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New online training course launched for IUCN Green Status of Species

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 November 2022

Molly K. Grace Open the ORCID record for Molly K. Grace [Opens in a new window] ,
Michael Hoffmann Open the ORCID record for Michael Hoffmann [Opens in a new window] ,
Ellie Alexander ,
Michelle Kotulski ,
Bobby Deibler ,
H. Reşit Akçakaya Open the ORCID record for H. Reşit Akçakaya [Opens in a new window] ,
Elizabeth L. Bennett ,
Rebecca Young  and
Barney Long Open the ORCID record for Barney Long [Opens in a new window]
Molly K. Grace
Affiliation:
Department of Biology and Wadham College, University of Oxford, Oxford, [email protected].
Michael Hoffmann
Affiliation:
Zoological Society of London, London, UK.
Ellie Alexander
Affiliation:
Zoological Society of London, London, UK.
Michelle Kotulski
Affiliation:
The Nature Conservancy, Virginia, USA.
Bobby Deibler
Affiliation:
The Nature Conservancy, Virginia, USA.
H. Reşit Akçakaya
Affiliation:
Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, New York, USA.
Elizabeth L. Bennett
Affiliation:
Wildlife Conservation Society, New York City, USA.
Rebecca Young
Affiliation:
Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Trinity, Jersey, Channel Islands.
Barney Long
Affiliation:
Re:wild, Austin, USA
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Abstract

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Type
Conservation News
Information
Oryx , Volume 56 , Issue 6 , November 2022 , pp. 809 - 810
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence CC BY 4.0.
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Fauna & Flora International

The IUCN Green Status of Species was launched in July 2021 as a new, integral part of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Grace et al., 2021, Oryx, 55, 651–652). Whereas the Red List has traditionally served as the most widely-recognized means of establishing a species’ risk of extinction in the wild, the Green Status adds a much-needed means for assessing species recovery.

To be assessed as Fully Recovered, a species must be viable and ecologically functional in all parts (termed spatial units) of its indigenous range, including those areas that were occupied prior to major human impacts. The degree to which these criteria are met by a species translates into a Green Score, with which species are placed in categories (as in the Red List) that reflect where a species lies on the path to recovery. But the Green Status of Species framework does not stop there: it estimates the impact of past conservation actions on the current status of a species, and what is expected to happen in the future if actions are either halted, or continued and enhanced, over the short and long term (dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.CH.2021.02.en).

As with the Red List, correctly applying the Green Status framework requires an understanding of key terms (e.g. indigenous range), concepts (e.g. functionality) and procedures (e.g. estimating outcomes of scenarios with and without conservation). To support efficient and consistent assessments, in September 2022 IUCN launched an online training course to support both assessors and stakeholders to understand and apply the categories and impact metrics correctly. Comprising seven modules and 14 lessons, the course takes approximately 7 hours to complete and covers concepts, definitions and procedures.

The Green Status of Species training course is available for learners to access freely on conservationtraining.org, together with the Red List training course. Prior completion of the latter, or at least familiarity with the Red List categories and criteria, is encouraged before beginning the Green Status training course. Since its inception, more than 12,530 learners have enrolled in the Red List training course (C. Pollock, pers. comm., 2022).

The new course covers all key information needed to undertake a Green Status assessment. Future planned development includes modules on mapping and supporting information, and a final exam. After successfully passing the exam, learners will be awarded a certificate of achievement to prove they have completed the course and have a good understanding of the IUCN Green Status of Species and the assessment process. The course will soon be available in Spanish and French.

We look forward to hearing from the experiences of learners. Lyda Hill Philanthropies is gratefully acknowledged for supporting the development of the course.