The IUCN Green Status of Species was launched in July 2021 as a new, integral part of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Grace et al., 2021, Oryx, 55, 651–652). Whereas the Red List has traditionally served as the most widely-recognized means of establishing a species’ risk of extinction in the wild, the Green Status adds a much-needed means for assessing species recovery.
To be assessed as Fully Recovered, a species must be viable and ecologically functional in all parts (termed spatial units) of its indigenous range, including those areas that were occupied prior to major human impacts. The degree to which these criteria are met by a species translates into a Green Score, with which species are placed in categories (as in the Red List) that reflect where a species lies on the path to recovery. But the Green Status of Species framework does not stop there: it estimates the impact of past conservation actions on the current status of a species, and what is expected to happen in the future if actions are either halted, or continued and enhanced, over the short and long term (dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.CH.2021.02.en).
As with the Red List, correctly applying the Green Status framework requires an understanding of key terms (e.g. indigenous range), concepts (e.g. functionality) and procedures (e.g. estimating outcomes of scenarios with and without conservation). To support efficient and consistent assessments, in September 2022 IUCN launched an online training course to support both assessors and stakeholders to understand and apply the categories and impact metrics correctly. Comprising seven modules and 14 lessons, the course takes approximately 7 hours to complete and covers concepts, definitions and procedures.
The Green Status of Species training course is available for learners to access freely on conservationtraining.org, together with the Red List training course. Prior completion of the latter, or at least familiarity with the Red List categories and criteria, is encouraged before beginning the Green Status training course. Since its inception, more than 12,530 learners have enrolled in the Red List training course (C. Pollock, pers. comm., 2022).
The new course covers all key information needed to undertake a Green Status assessment. Future planned development includes modules on mapping and supporting information, and a final exam. After successfully passing the exam, learners will be awarded a certificate of achievement to prove they have completed the course and have a good understanding of the IUCN Green Status of Species and the assessment process. The course will soon be available in Spanish and French.
We look forward to hearing from the experiences of learners. Lyda Hill Philanthropies is gratefully acknowledged for supporting the development of the course.
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