Earlier this year, to honor our incredible wildlife and the heritage of living alongside them in harmony, Defenders declared 2019 the year of coexistence. To make coexistence work, communities that have direct interaction with wildlife will understand and appreciate the value of conserving wildlife. Ideally, though, community members would not just appreciate wildlife but participate in conservation with their actions. These types of practices are often referred to as community-based conservation. Read more about community-based conservation here .