Tips for interacting with landowners or locals on the job?
Ask a Biologist Monday 4/8/24
Answers from Biologists:
Build connections and talk. Don’t force stuff down their throats but listen.
Don’t bog them down with research and jargon. Take a realistic approach with management recs.
Act friendly, forgiving and honest. Most people are a little easier to trust that way.
Take their prospective seriously. Their livelihoods are often tied to the projects in question.
Try not to go in with biased/prejudiced mindsets. We all have to work together.
Learn what they value first and foremost then work off that.
Find anything you agree or connect on. You have to build trust before expertise.
Listen and try to understand heir point of view or origin of their concern.
Always ask about gate preferences.
Be as flexible as is reasonable. Offer liability waivers to be on their property.
Plan extra time to visit with them and get to know them. Don’t try to rush things.
Don’t write off anyone. Their thoughts and opinions are valid too and they want to be heard.
Reach out in-person if possible. Many won’t answer as unknown number or email.
Proceed with kindness and honesty. You may end up learning some new perspectives.
Let go of the need to be right.
Carry supervisors business card to share for more info. Also know a way out if interactions get hostile.
Respond to their concerns with kindness and patience. Often landowners feel unheard.
Do your best to advocate for them and communicate with them.
Avoid jargon and explain things fully in detail do people know what they’re agreeing to regarding property use.
They know more about the land than you do. Ask them for information and reference it.
Send a thank you card when your project is done.
Some folks love a phone call and others do better with an email. Offer multiple ways to communicate.
Be honest. Show that you are an individual working for a place, not the actual place itself.
Let them talk, listen to their stories. They can be a real asset to you if you can get them on your side.
Be willing to listen to their thoughts and opinions with an open mind.
Listen to them. Help them with running cows/fixing fence. Find out how the operation/project goals align.
Listen. Don’t assume you know the answers. Find a way to meet in the middle.
Listening about their concerns and having you as a contact to reach out to eases some nerves.
Get to know them, compromise, and take the time to develop relationships.
Remember that they can be a resource. Many know the area and land extremely well.
Listen to their concerns.
Connection starts with empathy, whether it’s poachers or sympathetic locals.
Respect their knowledge. You may have a degree but they have local knowledge.
