What does it take to build conservation that lasts?
That question formed the foundation of the 2026 Alinea Platform Meeting, Built to Last: Critical Nodes for Nature and Society, where conservation practitioners from across Southern and East Africa gathered at Droombos, Namibia, to share ideas, strengthen partnerships and explore practical approaches to creating long-term conservation impact. Representing GKEPF were CEO Dr Marisa Coetzee and Legal, Partnerships and Executive Support Manager Angie Michau, who joined around from across the region for four days of workshops, discussions and peer learning.
The programme explored a wide range of topics, from partnership networks and nature finance to organisational resilience, fundraising, succession planning, governance and financial management. Throughout the week, one message emerged consistently: conservation challenges are interconnected, and the solutions must be too. For GKEPF, many of the discussions reinforced the existing landscape approach, which brings together protected areas, neighbouring communities, government agencies and private sector partners to address shared conservation challenges.
Sessions on information-led wildlife crime prevention were particularly relevant to GKEPF’s Integrated Wildlife Zone (IWZ) model. Discussions highlighted the growing importance of financial investigations, information-sharing and understanding the business models behind organised wildlife crime, providing valuable insights that can strengthen regional collaboration.
The meeting also highlighted that effective conservation relies on more than field operations alone. Strong governance, organisational resilience, healthy leadership, succession planning and financial sustainability all play an essential role in ensuring conservation organisations remain effective well into the future.
During the programme, Dr Marisa Coetzee participated in a panel discussion on succession planning, sharing GKEPF’s experiences of organisational growth, leadership development, team empowerment and succession as part of building a resilient organisation.
As participants returned to their own landscapes, they took with them new ideas, stronger partnerships and renewed connections across the conservation sector. The week served as a reminder that meaningful conservation outcomes are built through collaboration, trust and a willingness to learn from one another.
As Alinea Network CEO Kerri Rademeyer reflected during the meeting, “Building something that lasts cannot be built alone.” It is a sentiment that resonates strongly with GKEPF’s landscape approach, where enduring conservation success depends on trusted partnerships working together for the benefit of both nature and people.
