Recent studies have identified poverty reduction near parks and protected areas, findings that challenge
an extensive literature on the social burdens associated with protected areas. These studies move the
discussion on the social dynamics of conservation forward, however, they do not offer insight into the
underlying mechanisms that shape household-level outcomes such as income and wealth. By focusing on
protected areas as centers of uncertainty, upheaval, and disturbance, this study examines the character
and incidence of livelihood diversification within communities near Tarangire National Park in northern
Tanzania compared to communities far from the park. Livelihood diversification is well understood as a
coping and/or risk mitigation strategy pursued in response to various types of shocks, and uncertainty
more generally. This study draws on mixed methodologies to construct multivariate statistical models to
estimate the effect of proximity to the park on measures of livelihood diversification. The results indicate
that proximity to park is strongly correlated with livelihood diversification, suggesting that households
near the park are adapting to opportunities and constraints and may be seeking to reduce variance in
income and wealth in response to disturbances and uncertainty associated with the park.