In today’s episode I’m speaking with Maria Correa, the VP of Marketing & Editorial at WaterBear, a community platform where entertainment meets impact. You might remember WaterBear from one of the very first episodes of season one with Poppy Mason-Watts – it’s an amazing streaming platform with lots of really cool environmental and social documentaries, all accessible for free.

Today I wanted to speak with Maria about what I think is an increasingly important topic - imperfect activism. I know lots of you care about the environment and are doing your best to live in an ethical and respectful way. I do too, and yet. I’ll be the first to admit that as much as I care about the environment sometimes I do still fly, sometimes I forget my reusable water bottle and need to buy a plastic one, sometimes I buy things from companies that are not very ethical. I don’t think that means I don’t care. I don’t think this should stop me from speaking up about the issues I care about.

As the saying goes, we don’t need 100 perfect environmentalists, we need millions of people doing it imperfectly. I wanted to record this episode because I feel like a lot of us are feeling that way and I don’t think we should let the pressure of being perfect prevent us from standing up for what we believe in. Maria has done a lot of research around this, and the idea of brining together a community of imperfect activists is at the heart of WaterBear. So we spoke about what it means, but also the negative stereotypes that tend to be associated with activism, and the importance of approaching environmental action through the things you love, so that it can bring you joy. Maria also shared her tips on how to handle challenging conversations around these often very emotionally charged topics. I really hope this episode will be helpful!

Want to dive deeper?

• Check out WaterBear — https://www.waterbear.com/
• This month’s Collective Mission: Fashion — https://www.waterbear.com/missions/fashion

Come say hi!

• Why We Care on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/whywecarepodcast/
• Tiphaine on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/tiphainemarie_/

If you enjoyed the episode and want to help the podcast, I would be super grateful if you could leave a little review or share it with a friend who might like it. Thank you so much for caring and sending you lots of love!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode I’m speaking with Jacob Dykes, the Conservation Manager of The European Nature Trust - a foundation that works to lift conservation and nature restoration projects in Europe, supporting a network of organisations working at landscape-scale to protect and restore ecosystems. Through an approach they call ‘Noise for Nature’, they also amplify conservation storytelling by creating impactful documentary films that raise awareness and engagement with the defining issues of our time.

I was really looking forward to speaking with Jacob about his conservation work in general but also more specifically about wolves. The European Nature Trust recently produced a film called The Wolf Within exploring the relationship between wolves and humans in Europe, which was released at the end of last year – just weeks before the European Commission decided to downgrade their protection status. I’ve been fascinated with wolves for as long as I can remember and really enjoyed learning more about the evolution of our relationship with them and their place in our collective imagination. Jacob and I also talked about what this relationship says about our coexistence with the wild; and what we can do to better and more equitably safeguard keystone species around us. Jacob also shared a really lovely story about seeing wolves in the wild in Italy, and an important reminder to keep practicing wonder towards the natural world.

Want to dive deeper?

• Watch The Wolf Within: https://www.waterbear.com/campaigns/the-wolf-within
• Discover The European Nature Trust: https://theeuropeannaturetrust.com/
• The EU recently downgraded wolf protections in Europe: https://eeb.org/nature-under-attack-bern-convention-weakens-wolf-protection/
• Joint statement by 300+ civil society organisations calling for strict wolf protection to be maintained: https://eeb.org/library/joint-statement-by-300-civil-society-organisations-calling-for-strict-wolf-protection-to-be-maintained/
• ClientEarth’s investigation: https://www.clientearth.org/latest/press-office/press-releases/ombudsman-opens-inquiry-after-eu-trashes-wolf-protections/
• The European Nature Trust on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theeuropeannaturetrust
• Io Non Ho Paura Del Lupo on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iononhopauradellupo

Come say hi!

• Why We Care on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/whywecarepodcast/
• Tiphaine on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/tiphainemarie_/

If you enjoyed the episode and want to help the podcast, I would be super grateful if you could leave a little review or share it with a friend who might like it. Thank you so much for caring and sending you lots of love!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode I’m speaking with not just one but two wonderful guests: Gina Lovett, Environmental Initiatives Manager at Patagonia and Jón Kaldal, of the Icelandic Wildlife Fund – a Patagonia Grantee.

I was really excited to record this conversation. Like many people in the industry, for many years I’ve looked at Patagonia as a sort of North star of responsible business, and it was super interesting to hear more about how they approach activism as a global organisation. Earlier this year they released a film called A Salmon Nation, exposing the ugly truth behind open net salmon farming in Iceland. Jón from the Icelandic Wildlife Fund is a fountain of knowledge on the issue and it was great to hear from him on how the local communities in Iceland are coming together to try to stop this harmful industry before it completely destroys their beautiful ecosystems.

Gina and Jón are seasoned campaigners who have managed to bring a movement together, gathering public support on social media and in real life - so this episode really is a lesson in how to get your message heard by the world. I’m really happy about it, it is full of very practical tips that I’m sure will be mega helpful whether you’re an individual or working as part of a business or organisation. I also loved Gina’s reminder that there’s not just one type of activist – she said often the people they work with are mothers, or grandmothers who are fighting to protect their families and communities.

Want to dive deeper?

• Watch ‘A Salmon Nation’ – https://eu.patagonia.com/be/en/iceland/?srsltid=AfmBOorkXw5m5Sv0GETzMAX6DMD-K35Pp-jfcaoscp6Q1kpZTYSCc0-U
• Support the Icelandic Wildlife Fund – https://iwf.is/en/
• Guardian article on a major salmon farm escape in Iceland last year: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/sep/30/thousands-of-salmon-escaped-an-icelandic-fish-farm-the-impact-could-be-deadly

Come say hi!

• Why We Care on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/whywecarepodcast/
• Tiphaine on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/tiphainemarie_/

If you enjoyed the episode and want to help the podcast, I would be super grateful if you could leave a little review or share it with a friend who might like it. Thank you so much for caring and sending you lots of love!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.