Conservation, Consulting, and Change
What I’ve Learned in Six Years
February 2025​
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Six years ago, I stepped into independent consulting with no guarantees – just a strong belief that there was space for conservation organisations to rethink how they design, implement, and evaluate impact. The uncertainty was real – no steady pay check, no roadmap, and no certainty that it would work. Looking back now, I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
Building EcoNiche has been an adventure in every sense of the word – equal parts fulfilling, challenging, and surprising. Some projects have come together effortlessly, while others have tested every ounce of patience and resilience. There have been days of doubt, moments of complete clarity, and everything in between. But through it all, one thing has remained constant: the people. The partners who trust us, the communities who inspire us, and the team that makes this work possible.
Reaching this milestone feels like the right moment to reflect on some of the biggest lessons we’ve learned – not just about running a conservation consulting organisation, but about how we approach impact, collaboration, and the fundamental shifts needed to create lasting change.
LESSONS FROM THE JOURNEY​​
1. Start with the 'why' – the 'what' and 'how' will follow.
Every organisation, project, and conservation challenge is different, but real solutions begin with asking the right questions. Why is an initiative needed? Why are communities engaged – or not? Why is a strategy succeeding or falling short? Without a deep understanding of the underlying motivations and barriers, even the best-designed interventions risk failing. When we have clarity on the why, the what and how naturally fall into place.
2. ​Ideas are only as good as their execution – move fast and adapt.
Conservation, like most things in life, doesn’t benefit from endless waiting. It’s easy to get caught up in refining plans, securing the "perfect" funding partner, or waiting for the right moment. But the reality is that action fuels learning. The quicker we can test ideas, adapt based on real-world feedback, and refine them, the greater the impact we can create.
3. What gets measured, gets improved.
Impact can’t be left to assumptions. Over the years, we’ve seen that when organisations invest in meaningful monitoring – tracking not just activities but actual outcomes – they become more effective, more accountable, and better positioned to grow. Without a clear framework for measuring success, even the most well-intentioned projects risk losing direction.
4. Impact isn’t just about metrics – it’s about intent.
How we measure success in conservation matters. While survival rates and plant height are useful indicators, true restoration success is about more than just numbers. It must consider biodiversity recovery, ecosystem services, and long-term community stewardship. That’s why we need robust Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) frameworks – not just at the project level, but at national and global scales to ensure that conservation efforts are strategic, equitable, and ecologically sound.
5. EcoNiche is not about selling services – it’s about creating value.
From day one, EcoNiche was never about just offering consulting services. The goal was (and continues to be) to create a space where conservationists could access the expertise, strategic guidance, and hands-on support needed to strengthen their work. Conservation is complex – navigating that complexity requires not just technical skills but a commitment to collaboratively designing inclusive solutions that last.
6. Build a team that wants to stay – not one that has to.
I’ve been fortunate to work with some of the most brilliant minds in conservation, and I’ve learned that success is not just about bringing on board the right people – it’s about creating an environment where they feel valued, challenged, and empowered. The best teams aren’t just trained well – they’re also treated well enough that they want to stay.
7. Restoration is not about planting trees.
One of the biggest mindset shifts in coastal conservation is moving from "We want to plant mangroves" to "We want to restore and protect coastal ecosystems." Restoration is not about numbers – it’s about function. Planting trees in the wrong place, or without addressing the underlying ecological issues, does more harm than good. At EcoNiche, we focus on restoring ecological function first, before scaling up interventions. In many cases, enabling natural regeneration is more effective than active planting. And sometimes, the best approach isn’t restoration at all – it’s protecting what already exists.
8. Rethinking funding in conservation.
Too often, projects are designed from a distance, prioritising efficiency over relationships and scale over sustainability. But lasting change happens when communities are seen as equal partners and stewards of their own futures. The most effective conservation efforts are those co-created with the people who depend on these ecosystems. This means shifting from short-term, donor-driven interventions to long-term, community-led strategies that integrate conservation with livelihoods and resilience. The focus must not just be on funding projects, but on strengthening the relationships that sustain them.
9. Conservation and development don’t have to be at odds – but we need better alternatives.
A troubling pattern in environmental policy is the assumption that habitat destruction can be "balanced" by restoration efforts elsewhere. But destruction and restoration are not interchangeable. We also see a growing focus on carbon credits as a way to fund conservation – but when biodiversity and ecosystem integrity are overlooked, these projects often fail. Conservation isn’t just about storing carbon; it’s about protecting and repairing the deep ecological relationships that sustain life.
LOOKING FORWARD
If the past six years have taught me anything, it’s that there are no perfect solutions in conservation – only adaptive, community-driven approaches that evolve over time. To everyone who has been part of the EcoNiche journey – partners, colleagues, friends, and the countless people working on the front-lines of conservation – thank you for your trust, collaboration, and belief in doing things strategically. Six years in, our commitment remains the same: to build solutions that last, restore ecosystems with integrity, and keep people at the centre of conservation.
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Here’s to the next chapter!
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​by Nisha DSouza