Scientists agree that the biodiversity crisis we face today may be one of the most disruptive events in Earth’s history. The response so far has been for hundreds of billions in government and philanthropic donor funds – along with trillions in private sector investment capital – to be dedicated to conservation, primarily for nature conservation and climate change. But is more and more money the answer, especially for a culture whose exploitation of nature for money is the problem? At the core, our society needs to muster the collective humility to admit this mindset is problematic and seek solutions outside itself. In a culture that perceives nature as separate from people, the dominant conservation mindset is biased in theory and practice by science-based methodologies to conserve and protect nature. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) for example is the world’s largest environmental organization – serving 1,400 member organizations, NGOs and governments, and 16,000 experts – with the aid of 1,000 staff in 50 countries and an annual budget of almost $1.2 billion. Habitat loss and degradation due to human exploitation is addressed mainly by ‘no go’ enclaves of wilderness or protected areas (PAs) and in 2021, IUCN members launched a major initiative to support ’30 by 30,’ whose goal is to designate 30% of the world as protected areas by 2030. Indigenous conservation (or stewardship) perceives people as part of nature, though, and has a bias towards practical protections of nature and society. It is place-based and driven…This article was originally published on Mongabay