While Animal Experience International is a Canadian B Corp, all of our partners are 100% operated and supported by their local community. Why is this important? Because trust in the process, understanding nuance in conservation programs, investing in local professionals/capacity and full autonomy over financial investment is how the world changes- for the better!
As Canadians we don’t know the lived experience of a farmer in Costa Rica or a teacher in Malawi, we can’t begin to understand how their lives are severely impacted by conservation issues. We can only guess how their support could increase animal welfare and restorative justice in their communities. BUT, their neighbours do! Their friends and family know and that is who runs our wildlife and animal welfare centres. People who know the reasons there were decline in wildlife and incline in strays. They also know the solutions that will work in their cultural and geographical context.
What is also important is the capacity building and economic investment that these programs bring. There are no communities on Earth (that we can find) that don’t value animals and want suffering to decrease. There are just some places that have competing interests because if the choice is between National Parks or education for kids or food for veterans, the humanitarian needs prevail. Partnering with local groups, giving them complete autonomy over the kinds of volunteers they have and making sure we compensate them the true cost of hosting a volunteer (from petrol to pick them up to electricity, training to groceries) means animal and conservation professionals stay in their desired field. Wealth is spread through the community making sure there aren’t competing interests- just all lives are better when we invest in restorative and regenerative practices.
So while we are proud to be a boutique Canadian B Corp, we are even more proud to have all the donations and volunteers go to local community members who not only have agency but also have big hopeful and confident conservation and animal welfare dreams.
