Considerations for early career conservation researchers seeking to engage across communities and cultures

Abstract

As conservation researchers operating in the Pacific, we often seek to contribute to solutions through integrative research that involves the inclusion of different voices, knowledge systems and actors in order to build adaptive capacity and ensure system resilience. Implicit in this approach is the need for sound and effective cross-cultural communication skills in a setting where an ill-defined or inexperienced approach could do more harm than good. In this perspective essay, we draw upon the literature and our own lived experiences to offer practical advice for early career researchers (ECRs) in the area of conservation research seeking to engage across communities and cultures. This manuscript is not designed to be a definitive set of rules, but a useful resource with practical advice to help empower ECRs from the Global North to engage with communities across the Pacific.