This study explores the premise that effective participation in conservation can be facilitated when members of local communities develop capacities to assess their management actions and to be able to assess various alternatives that promote the management and conservation of natural resources. To this end, we presented information on the identification of topics of interest that participants from two communities in Calakmul, Campeche, agreed to develop joint research activities. The themes generated, through focal groups and participatory mapping, pointed to productive aspects rather than aspects directly related to conservation, reflecting the needs and concerns of the participants. The results of this selection of topics are analysed as a diagnosis that makes it possible to interpret local reality according to the perspective of their inhabitants and to identify key aspects implicit in conservation. Emphasis is placed on the importance of collaborative work between academia and civil society to help increase local capacities needed for spatial management in the medium and long term. The challenges of this working framework are also analysed.