Sustaining and enhancing the livelihood of rural peoples is a fundamental part of the global solution to alleviating poverty and to supporting urban populations. Tourism, on an ecological scale, and at the community level, can be a catalyst for this change.

Community-based ecotourism (CBE) can provide the means for local people, living in and near areas of high biodiversity, to both protect and use economically these natural resources. With participation and guidance from community members, Dr. Lash facilitates documentation of community goals, concerns, successes, and challenges, to arrive at Next-steps and Action plans.

Gail Y. B. Lash, Ph.D. has worked with rural community members in Belize, Indonesia, Ecuador, and the United States to better understand the dynamics of local inns, guide associations, women's craft groups, ecotourism & conservation education training, in the context of social & economic costs and benefits of wildlife protection and ecotourism development.