Abstract
In recognising a changing social future, this paper posits that the future relevance and sustainability of conservation is dependent on a re-evaluation of our professional pre-cepts, ethics, and working practices to more fully embrace and reflect interdisciplinary and cross-cultural ways of working. It argues that conservators must locate our practice within overarching global issues of poverty, human rights, ethics, climate change and sus-tainability. The implications for conservation pedagogy are examined, and the benefits of collaboration between universities and in-dustry partners are discussed.