The start: Who I was
Since childhood, I’ve often asked myself: Who am I and who do I want to be? Growing up in Yunnan Province, Southwest China – the so-called “kingdom of flora and fauna” and “hometown of China’s elephants” – I dreamed of working with wildlife. This passion led me to study biology for my undergraduate degree and biodiversity conservation for my Master’s in Singapore, another incredibly biodiverse region.
Driven by my fascination with charismatic large mammals, I embarked on my career focusing on the Asian elephant. Picture this: a passionate local girl from Yunnan working hard to save China’s last 300 Asian elephants. However, I soon realised that while the public often sees elephants as “cute”, “gentle” and “intelligent”, the communities living with them experience anger and fear.
Angry or frightened farmers might shoot an elephant. Did you know that more than 600 humans and 450 elephants die annually due to these conflicts in Asia? To save elephants, we need to protect people. It’s not just about crops; it’s about the lives of both elephants and people.
This revelation led me to wonder who I wanted to be if I aimed to save elephants. I then started my first job with an international NGO, working hands-on with communities and protected areas. Over 10 years, my NGO experience exposed me to various other conservation issues, from wildlife trade and unsustainable farming to linear infrastructure and climate change. These challenges were often depressing, making me feel that my efforts were just a drop in the ocean. Perhaps this is why we now have the Conservation Optimism conference!
Embracing collaboration and new ideas: What I’ve learned
But there is always hope! What I’ve learned is that conservation should go beyond conservationists, and the future of conservation lies in engagement – engaging and inspiring people by telling good stories.
We’ve traditionally favoured “educating people” by presenting information solely from a conservation perspective. However, stating facts like “75% of vertebrate species have gone extinct” or “the koala is endangered” might not resonate with everyone.
I began exploring ways to tell conservation stories by connecting with people outside the conservation community and igniting their passion for conservation through their own interests.
Engaging people in conservation stories has been incredibly rewarding (and fun)! People love beer, right? (At CBCS we definitely do!) I partnered with breweries to create a Snow Leopard IPA, receiving a donation of 5,000 bottles. People love music, so I collaborated with composers to hold a wildlife-themed concert. People love arts, so I worked with jewellery designers to create a cute pin featuring the Yangtze finless porpoise. Sometimes I’m amazed at my own networking skills to get talented people to work for free! Conservation is a compelling story itself.
What we need more of is empowerment. By telling a good story and inspiring people, you can channel their talents to contribute in meaningful ways. The results can be astonishing.
Photo credit: Shu Chen
A new chapter in communication: Who I am now
You may wonder, as I often do: Is what I’ve done enough to inspire people to act for conservation? Perhaps we’ve only reached those already inclined to care but still need to tackle the core issues and engage those who bear the costs of conservation or have yet to join our cause. The future of conservation hinges on collaboration – cross-sectoral collaboration with individuals who may think differently from us.
To truly understand how to win people over, we need to ask ourselves: What do farmers need to coexist with elephants? What drives consumers to buy pangolin products? Why do road agencies decide to build a 100km highway through a national park? Understanding these questions requires exploring different priorities, perceptions, motivations, values and social influences.
This introspection led me to return to university to pursue my current PhD at UQ, not in the School of Environment but in the School of Communication.
I hope to bring different disciplines together and provide better scientific evidence for effective conservation action. This is a whole new world for me. I am slowly digesting social-psychological theories and their terminologies to understand what shapes people’s decision-making processes.
I am also fortunate to work on another charismatic species for my PhD: koalas! Who wouldn’t want to be involved in that? Beyond koalas, I am working with people – landholders, councils, and state governments – to understand what communication can motivate private land conservation actions. Given my love for making friends and networking, this seems like a perfect fit for my skills.
Photo credit: Deborah Metters
Read more of these stories in Issue 19 of the CBCS Newsletter and follow us on X (Twitter) and LinkedIn.
