The Understand phase invites teams to approach conservation challenges with humility, openness, and a systems-thinking mindset. It emphasizes unlearning assumptions, embracing complexity, and centering the lived knowledge of local and Indigenous communities. This chapter introduces tools such as the Conservation Challenge Canvas, stakeholder personas, storytelling, agile interviews, and immersive fieldwork to deepen insight and foster empathy across human and non-human perspectives. By grounding projects in shared understanding and diverse voices, this phase ensures that environmental design efforts are inclusive, contextually relevant, and resilient.