with my students to visit rewilding sites and meet with the radical Dutch conservationist involved. I was blown away and have been teaching, debating and writing about rewilding ever since. i am now active in efforts to create the policy space for rewilding to act.

Nature Finance

I design and develop analytic frameworks and financial mechanisms to ‘unlock’ investment in nature recovery projects. I am part of a wider community working to design ‘nature positive’ markets that enable companies to go beyond doing no harm and create viable nature recovery enterprise opportunities for land holders.

Natural Area Policy

Earlier in my a career I specialised in the early phases of a reserve establishment working in the UK, Indonesia and Indochina. I did my doctorate on protected area policy and maintain an active interest in the field. Together with colleagues in Brazil, I developed a protectd area asset framework to restate the policy case for natural area protection. My focus now is on the policy and institutional change needed to support ecosystem recovery in public and private natural areas.

Conservation Theory & Innovation

When, mid-career, I moved into academia I discovered I had an aptitude for theorising conservation practice and conceptualising innovative new approaches. In collaboration with Richard Ladle, Maan Barua and others, I developed theories of avoided extinction flagship species action and conservation actors and co-founded the new field of conservation culturomics. My focus now is on conceptualising and developing analytical frameworks and tokens to ‘unlock’ investment in rewilding.

Education and Dialogue

I am committed to educating and empowering a new generation of conservation professionals. As MSc course director I developed and delivered syllabuses, workshops and fieldtrips to develop critical and innovative thinking at the interface of the natural and social science and theory and practice. In my current role, Cain Blythe and I launched a graduate rewilding intership programme to provide opportunties for young people to begin a career in the emerging nature recovery sector. I also like to convene one-off events and symposia on emerging or topical themes.

Governing Wildlife Trade

When I led the BirdLife Indonesia programme in the 1990s I came to understand the bird trade from the perspectives of western conservationists, government management agencies, local people and traders. I have previoulsy worked with local stakeholders to develop culturally-attuned approaches to governing wildlife trade and I regularly contributed academci research to debates in this highly politicized arena of conservation policy. I am currently less active in this field.

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