Like, Follow, And Share: Conservation In The Age Of Social Media
From Theodore Roosevelt’s establishment of the National Parks Service in the early twentieth century to the publication of Rachel Carson’s notorious “Silent Spring,” nearly half a century later, environmental conservation has a long history of leveraging various channels of communication to educate, inform, and inspire action. But these days, environmental movements have never been so accessible and personal.
Spanning multiple generations and areas of expertise, it may seem that Dr. Sylvia Earle, Danielle Black Lyons, and Faine Loubser’s sole common denominator is their involvement in ocean conservation movements. But despite their differences, the three activists have more in common than meets the eye. These Women of the Water have collaboratively addressed their environmental advocacy journeys, and the ways in which social media plays a critical role in amplifying their message.
From their vocalization of protecting marine areas to capturing footage of kelp fronds, each activist has found ways to successfully harness the power of social media, posting content that is engaging and informative, and reaching wider audiences than ever before to build empathy, spread awareness, and most importantly—spark action.
Diving Deep For Powerful Content
Freediving filmmaker Faine Loubser is single-handedly defining what it means to be an environmental influencer. Using the power of film to document the beauty and threats to coastal marine ecosystems, Loubser was inspired by the kelp forests in her native South Africa to create Forests of the Sea, a collective effort between several marine conservation organizations to protect and restore kelp forests around the world. Her efforts are thoroughly documented on both her personal page—which features multimedia projects that have been displayed in visual exhibitions, social media campaigns, and several film projects—and through her organization’s account, which is full of the same vibrant, intriguing underwater visuals. Loubser noted that creating content for social media can be draining.
“Social media is tricky—it’s this constant flux of information. It’s a lot of work, but at the same time it’s one of the most effective touchpoints for communicating with the world. It’s super important for me personally, to share stories about connecting to nature, to share stories about the kelp forest, which is where my passion currently lies.”
Although the conservation information Loubser shares can be bleak, her work offers the perfect medium to educate interested users on the plight of the world’s sea forests, bringing them together via opportunities to volunteer, donate, or demand political change. Loubser feels this tangible sense of connectivity through her efforts. “It’s allowed me to connect with people around the world who are doing similar things and I think it helps to build a good sense of community.”
Making Waves Of Inclusivity
Danielle Black Lyons sees her online presence as a potential beacon of positivity. A professional surfer and dedicated to increasing diversity and inclusion within the Southern California surfing community, Black Lyons’s sun-drenched Instagram profile clearly highlights her work with organizations like the Changing Tides Foundation and ROXY. As well as Textured Waves, the female-led surf collective that she co-founded, which aims to increase access to surfing and the ocean to women of color and other underrepresented demographics.
An accidental activist, Black Lyons gained much of her following during the Black Lives Matter movement, and her platform amplifies the representation of marginalized communities that she represents in the water.
“I hope people see that [my platform] is for good and for purpose, and to inspire the next generation of surfers. I have a young son, who’s 11 [years old], and he surfs. And him seeing his mom surfing and my platform that I have with Textured Waves that I share with my co-founders, it is all about promoting women of color and surfing. And he sees that, and he’s proud of it. I’m proud to be his mom, and I’m proud to show up for him in that way and be someone that he can look up to. And I hope that I can be that for other young girls and boys too,” she said.
Creating A Multigenerational Community
Dr. Sylvia Earle knows all about breaking the status quo for greater representation. The first female National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) chief scientist and pioneer of Mission Blue, a global effort to protect fragile marine environments from humanity’s heavy footprint, Earle feels that sense of accountability to not only her children, but her grandchildren too.
Having spent well over half a century fighting to protect the ocean, Earle sees social media as a valuable tool for raising awareness and rallying communities to take action against climate change. “We’re more connected—it’s one of the reasons we have hope,” Dr. Earle said. “There’s a fire in Australia, and the whole world can know about it. We now know that the polar ice is melting, we’ve got the evidence, and we can share with you, go back 50 years, go back 100 years, go back 1,000 years—we would not know, we could not know, but now we do. And the real key is, what are you going to do with this knowledge?”
In the age of algorithms and clicks, everyone has the ability to be an agent for positive change. From increasing legal protections for a particularly delicate reef to increasing funding for ocean recreation programs, change starts with compelling people to care about a particular issue. “It’s about taking that knowledge and having the will to do something with it, to realize everybody has power. Nobody is without the capability of starting something or joining something or making something happen, to go from wherever you are to a better place,” added Dr. Sylvia Earle.
Want to learn more? Stay in the loop—if you’re on social media, check out Faine (@fainepearl and @forestsofthesea), Danielle (@danielleblacklyons and @texturedwaves), and Sylvia’s (@dr.sylviaearle) profiles to stay up to date on their work. You can also check out this list of climate activists making a change, or curate your Instagram feed by following these eco-friendly influencers.
From Theodore Roosevelt’s establishment of the National Parks Service in the early twentieth century to the publication of Rachel Carson’s notorious “Silent Spring,” nearly half a century later, environmental conservation has a long history of leveraging various channels of communication to educate, inform, and inspire action. But these days, environmental movements have never been so accessible and personal.
Spanning multiple generations and areas of expertise, it may seem that Dr. Sylvia Earle, Danielle Black Lyons, and Faine Loubser’s sole common denominator is their involvement in ocean conservation movements. But despite their differences, the three activists have more in common than meets the eye. These Women of the Water have collaboratively addressed their environmental advocacy journeys, and the ways in which social media plays a critical role in amplifying their message.
From their vocalization of protecting marine areas to capturing footage of kelp fronds, each activist has found ways to successfully harness the power of social media, posting content that is engaging and informative, and reaching wider audiences than ever before to build empathy, spread awareness, and most importantly—spark action.
Diving Deep For Powerful Content
Freediving filmmaker Faine Loubser is single-handedly defining what it means to be an environmental influencer. Using the power of film to document the beauty and threats to coastal marine ecosystems, Loubser was inspired by the kelp forests in her native South Africa to create Forests of the Sea, a collective effort between several marine conservation organizations to protect and restore kelp forests around the world. Her efforts are thoroughly documented on both her personal page—which features multimedia projects that have been displayed in visual exhibitions, social media campaigns, and several film projects—and through her organization’s account, which is full of the same vibrant, intriguing underwater visuals. Loubser noted that creating content for social media can be draining.
“Social media is tricky—it’s this constant flux of information. It’s a lot of work, but at the same time it’s one of the most effective touchpoints for communicating with the world. It’s super important for me personally, to share stories about connecting to nature, to share stories about the kelp forest, which is where my passion currently lies.”
Although the conservation information Loubser shares can be bleak, her work offers the perfect medium to educate interested users on the plight of the world’s sea forests, bringing them together via opportunities to volunteer, donate, or demand political change. Loubser feels this tangible sense of connectivity through her efforts. “It’s allowed me to connect with people around the world who are doing similar things and I think it helps to build a good sense of community.”
Making Waves Of Inclusivity
Danielle Black Lyons sees her online presence as a potential beacon of positivity. A professional surfer and dedicated to increasing diversity and inclusion within the Southern California surfing community, Black Lyons’s sun-drenched Instagram profile clearly highlights her work with organizations like the Changing Tides Foundation and ROXY. As well as Textured Waves, the female-led surf collective that she co-founded, which aims to increase access to surfing and the ocean to women of color and other underrepresented demographics.
An accidental activist, Black Lyons gained much of her following during the Black Lives Matter movement, and her platform amplifies the representation of marginalized communities that she represents in the water.
“I hope people see that [my platform] is for good and for purpose, and to inspire the next generation of surfers. I have a young son, who’s 11 [years old], and he surfs. And him seeing his mom surfing and my platform that I have with Textured Waves that I share with my co-founders, it is all about promoting women of color and surfing. And he sees that, and he’s proud of it. I’m proud to be his mom, and I’m proud to show up for him in that way and be someone that he can look up to. And I hope that I can be that for other young girls and boys too,” she said.
Creating A Multigenerational Community
Dr. Sylvia Earle knows all about breaking the status quo for greater representation. The first female National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) chief scientist and pioneer of Mission Blue, a global effort to protect fragile marine environments from humanity’s heavy footprint, Earle feels that sense of accountability to not only her children, but her grandchildren too.
Having spent well over half a century fighting to protect the ocean, Earle sees social media as a valuable tool for raising awareness and rallying communities to take action against climate change. “We’re more connected—it’s one of the reasons we have hope,” Dr. Earle said. “There’s a fire in Australia, and the whole world can know about it. We now know that the polar ice is melting, we’ve got the evidence, and we can share with you, go back 50 years, go back 100 years, go back 1,000 years—we would not know, we could not know, but now we do. And the real key is, what are you going to do with this knowledge?”
In the age of algorithms and clicks, everyone has the ability to be an agent for positive change. From increasing legal protections for a particularly delicate reef to increasing funding for ocean recreation programs, change starts with compelling people to care about a particular issue. “It’s about taking that knowledge and having the will to do something with it, to realize everybody has power. Nobody is without the capability of starting something or joining something or making something happen, to go from wherever you are to a better place,” added Dr. Sylvia Earle.
Want to learn more? Stay in the loop—if you’re on social media, check out Faine (@fainepearl and @forestsofthesea), Danielle (@danielleblacklyons and @texturedwaves), and Sylvia’s (@dr.sylviaearle) profiles to stay up to date on their work. You can also check out this list of climate activists making a change, or curate your Instagram feed by following these eco-friendly influencers.
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