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/fashionJoin the community and support the podcast on Patreon (thank you so much 💘)Why We Care on Patreon — https://www.patreon.com/whywecareCome 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-withinDiscover 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/theeuropeannaturetrustIo Non Ho Paura Del Lupo on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iononhopauradellupoCome 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-USupport 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-deadlyCome 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 incredibly honoured to be speaking with Nemonte Nenquimo and Mitch Anderson. Nemonte is a Waorani leader, mother, and forest defender. She grew up in a little village in the heart of the Amazon rainforest and has now become one of the leading voices of her community. Together with her partner Mitch they created the nonprofit organisation Amazon Frontlines, bringing together Indigenous peoples to defend their rights to land, life and cultural survival in the Amazon. They have now also written a book to share her story with the world, called We Will Be Jaguars.I couldn’t have hoped for a more important conversation to kick off this new season with. Indigenous people represent just 5% of the world’s population, and yet they look after over 80% of our planet’s biodiversity. In other words - they are the experts. So in this episode, Nemonte shares what it was like for her to grow up in the heart of the Amazon, the teachings she received from her ancestors, and what she hopes the world will understand about the forest. We also spoke about how together with Mitch and their team, they made history by bringing together an alliance of Indigenous nations to defend their territories, and ultimately winning a legal battle against the oil industry, resulting in the protection of half a million acres of rainforest in her region.As you’ll notice part of this episode is in Spanish - I didn’t want to cover Nemonte’s words with a translation. So instead, Mitch helps translate her answers after she’s spoken. If you understand Spanish, wonderful - and if not, no worries. I think you’ll still very much enjoy this episode and I invite you to close your eyes if you can, if it’s safe for you to do so, and try feel the power of her words.Want to dive deeper?BUY THE BOOK!!! :) https://amazonfrontlines.org/book/Support Amazon Frontlines — https://amazonfrontlines.org/donate/Follow Amazon Frontlines on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/amazonfrontlines/Follow Nemonte on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/Nemonte.Nenquimo/Follow Mitch on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/mitchandersonaf/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.

We're back for a third season! Thanks so much for being here and for caring, and see you tomorrow with the first episode of Why We Care, season 3. Until then, sending you lots of love! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode I’m speaking with Joi Lee, the Head of Editorial and an Executive Producer at Earthrise Studio. I’m sure you’ve heard of Earthrise – they’re one of the leading media platforms reporting on climate change, launched in 2020 by Alice Aedy and Jack Harries. Over the past few years, their social media channels have become one of my go-to sources of climate related news – and I know I’m not the only one! So Joi and I spoke about how the climate crisis is being portrayed in the media, and why she thinks stories are so integral to how we communicate.She then told me about POWER, their latest series digging into the energy crisis, and how they collaborated with their community to define how they would tell that story. We also discussed the many elections coming up this year all around the world, and what you can do as an individual to ensure the fossil fuel industry loses some of its power.Want to dive deeper?Watch POWER on the Earthrise YouTube channel — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXUj6a59Wb4&ab_channel=EarthriseFollow Earthrise on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/earthrise.studio/Come say hi!Joi on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/joixleeWhy 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 Heïdi Sevestre, an amazing French glaciologist. She called me all the way from Svalbard, an archipelago in the Arctic ocean, between mainland Norway and the North Pole. 10 years ago, as Heidi was hiking from Chamonix to Zermatt, a mountain guide told her that it is possible to spend your life studying glaciers, and become a glaciologist. So she’s never looked back and has since studied glaciers all around the world, from the French Alps to Greenland, from the Arctic to Antarctica.We spoke about why are glaciers important and their role in regards to regulating the climate, but also what exactly is happening to them and whether or not it is too late to save them. She also told me about a climbing expedition in Greenland she recently went on called Arctic Ascent, which was filmed and is currently being released on National Geographic TV.Want to dive deeper?Heïdi’s book, “Sentinelle du Climat” (in French) — https://www.harpercollins.fr/collections/automated-collection/products/sentinelle-du-climatHeïdi’s website — https://www.heidisevestre.com/Ice & Life — https://www.iceandlife.com/index.php/en/Calculate your carbon footprint — https://footprint.wwf.org.uk/Watch Arctic Ascent — https://www.nationalgeographic.com/tv/shows/arctic-ascent-with-alex-honnoldCome say hi!Heïdi on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/heidisevestreWhy 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 Bodhi Patil, a United Nations-recognized, award-winning Gen Z ocean climate solutionist dedicated to improving Ocean Health and Human Health. So we spoke about many aspects of his relationship with the ocean, from his early childhood memories diving with his dad to how he helped build Ocean Uprise, an initiative he developed with Parley for the Oceans to help young people learn about the ocean and become advocates for it.I met Bodhi for the first time at COP28 in Dubai last December, where he was part of the Wisdom Keepers delegation – he told me what that experience was like and shared really beautiful thoughts and advice on how we can all support the transition towards a world where Indigenous voices are given more importance. One of my favourite things he said was how important it is to build bridges between generations and collaborate across all age groups.Want to dive deeper?Ocean Uprise - https://parley.tv/initiatives/ocean-upriseWisdom Keepers delegation - https://www.wisdomkeepersdelegation.org/Come say hi!Bodhi on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/bodhi_patilWhy 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 Christabel Reed, the co-founder of two online learning platforms: advaya, and Earthed. A few years ago Christabel and her sister Ruby created advaya, a platform at the intersection of ecology, consciousness and the body, to help people heal their relationships with themselves, each other and the natural living world. They then developed and launched Earthed, a nature skills platform removing the obstacles towards a mass mobilised ecosystem restoration movement.I love that through Earthed you can access a mix of theoretical as well as very practical courses, and learn about things such as soil health, seed saving, no dig gardening, biodynamic farming and river restoration - to name a few of the many topics they cover. Their approach is that they want to empower people to learn from and for nature – which I think is exactly what the world needs! Christabel and I spoke about how she worked with her sister to create and build these platforms, the future she envisions and her hopes for humanity’s relationship with nature. I really enjoyed our conversation and I hope you will as well!Want to dive deeper?Earthed - https://www.earthed.co/advaya - https://advaya.life/Come say hi!Christabel on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/christabel_rose/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 Titouan Bernicot, the founder & CEO of Coral Gardeners. He grew up on a pearl farm in French Polynesia, in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean. Whenever I’m on a call with him I’m convinced he’s using one of those fake beach backgrounds but then remember it’s actually a real backdrop. We even got interrupted by dolphins swimming past the Coral Gardeners headquarters while recording this conversation…Titouan says that coral reefs gave him everything in his life, from the waves he surfs to the food he eats and the oxygen he breathes. So in 2017, at only 18 years old, he started Coral Gardeners to restore the reefs and plant corals. Together with his team he has already planted over 100,000 corals in French Polynesia and they have set the goal for themselves to plant one MILLION corals by 2025, all around the world.I met him at the World Oceans Day event in New York last year and was so impressed by his positive energy and contagious hope. He knows what’s at stake but rather than letting the state of the world get him down, he turns this into meaningful action, getting people and organisations such as Rolex, Prada, Warner Bros and many more from all around the globe to join the movement and help restore healthy ocean ecosystems.Want to dive deeper?Adopt a coral - https://coralgardeners.org/products/adopt-a-coralFollow Coral Gardeners on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/coralgardenersCome say hi!Titouan on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/toutiess/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 Ellen Miles, guerrilla gardener, activist and author. I found out about guerrilla gardening when I first met her a few months ago - in case you haven’t heard of it yet, it means planting flowers and plants in public spaces in your neighbourhood, both to support biodiversity but also to reclaim those spaces and connect with your local community. I asked her a ton of questions about it so if you’re curious and want to learn more about guerilla gardening, you’re in the right place! She also recently wrote an entire book about it which I’ll link in the show notes in case you’d like to dig even deeper (pun completely intended). The other book she wrote is called ‘Nature is a Human Right’, another movement she started to advocate for more access to nature in our increasingly urbanised world. So we also spoke about this a little bit and how regular contact with nature is absolutely crucial for our health.Want to dig deeper?Read ‘Get Guerrilla Gardening’ - https://www.wob.com/en-gb/books/ellen-miles/get-guerrilla-gardening/9780241593349Read ‘Nature is a Human Right’ - https://www.wob.com/en-gb/books/ellen-miles/nature-is-a-human-right/9780241531358Ellen’s organisation, Dream Green - https://www.dreamgreen.earth/Vital Seeds - https://vitalseeds.co.uk/Come say hi!Ellen on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/octaviachillWhy 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 Tom Mustill, a nature filmmaker and the author of ‘How to Speak Whale’. We recorded this a few weeks ago but since then I actually had the chance to travel to COP28, the climate conference, and see Tom and his friend Vahakn perform a whale song bath on the beach, which was absolutely magical. He was in Dubai to help give whales a voice with Whale and Dolphin Conservation, an organisation he’s an ambassador for. Tom is really great at telling the story of why whales matter and how crucial it is for us not only to try to protect them but also to allocate more resources and focus towards the technologies that could allow us to understand them and maybe even one day, communicate with them.So we spoke about the anthropocentric approach we’ve taken to define language, and how both museums and zoos (the places most of us can easily go to to observe other species) are failing to capture behaviour and communication. We also discussed the philosophical idea of alignment within Ai (in other words, how do we teach new forms of computer intelligence to have value systems and a moral compass so they can operate within a framework that values human life and how the rest of the living world fits in.Want to dive deeper?Buy ‘How to speak whale’ - https://www.wob.com/en-gb/books/tom-mustill/how-to-speak-whale/9780008363420Come say hi!Tom on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tommustill 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 chatting with Mary Gagen, a Professor of Geography at Swansea University, and the Chief Advisor on Forests at WWF UK.Forests are our strongest allies in the fight against climate change, and yet we are failing them. They absorb a third of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, are home to 80% of the world’s land-based animal and plant species, and provide livelihoods for 1.6 billion people. Yet forests all around the world keep being destroyed despite all the global pledges and declarations to protect them. So last month, WWF UK released a report called ‘Forest Pathways’, highlighting the solutions that exist to protect and restore our forests.Mary and I spoke about the report, what it means and how she hopes it will be used. She also shared her thoughts on ancient trees and what they can tell us about climate change, and her perspective on the tension between the need for systemic change and individual action.Want to dive deeper?Read the Forest Pathways report - https://www.wwf.org.uk/learn/landscapes/forests/pathways-report-summaryCome say hi!WWF UK on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/climateincolour/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 chatting with Joycelyn Longdon, a PhD researcher at Cambridge University and the founder of Climate in Colour, an education platform dedicated to making climate conversations more accessible and diverse for the climate curious.Joycelyn works at the intersection of technology, ecology, sociology and racial justice. So there was a lot to cover in this episode! She describes bioacoustics and the technologies she works with for her PhD research as ‘Shazam for nature’, which I think is fascinating – she explained how by listening to the sounds of nature we’re able to monitor the health of ecosystems and enhance conservation work. We also spoke about the ethical implications of technology and how it can be used in service of nature and people, rather than against them. Another really important aspect of her work is participatory design, so she explained how she’s working very closely with local communities to reduce racial and climate injustice by involving them in the process, getting their insights and feedback.Want to dive deeper?Subscribe to the Climate in Colour newsletter - https://climateincolour.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=web&utm_source=subscribe-widgetWatch Joycelyn’s TED talk - https://tedxlondon.com/tedxlondon-countdown/programme/Come say hi!Climate in Colour on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/climateincolour/Joycelyn on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/joycelynlongdon/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 chatting with Anne-Sophie Roux, a French researcher and ocean activist. Anne-Sophie is the deep sea lead for Europe at Sustainable Ocean Alliance, and in 2022 she started the Look Down campaign against deep sea mining, which encountered massive success. While deep sea mining hasn’t been completely stopped yet, in less than a year the campaign has grown to mobilise over 20 countries behind the cause. So we spoke about why the deep sea is so important and why it’s a terrible idea to try to mine it, how she and her team got their first meeting with the French government after 13,000 people sent an email to support the campaign, how activism gives her hope, and what is next for the movement.Want to dive deeper?Learn more about deep sea mining - https://soalliance.notion.site/Kit-on-Deep-Sea-Mining-276bc99082d14ed69d3c003d647e391eFollow the Look Down campaign - https://www.instagram.com/look_down_action/Send an email to the Norwegian government (takes 30 sec) - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1tvXnTake further action by emailing the governments of other countries - https://defendthedeep.org/Come say hi!Anne-Sophie on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ansrouxWhy 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 chatting with Cel Spellman, an actor, radio presenter and WWF ambassador. He’s also the host of the WWF podcast, Call of the Wild, which is one of the first environmental podcasts I started listening to a few years ago. Cel is one of those people who can talk about his love of the natural world for hours, and I felt like this conversation with him would be perfect to open this new season of Why We Care, as we dive deep into why nature is so central to our wellbeing, and how important it is to spend time connecting with it in our everyday lives. He also shared some of his most important learnings from his years as a host of the WWF podcast, and how he takes care of his mental health.Want to dive deeper?Listen to WWF’s Call of the Wild podcast - https://www.wwf.org.uk/podcastVisit the WWF website - https://www.wwf.org.uk/Make My Money Matter - https://makemymoneymatter.co.uk/Come say hi!Cel on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/celspellman/WWF UK on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wwf_uk/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.

Biodiversity is the web of life we all depend on – life on Earth in all its forms from pollinators and fungi to entire ecosystems, from rainforests to deserts and oceans. Human activity is destroying nature all around us and over the past few years I’ve come to realise and understand that the reason why we care and feel such deep hurt when we see a forest being cut down or a whale being killed is because nature is where we come from. It’s our home and it’s who we are – and it is so central to our balance and wellbeing. Yet we’ve become so disconnected from it, most of us in the Western world living in concrete buildings, walking on concrete roads, living our lives away from the trees, rivers and wildlife we so crucially need to survive. For the health of the planet as well as our own, I really do believe we need to restore that connection with the natural world – now more than ever.In Why We Care, activists, scientists, creatives, and changemakers are invited to share the story of their relationship with nature, and how they are helping protect biodiversity on our beautiful planet, both through the careers they chose and in their personal lives. For season 2, we’ll also dig deeper into figuring out how we can restore that connection – recognising that we can increase our health and wellbeing if we live in harmony with our environment and the other species we share the planet with. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode I’m chatting with Zandi Ndhlovu – an ocean explorer, South Africa’s first Black woman free diving instructor and the founder of the Black Mermaid Foundation. Zandi discovered free diving when she was 28, and fell in love with this beautiful practice and the underwater world. Ever since she’s been using her voice to advocate for more diversity and access in the ocean space and change the narrative that black people don’t belong in the ocean.Through the Black Mermaid Foundation she started in 2020 in Cape Town, she teaches local kids how to swim and helps them discover the wonders of the ocean through snorkeling. She told me how she realised that working with kids had a much broader impact on the community, as they come home from a snorkeling adventure and tell their parents all about what they have learned and discovered that day. She also said that kids are the leaders and decision makers of tomorrow, and so by getting them to understand the ocean, they will learn to love it and want to protect it. She told me how they’re usually terrified of getting into the water but once they do, they gradually learn to love it and marvel at the beauty of what they see.Want to dive deeper?The Black Mermaid Foundation - https://www.blackmermaid.co.za/home-1To get in touch with the foundation directly - blackmermaidinfo@gmail.comWatch WaterBear’s documentary about Zandi - https://www.waterbear.com/watch/the-black-mermaidCome say hi!Zandi on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/zandithemermaid/The Black Mermaid Foundation on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theblackmermaid_foundationWhy We Care on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whywecarepodcast/Tiphaine on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tiphainemarie_/Discover Earth on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/discoverearth/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. A big thank you as well to Discover Earth for partnering with Why We Care and helping raise awareness of the importance of ocean conservation.Thank you for caring and sending you lots of love! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode I’m chatting with Emy Kane, the managing director of Lonely Whale - a nonprofit organisation working to prevent plastic waste from entering the ocean. She told me how we know more about the universe and space than we do about the depths of the ocean, even though that’s what is sustaining life on Earth. I actually found out recently that more people have been to the moon than have explored the deepest part of the ocean - which is really crazy when you think about it.Emy also explained how the health of our oceans ultimately impacts our own health and daily lives. She shared how Lonely Whale is using the power of radical collaboration to support innovation in the fight against plastic pollution through the Tom Ford Plastic Innovation Prize, which you might remember hearing about in episode 4 with Julia Marsh on seaweed as an alternative to plastic.She also shared the cutest story on how she finds hope by restoring her backyard garden with a friend’s daughter who is almost 3 years old and marvels at how seeds grow and falls in love with nature for the very first time.Want to dive deeper?Lonely whale - https://www.lonelywhale.org/For a strawless ocean campaign - https://www.strawlessocean.lonelywhale.org/Tom Ford Plastic Innovation Prize - https://plasticprize.org/Sway - https://swaythefuture.com/Julia’s episode - https://open.spotify.com/episode/15uTbWj6Z9NQpd7OJD1p7pBillion Oyster Project - https://www.billionoysterproject.org/30x30 Only One petition - https://only.one/30x30Come say hi!Lonely Whale on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/lonelywhale/Why We Care on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whywecarepodcast/Tiphaine on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tiphainemarie_/Discover Earth on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/discoverearth/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. A big thank you as well to Discover Earth for partnering with Why We Care and helping raise awareness of the importance of ocean conservation.Thank you for caring and sending you lots of love! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode I’m chatting with Isaias Hernandez, an environmental educator aka Queer Brown Vegan - the social media platform where he helps people understand the climate crisis. Isaias is so good at explaining some of the worlds most pressing issues in a super simple and engaging way - highly recommend following him on Instagram to learn more about sustainability, research, and what he calls ‘evidence-based hope’.We spoke about the link between the environmental crisis and social inequalities, how he believes the climate crisis is an educational crisis and how he perceives the tension between the need for systemic change and individual action. He told me the story of how and why he went vegan, and shared his perspective on ocean wildlife. We also discussed how to avoid climate doomism, and where to find hope - with the amazing example of the recovery of Monterey Bay, where ocean biodiversity is now thriving.Isaias is such a joy to speak with and I had a great time recording this conversation - hope you’ll enjoy it as well!Want to dive deeper?Watch the episode about Monterey Bay on Isaias’ YouTube channel – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13XomK_ASXs&t=650s&ab_channel=QueerBrownVeganCome say hi!Isaias on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/queerbrownvegan/Why We Care on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whywecarepodcast/Tiphaine on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tiphainemarie_/Discover Earth on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/discoverearth/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. A big thank you as well to Discover Earth for partnering with Why We Care and helping raise awareness of the importance of ocean conservation.Thank you for caring and sending you lots of love! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.