Growing together: Strengthening the partnership and impact of a zoo and community‐led conservation organization

Indigenous peoples and local communities play a pivotal role in addressing the climate and biodiversity crises. The South Rift Association of Land Owners (SORALO) is a community‐driven organization representing 30 Indigenous Maasai communities in Kenya, which cultivates resources to support communal landscape management. The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden (CZBG) is an Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)‐accredited zoological facility and has partnered with SORALO since its inception in 2004. This study evaluates the strengths and challenges of the SORALO‐CZBG partnership using the PARTNERS framework and examines its alignment with the Naivasha Vision—principles established by African conservation leaders in 2023 at the African Community Conservation Forum. We conducted eight semi‐structured interviews with SORALO and CZBG staff (four from each organization) and analysed them through thematic analysis and constant comparative methodology. The analysis shows the PARTNERS framework is an effective tool for evaluating the strengths and opportunities for growth between an international conservation partner and a community‐based conservation organization. The SORALO‐CZBG partnership is aligned with the Naivasha Vision and has strengths in all facets of the PARTNERS framework. Key opportunities for growth in the partnership were found in aptness, responsiveness, negotiation, empathy and strategic support. This evaluation acted as a tool for SORALO‐CZBG leaders to talk through strengths and opportunities for growth, along with plans to address each. Practical Implication : Our findings highlight key factors that strengthen conservation partnerships and offer recommendations for conservation organizations, especially international non‐governmental organizations, to examine their partnerships and practices to enhance collaboration with community‐led conservation initiatives and their leaders.