The Lost & Found Project was featured in the latest edition of Positive News! This inspiring current affairs magazine is a pioneer of ‘constructive journalism’ – an emerging approach in the media towards rigorous and relevant reporting that is focused on solutions, not doom and gloom. On the same note, we were also featured in … [Read more…]
The tiny Mediterranean country of Malta is often on the news for the trials and tribulations involving birds, hunters and conservationists. After a 2015 national referendum on Spring hunting ended with a very (very) narrow victory for the hunting camp, there are now discussions around the possibility of a second referendum on the same issue. … [Read more…]
Some stories are just too alluring not to be true. On of these self perpetuating narratives suggests Harry Potter, the boy wizard that keeps a snowy owl as a pet, was leading to an increase in demand for pet owls in the UK. Even J.K. Rowling, the creator of Harry Potter, released multiple statements asking … [Read more…]
A first! For the first time one of my articles has been translated to Chinese! A few weeks ago I wrote a piece for The Conversation entitled “Will optimistic stories get people to care about nature?” where I argue that there is a lot to gain from not succumbing to the doom and gloom messages … [Read more…]
In a recent interview for Oceana‘s blog, I talked about the importance of positive messaging in conservation and discussed how I think my Lost & Found storytelling project could help address some of the challenges we are currently facing in connecting with the public Read all about it here: http://oceana.org/blog/save-planet-scientist-says-%E2%80%98stay-optimistic%E2%80%99-0
The Earth is home to millions of species, but you wouldn’t know it from the media’s obsession with only a few dozen animals like tigers and gorillas. This narrow focus makes the most of popular fascination with large and cute creatures. Conservationists take advantage of these nonhuman celebrities to raise awareness about important issues and … [Read more…]
Nature doesn’t make the news often these days. When it does, the story usually revolves around wildlife on the brink, record-setting climate extremes or ruined landscapes. However, that is not the whole story. There is also good news, but it often receives little attention. It is easy to see how bleak accounts of the state … [Read more…]
Talking about nature has frequently become talking about extinction, decline and loss. But it does not have to be. The “Lost and Found” project works to bring to life the inspirational stories of those that never stopped believing and whose passion led them to rewrite the history of the species they so deeply cared about. … [Read more…]
Today I bring you my latest blogpost on the National Geographic Voices blog! It talks about the work I have being doing with ATM, a Portuguese NGO dedicated to the conservation of marine turtles in Portuguese speaking countries. We have been working on a social marketing campaign to reduce the demand for sea turtle meat … [Read more…]
Back in 2014, I co-led a storytelling project that aimed to take the best stories of field biologists to a broader audience. After all, it’s those episodes that make work so unique and rewarding. The result was the book BIOgrafias: Vidas de Quem Estuda a Vida, which brings together 18 biologists and more than 35 stories. … [Read more…]