Schultz´s thesis analyzes how the dedicated work of a few individuals has mobilized local farmers, bird watchers, entrepreneurs and politicians to join forces in rendering the wetland an asset for the district of Kristianstad.
The results of her research show that those who succeed are as good at reading people as they are at reading nature itself: By first listening to the needs of potential partners, and then communicating an attractive vision for their project (which goes beyond the mere interest of nature conservation) these dedicated individuals are able to build trust and involve key stakeholders such as politicians, local associations, landowners and financiers. In many cases, they form so called bridging organizations that connect actors across scales and sectors.
Furthermore, they are recognized by their flexibility and drive for continuous learning. By synthesizing information from a multitude of sources and finding synergies between different interests, they have developed a trained eye in seizing golden opportunities be it chances of new funding, prospective new projects or similar.
Learning Change 