Social science trainng for your organisation - book now for 2026

[Rebecca Jefferson]

Hello, 

This email is an invitation to explore training in conservation social science for your organisation.

Short version of this email: if your team, network or organisation needs training in conservation social science, then we need to speak.  I deliver excellent training in foundations of conservation social science, using qualitative methods for conservation and in social science leadership.  Reply to this email sharing a bit about your needs and we'll find a time to chat.  I'd love to hear from you. 

Longer version...explaining a bit more about what I do and the magic of training with Human Nature.

How are you? The autumn colours here in the UK have been beautiful for weeks. A much needed source of awe and wonder in a single leaf as the year moves on.

Away from the trees, I recently did something I love - ran in-house training for two conservation organisations.

There is something very special about being asked to train a group of colleagues who work for the same organisation. I get the chance to create a space for the partipants to talk about topics that they are often very interested in, but if it weren't for the training, they wouldn't really dig into.

People ask me what my training content covers. It's a logical question, answered with a list of the topics we cover. (You can find those details below.)

And whilst it's very important to know what a training course includes, there are some other important things about my courses which are useful to share.

Conservation social science is a topic which is often left on the sidelines in our organisations. Why is this? It frequently falls into the neglected space of important but not urgent. People can be a bit unsure about how to start conversations on this big amorphous topic - particularly in workplaces where the opportunities to chat over coffee breaks are far less commonplace. And also because it can be uncomfortable to ask about something you or your colleagues aren't confident in - and social science is unfamiliar to many people in our sector.
(It's ok if these reasons apply to your organisation, I can help with that.)

When run for an organisation, I ensure that Human Nature courses provide a shared space for staff to explore social science and bring it off the sidelines. My courses are a mixture of taught elements usually from slides, break out tasks to prompt small group discussions, and plenary reflections. In the two courses I've run recently, the combination of this content and format has enabled staff groups to discuss topics such as where people fit into conservation; successful and challenging experiences of social science data collection; and the impacts of their programmes beyond the non-human parts of the ecosystems.

And this is the bit that is really special. I never really know what discussions will be sparked from the content I deliver. Yes, I know about the projects and priorities the teams have. I discuss in advance what the team needs to know. I hear from all participants about why they want to do the course. But when we get into the room or Zoom, the discussions will go in the direction that group need. We'll cover all the content, but the extra discussions, the outputs from the break out tasks, the recurring themes will be specific to that group.

I love being able to hold the space for those staff to have those discussions. And I love supporting them to build skills and confidence which allow social science to be taken off the sidelines and into the everyday conversations that happen in projects and practice in conservation organisations. 


So, I have a few questions for you:

• Does your team or organisation need space to discuss and learn about social science?
• Does your organisation recognise the importance of people in conservation but isn't quite sure how to move forwards with grasping social science?
• Do you have staff using or needing to use qualitative methods who need training to bring everyone onto a shared foundation and ways of working?
• Is social science training a priority for your organisation in 2026?

If yes, hit reply and we can find a time to talk and see what you need and how I can help. 


And here are those details of the trainings provided by Human Nature with a quick overview of their content:

Essentials of Conservation Social Science core content: defines social science and it's vital role in conservation. Explains why qualitative and quantitative methods are used in social science. Explores social science methods (so much more than questionnaires). And guides you to see how you can integrate social science into your work and organisation.

Qualitative Methods for Conservation core content: an in depth course which provides skills in using qualitative (text-based) methods such as interviews, focus groups and open-ended questionnaires. Covers design of qualitative research studies, and the collection and analysis of qualitative data.

Social science leadership and organisational change: supporting and empowering those who are catalysts for organisations which are increasing their use of social science. 


And if there is something else on the topic of conservation social science that your organisation needs training with, please get in touch to explore together what you need.


So, please reply to this email if you want to find out how social science evidence can help your organisation reach it's conservation goals in 2026. 

Best wishes
Rebecca


Find out more about Human Nature in-house training (pdf) 

I thought the course was great and you are a very positive, engaging, and inclusive instructor. It's hard to maintain energy and focus for so many hours as a teacher but you were brilliant. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and skills with us. - Course participant June 2025

Human Nature exists to empower conservation professionals and organisations to build their capacity to access and use social science for greater conservation impacts. 

 

 

 

Dr Rebecca Jefferson

reb...@humannature.co.uk

humannature.co.uk

 

 

Email replies may be a little slow, or at strange hours.  This is due to me working part time as I balance home educating and work.  Please nudge if you think you've been forgotten!.