11/10/2025
14:00 - 15:30
Virtual Channel 1
, Online only
Session with interpretation
Why attend
Learn about culture across species, from bird and whale song, to ungulate migration and tool-use in primates, and IUCN’s related upcoming activities. Explore from diverse perspectives how animal culture can influence foraging, migration and communication and provide new ideas for conservation action. Share how animal cultures influence perspectives on nature.
Session Description
This session introduces the concept of animal culture and its relevance to conservation. It will showcase existing research across a variety of taxa globally, highlight the scientific community, IUCN SSC and CMS leadership on animal culture, launch the task force for Conservation of Animal Culture and IUCN’s project with the task force and the Arcus Foundation on the topic, and foster knowledge exchange with participants, reflecting how to responsibly incorporate animal culture into the conservation landscape. Through a combination of presentations to provide orientation on animal culture and conservation, and an interactive “world café” format the session will animate discussions on the prevalence and importance of culture in nature conservation through engaging different knowledge-holders.The session will hear from the Arcus Foundation, SSC/CEESP Task Force co-chairs, the CMS Secretariat, the SSC Working Group on Chimpanzee Culture, representative from the CMS Expert Group, SSC Specialist Groups, and Indigenous perspectives.
Organised by
Arcus Foundation ( United States of America )
Partners
Species Survival Commission
Commission on Environmental, Economic, and Social Policy
Arcus Foundation ( United States of America )