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This season of Forces for Nature featured alumni from the Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders community. Across very different ecosystems and roles, the same patterns kept showing up. I pull those threads together into a handful of practical lessons you can apply whether you work in conservation professionally or you just care deeply and want to be useful in whatever you’re passionate about.

Highlights

• Lesson 1: Listen first. Trust is needed before solutions.
• Lesson 2: Durability comes from local ownership.
• Lesson 3: Small wins are not small.
• Lesson 4: Storytelling is not fluff.
• Lesson 5: Coexistence is engineered in the details.
• Lesson 6: The “unsexy” stuff matters.
• Lesson 7: Civic participation is also a conservation tool.
  
  

What YOU Can Do

• Listen: Have one conversation with someone who is directly affected by a local issue — and do not lead with your solution.
• Join something local. A watershed group, park friends group, community garden, citizen science effort—show up once.
• Support: Give money to the backbone — operations, salaries, field costs — or volunteer a concrete skill you actually have.
• Share a story: Share one episode and add one sentence about what action it made feel possible.
• Show up civically: Bentley reminded us that public comments, specific asks, and local relationships matter. Choose one thing and do the small step.

Resources

• Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders
• Ep. 97 with Hugo Pereira
• Ep. 98 with Kaitlyn Bock
• Ep. 99 with David Tucker
• Ep. 100 with Gaby Ochoa
• Ep. 101 with Kate Gersh
• Ep. 102 with Alex Goetz & Justin Grubb
• Ep. 103 with Bentley Johnson
• Ep. 104 with Ali Abdullahi
• Ep. 105 with Shivani Bhalla
• Ep. 106 with Jamal Galves
• Ep. 107 with Rhett Ayers Butler

If you'd like to sponsor next season (or even just an episode) reach out to me and let's chat! My email is crystal@forcesfornature.com.

Want a free guide to help you become a force for nature? Get it HERE!

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, rate, and review it! This helps to boost its visibility.

Hit me up on Instagram and Facebook and let me know what actions you have been taking. Adopting just one habit can be a game-changer because imagine if a billion people also adopted that!

What difference for the world are you going to make today?

Send Crystal a text letting her know what you thought about the show!

For this special live conversation, Crystal sat down on stage with Rhett Ayers Butler, founder and CEO of Mongabay, one of the most trusted sources of environmental journalism in the world.

Together, they explored the current state of conservation- from resilience and adaptation to the role of journalism, storytelling, technology, and informed optimism. The conversation also opened up to the audience, inviting questions from conservation practitioners working across ecosystems, regions, and disciplines.

This episode was recorded live at the Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders (EWCL) 20th Anniversary Summit, a gathering that brought together conservation leaders and practitioners from around the world to celebrate two decades of community, collaboration, and impact.

What emerged was an honest, nuanced dialogue about where conservation stands today, what is changing, what is working, and how we continue moving forward- together.

Highlights

• What are the characteristics of conservation initiatives that are scalable or replicable across the geographies?
• How is Mongabay adapting to the challenges of distrust in science and disinformation campaigns?
• How is Mongabay using optimism as a strategy?

WhatYou Can Do

• Pay attention to the stories you share. Seek out and amplify conservation stories that highlight solutions, learning, and community leadership, not just problems.
• Build constituencies, not just projects. Think about who needs to be at the table for conservation efforts to succeed, especially local and Indigenous communities.
• Practice informed optimism. Look for evidence of what is working, acknowledge setbacks honestly, and use both to guide action.
• Support independent environmental journalism. Reliable, transparent reporting plays a critical role in accountability, awareness, and change.
• Stay connected to nature and to one another. As Rhett reminds us, getting outside and nurturing community are essential for sustaining long-term conservation work.

Resources

• Mongabay
• Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders (EWCL)
• How to Find Optimism article
• Rethinking How We Talk about Conservation and Why It Matters article
• Health and Harmony (Project ASRI)

If you'd like to sponsor next season (or even just an episode) reach out to me and let's chat! My email is crystal@forcesfornature.com.

Want a free guide to help you become a force for nature? Get it HERE!

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, rate, and review it! This helps to boost its visibility.

Hit me up on Instagram and Facebook and let me know what actions you have been taking. Adopting just one habit can be a game-changer because imagine if a billion people also adopted that!

What difference for the world are you going to make today?

Send Crystal a text letting her know what you thought about the show!

This is another episode of the Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders program series!

Affectionately known as the Manatee Man, Jamal Galves discovered his calling earlier than most. Growing up in the coastal village of Gales Point Manatee, he saw these gentle animals almost every day, never realizing they were endangered until a team of researchers arrived and opened his eyes to their struggle. At just eleven years old, he stepped onto a manatee research boat for the first time and that moment reshaped the entire trajectory of his life.

Today, Jamal leads the Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute’s Belize Program, home to the longest-running manatee conservation effort in the Greater Caribbean. His work blends rigorous science with the wisdom and partnership of local communities, creating a model of conservation that is as people-centered as it is wildlife-focused.

This episode explores the heart and science behind his work from marine mammal rescue, to the shifting health of manatee populations, how he gets buy-in of his conservation efforts, and more.

Highlights

• How did an 11-year-old kid with no shoes talked his way onto a manatee research boat?
• How a two-day old manatee rescued after a hurricane inspired a whole nation.
• A first look at Belize’s new Marine Rescue & Education Center, built to heal manatees and inspire people toward action.

What YOU Can Do

• Be mindful on the water. When boating or visiting coastal areas, follow no-wake zones, avoid seagrass beds, and stay alert for wildlife.
• Start young - or start now. There is no age or skill requirement to make a difference. All you need is your desire to help.
• Volunteer for cleanups, youth programs, or community events.
• Share stories that inspire action. Spreading positive conservation messages helps reach people who may never encounter them otherwise.
• Practice sustainable habits at home. Small changes in waste, water use, or energy matter when many people do them.

Resources

• Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute – Belize Program
• Manatee Conservation Information (Greater Caribbean / Antillean Manatee)
• Jamal’s Instagram
• Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders (EWCL)
• Clearwater Marine Aquarium – Belize Marine Rescue & Education Center Announcement

Want a free guide to help you become a force for nature? Get it HERE!

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, rate, and review it! This helps to boost its visibility.

Hit me up on Instagram and Facebook and let me know what actions you have been taking. Adopting just one habit can be a game-changer because imagine if a billion people also adopted that!

What difference for the world are you going to make today?