In episode 041 Elle chats with Celina Chien, intersectional environmentalist and storyteller. She combines her work as an ecologist, photojournalist and artist to harness empathy for change and to advocate for biodversity. Celina contextualises her work within the climate and biodiversity crises, whilst also discussing enviornmental and social issues.

As a photographer, Celina’s documentary work has focused on exploring the nuances of environmental topics from palm oil expansion to the zoo debate to the wildlife trade. She also releases her work as fine art pieces, most recently after a successful exhibition in October 2022 in support of leopard conservation with Dolce&Gabbana. This work strives to forge links between the fashion, artistic and conservation worlds with more collaborative releases to follow. In 2021, Celina placed in the prestigious 57th Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition as a highly commended finalist in the photojournalism category. She sits on the judging panel of the same competition hosted by the Natural History Museum of London in 2023. 

Celina is a TEDx speaker and serves on the board and council of numerous international NGOs such as Panthera, Rewriting Extinction, Reserva Youth Land Trust, Girls Who Click and more. In 2021, Celina was a highly commended finalist in the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition and currently sits on its 2023 judging panel. She has a BSc in Biological Sciences and MRes in Tropical Forest Ecology from Imperial College London.

Celina's social links

Website: celinachien.com

Instagram: @celinaxchien

Twitter: @celinaxchien

Panthera Exhibition + Press for 'Leopard Honouring the Muse': A Celina Chien X Dolce&Gabbana Photographic Exhibition

https://panthera.org/leopard-honouring-muse

https://celinachien.sumupstore.com/product/honouring-the-muse-a-visual-companion

Reserva: The Youth Land Trust

https://reservaylt.org/

Girls who Click

https://girlswhoclick.org/

Outside reading + watching on Celina:

'In Conservation with...' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDIx65y0bVc

Wildlife Photographer of the Year - https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/wildlife-photographer-of-the-year-nature-through-a-different-lens.html

TEDx Talk - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRFP5SuaOB0

Women of STEM Interview - https://women-of-stem.medium.com/provoking-conservation-action-with-photography-celina-chien-19a02bd8d1bf

Article in Wild Lens Magazine - https://www.thewildlensmagazine.com/past-issues

Elle Kaye socials

www.instagram.com/ellekayetaxidermy

www.twitter.com/ellektaxidermy

Podcast socials

www.instagram.com/specimenspod

www.twitter.com/ellektaxidermy

www.patreon.com/specimenspod

www.ellekayetaxidermy.co.uk/product-page/specimenspodmerch

Artwork © 2021 Madison Erin Mayfield

www.instagram.com/madisonerinmayfield

https://twitter.com/MEMIllustration

Music

Giraffes - Harrison Amer via premiumbeat.com

Researched, edited and produced by Elle Kaye

Concept/Title © 2020 Elle Kaye