To adapt to the ecological crises and social inequities of the Anthropocene, a new conservation paradigm is emerging that embraces people in nature and the positive roles people play in ecosystem health through land stewardship. We discuss the emergence of this new model and explore the methods needed to research and coordinate stewardship as part of conservation landscape planning through a practical case study. Updating conservation frameworks to include the positive impacts people have on ecosystems, we argue, is a powerful leverage point for catalysing more effective and equitable nature conservation and other large-scale societal transformations necessary for just sustainability. [link to publication]