Legitimizing Local Perspectives in Conservation through Community-Based Research: A Photovoice Study in Samburu, Kenya

In the remote region of Samburu East District in north-central Kenya, applied community-based participatory action research (CBPAR) may provide a way forward for realizing conservation goals. Past evaluations of community-based approaches have yielded mixed results, and no standardized method has emerged for how to best conduct such research with marginalized populations living in and around conservation areas. In this article, photovoice is evaluated as a strategy for realizing community-based research goals by addressing three core criteria: community-centered control, reciprocal knowledge production, and outcome-oriented results. Results indicated that the Samburu photovoice project legitimized local perspectives on conservation by involving park rangers and scouts, local teachers, researchers, and youth in a creative strategy to identify viable resource management options in their community. The photovoice method was determined as meeting the three criteria of successful CBPAR strategies. Implications for use as a methodology in Kenya and in other conservation contexts are discussed.