𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐎𝐥𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲?
𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 [𝐢] 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫[𝐥]𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬
𝐃𝐫. 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐲𝐧 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐲 & 𝐄𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐨

Over the past years we have seen the growing recognition of the role played by community-based conservation in stewarding landscapes and sustaining their communities. Yet, the increasing bureaucratisation of this practice and way of living raises the question: is today’s conservation part of the same old story? A story dominated by modernity and coloniality? If so, and following Vanessa Machado de Oliveira, how could we ‘hospice’ it?

The opening act of our podcast series “𝐑𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫[𝐥]𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧”, explores some of these matters through the voices of Dr. Carolyn Finney and Global Diversity Foundation programme coordinator Emily Caruso. Drawing from personal experience, life-long research and work in the field, Carolyn and Emily offer more critical questions than straightforward answers, opening up the grounds to explore how we can step out of the sand-box in which conservation has thus far played to move into an open field that looks radically different.

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𝐑𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫[𝐥]𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 is developed with the support of the Darwin Initiative.

In this episode of Patchwork of Belonging, we immerse ourselves in the practice of interdisciplinary artist William Bock. Will’s work spans cultures, landscapes, and identities, weaving together threads of community, ecology, and tradition. His approach invites us to reflect on the deep connections between people and the environments they inhabit.

At the heart of this episode is Will’s participatory rope-making installation, where natural materials—harvested by his own hands—become tools for collective storytelling. Through this tactile process, participants are guided to engage with the land and its textures, creating moments of shared discovery.

We also share a powerful, unplanned exchange between Will and Ali, a local farmer and environmental activist, captured amidst the rhythm of the workshop. This conversation, flowing across languages, becomes a testament to the strength of creative practice as a bridge between diverse perspectives and experiences.

Join us as we explore how art can hold the threads of belonging, offering us ways to connect across cultural, ecological, and personal landscapes.

About William Bock
William Bock is an interdisciplinary artist whose work explores the intersections of culture, landscape, and identity. Using photography, painting, sound, performance, and installation, he investigates the connections between people, land, and ecology.
A member of the Wilderness Art Collective, Bock is also a founding member of the award-winning Dig Collective, with projects showcased at Art Safiental Biennale (Switzerland) and PEER Gallery (London). He has produced and curated exhibitions, workshops, and residencies internationally, and previously co-directed the theatre collective Strangeworks, delivering projects for the Barbican and New Walsall Art Gallery.

In this episode, Fayçal and Nessie sat down with four extraordinary women: Moeumu from Samoa, Andrea from Bolivia, Abigail from Guatemala, and Kanto from Madagascar, at the International Socieity for Ethnobiology Congress, in May 2024.

Each woman, leaders in their communities, shared their lived experiences of practicing conservation rooted in community and deep connection to the lands they fight to protect. From the Pacific islands to the Andean highlands, their stories weave a rich tapestry of resilience, cultural heritage, and a shared commitment to safeguarding our planet’s future.Through our conversations, they reflect on their shared and individual journeys—stories of overcoming barriers, sustaining cultural traditions, and creating spaces for belonging. Whether navigating the challenges of resource access, advocating for cultural preservation, or reimagining conservation to center community wisdom, these women demonstrate the power of collective action and actioning localised solutions.

Their work personifies how grass-roots, community conservation is not only about protecting land but is also about nurturing the people, knowledge, and relationships that sustain it and have done so for millennia.As fellows of the Conservation & Communities Fellowship (CCF), these women are part of a transformative initiative that uplifts grassroots leaders from the Global South. Through skills development, leadership growth, and access to global funding networks, the fellowship helps address systemic inequalities in conservation. Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities currently receive less than 1% of climate funding globally, and African organizations receive just 5–10% of private philanthropic funding for the continent. The CCF is closing these gaps, providing a platform for leaders like Moeumu, Andrea, Abigail, and Kanto to thrive and amplify their work on the world stage.

Tune in for an intimate and inspiring dialogue that highlights the stories of courage and unwavering dedication of these grassroots conservationists—and discover how their sense of belonging shapes their vision for a healthier, more equitable planet.