This month marks five years since the first course I ran as Human Nature! So it felt apt to reflect on what makes an effective conservation social science training course, with a special invite for the next evolution of Human Nature’s training offering at the end…

I’ve designed both the Essentials of Conservation Social Science course, and Qualitative Methods For Conservation course so they can be delivered online or in-person, and there are certainly pros and cons to either format. But however they are delivered, there are always principles I put in place to ensure that the learning environment is as valuable as possible. 

And, as uncomfortable as it is for me to toot my own horn, it works! I put a lot of effort into preparing for these courses, and it’s because I know the people who attend them are busy, and are doing vital work. So I respect their time, and I want them to get as much out of their training as possible. 

Here’s what a participant from the June 2025 Qualitative Methods for Conservation course said:

I did the course at night time, after long days of work. Despite being tired, I was so engaged in the course that the course itself was feeding me energy. Being practically a self-taught social scientist I had never had the chance of participating in training and in discussions. The outcome was beyond my expectations. There were so many insights and tips on how to do research design, analysis and reporting that I have not only (re)gained confidence in my skills but have also gained the motivation to revisit a Phd I never thought I would look at again.

This is what it’s all about – I want the Human Nature courses to give you energy, not drain it! So you, or your team, are inspired and equipped to do the work that needs to be done. 

5 things I do for every conservation social science training session I run:

1. Find out about what makes participants tick before they start the course

I send out short questionnaires (and make sure I read the responses!) before every course I run. This is true whether there are 10 participants or 100. It means I can tailor my delivery accordingly, referring to your areas of work or interest in examples, addressing particular skills needs across the group, and helping foster connections across related work interests. 

2. Establish ways of working for the group

It’s so important that everyone in the training session feels on an equal footing. It doesn’t matter what your status or job title is, within the training session we are all there to learn, and to support one another. Every training session starts with the principles we follow within the training, to ensure confidentiality, and that people feel as safe and open to learning as possible.

3. Allow people to engage in a way that suits them

So long as the ways of working are respected, I’m clear there’s no bad way to engage with the training. Some participants are energised by talking in plenary settings. I’m aware that’s not for everyone, so each training has a mix of approaches to suit different learning and engagement styles. Participants get a workbook for individual study and refer back to, we have small group discussions that I drop in on (online) or eavesdrop on if we’re in person, and open mic sessions for people to share questions and reflections. The most important thing is that participants feel like the learning environment is one they can thrive in. 

4. Let people know it’s safe not to know

What’s the point of attending training if you already know it all? It’s not logical! Yet, people booking onto these courses have often been trained to be experts, where lack of knowledge (or admitting lack of knowledge or skills) is frowned upon, implicitly if not explicitly. I am absolutely clear from the outset that all questions are good questions. And that this is about moving forward in good practice – it may be that due to lack of social science training good practice hasn’t always been followed in the past. There’s space to unpack that together, if needed.

5. Set a sustainable pace

Valuing participants’ time doesn’t mean throwing as much information at them as possible! Of course it’s important to be as efficient as possible, people’s time is precious. But for conservation social science training to be energising and for learning to stick, you need breaks, and time to connect with other people in your group. Really valuable relationships and potential projects can come out of the incidental conversations that happen – whether that’s in a virtual room or an in-person one. We have space and permission (but not pressure) for all of that to happen within the frame of the course, as well as for you to recalibrate and absorb what you’ve been learning.

These steps are wired into every course I deliver – and they are just as important as my delivery notes or what I put on the slide deck! 

Want to book your conservation social science training with Human Nature?

I’m available for conversations about 2026 training dates, so if you have a group of at least 15 who’d like training in the Essentials of Conservation Social Science, or Qualitative Methods for Conservation, I’d love to chat.  This might be for your organisation, department, project partners or a network that you’re part of.  Let’s explore how we can build the social science skills of your people. You can read more about the courses here.

And I’m particularly keen to discuss hybrid training, as I’ve not yet delivered a course this way and have lots of ideas I’d love to try out. Do you have a hub with a dispersed team and would love the best of both worlds: some people in the room together, alongside properly thought through online delivery, so everyone has a great experience? Just send me an email so we can start a conversation at rebecca@humannature.co.uk.