74th Annual Conference
The Power of Connections: Harvesting Lessons and Strengthening Coalitions for Amazonian Conservation
UF CENTER FOR LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES
About the conference
Approximately half of Amazonia is currently under some form of protection. Yet, more is needed to avert an ecological tipping point.
According to the Nobre-Lovejoy hypothesis that emerged from our 2017 UF-Moore collaborative conference, if Amazonian deforestation crossed over a 25% threshold, negative biophysical synergies could irreversibly destabilize the basin and larger planetary systems. How can we consolidate and expand lands under effective management?
Over the past 6 months, UF and partners have convened Pan-Amazonian practitioners, Indigenous elders and youth, researchers, private sector actors, and government officials in workshop settings across the basin to synthesize what has been working on the ground to consolidate biodiversity conservation that honors territorial and cultural integrity, fosters pragmatic synergies between ancestral wisdom and contemporary understandings and contexts, and creates opportunities for Indigenous peoples and traditional communities who are on the frontlines of safeguarding regional biodiversity.
The “Power of Connections” Conference and Summit in Gainesville will build on these first-hand, effective conservation insights forged in the face of constant social and ecological change. The upcoming February 2026 gathering of diverse actors will further stimulate collective actions that avert negative tipping points and catalyze positive ones that support thriving cultures, communities, and biodiversity.
Agenda (day by day)
TCD Visioning (TCD alumni only, Sunday afternoon and Monday morning)
TCD visioning with TCD alumni will explore how the program should evolve over the next 10 years to strengthen research and training. The discussion will focus on the key skills future TCD students need, how conservation may change in the coming decade, the program’s added value (field-based, problem-oriented, and communication-focused training), and the importance of networking and community building.
Discussion Forums (Monday afternoon)
• Amazonian science: discussion from the Science Panel for the Amazon;
• 40 years of conservation science & practice (by Claudio Padua & Suzana Padua);
• Conservation in context of rising crime & Illegal activities;
• Conservation funding.
Training Clinic Topics (Friday all day)
• Planning and managing teams in Complex Systems;
• Women in conservation in the Global South;
• Conservation Media/communication
• Developing policy briefs;
• Data archiving & management;
• Polarization & difficult conversations.
Please note that these topics and descriptions are subject to change.
CALL FOR PAPERS
The organizing committee of the Center for Latin American Studies 74th Annual Conference is pleased to call for submissions to a poster session on Tuesday, February 24, 2026 at Smathers Library, Room 100, beginning at 5:00 pm.
- Sociobioeconomies and Conservation Finance
- Promoting the Next Generation of Leaders in Biocultural Conservation
- Collaborative Management centered on Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities
- Innovations in the Research Process
- Indigenous Rights and Governance Instrument
For poster session consideration, please submit your abstract by using this online application form. DEADLINE: December 12, 2025