Community-Led Conservation & Coexistence

EFI supports community-driven solutions that protect wildlife, strengthen ecosystems, and improve the wellbeing of people living alongside nature. Our partners collaborate with local leaders, Indigenous communities, and grassroots organizations to reduce conflict, promote sustainable livelihoods, and safeguard biodiversity through education, training, and stewardship.

From coastal towns and forest-edge villages to rapidly changing rural landscapes, EFI invests in communities whose leadership is essential to long-term conservation success.

Why Community-Led Conservation Matters

Lasting conservation begins with the people who depend on and care for these landscapes every day. Community stewardship reduces human–wildlife conflict, prevents habitat loss, supports sustainable economic opportunities, and strengthens cultural and ecological resilience. By empowering local leadership, EFI helps build conservation models that endure across generations.

EFI’s community-led conservation work includes:

  • Planet Indonesia in Borneo — partnering with forest-edge communities to reduce deforestation, prevent wildfires, support sustainable agriculture, and strengthen community-led stewardship of biodiversity-rich landscapes.

  • WILDCOAST in Mexico & California — empowering coastal communities to restore mangroves, protect sea turtle nesting beaches, monitor coastal ecosystems, and lead conservation activities that build long-term ecological resilience.

  • Four Paws in Cambodia — supporting humane, community-centered efforts to end the dog meat trade by rescuing animals, strengthening local protections, and promoting compassionate alternatives that improve community health.

  • Spay A Stray programs in Baja & Tijuana — partnering with local organizations to provide spay/neuter clinics, veterinary care, and community outreach that reduce stray populations, improve animal welfare, and support healthier neighborhoods.

Our Partners

  • Fire Free Agriculture

    INDONESIA

  • Community-Based Turtle Protection

    MEXICO

  • Community Dog Meat Rescue + Welfare

    CAMBODIA

  • Spay a Stay Programs

    MEXICO