On June 2022, Synchronicity Earth and the Ellen Fund invited friends, partners, and beyond to share stories which celebrate conservationists doing inspiring work to protect threatened species and ecosystems as part of the #ChampionsOfTheEndangered campaign. Organisations and individuals joined in from all around the world, sharing the stories of over 100 Champions of the Endangered.
There is World Ranger Day and International Day of Women and Girls in Science, but so far we haven’t yet seen a truly inclusive social media campaign welcoming the celebration of the many different faces of conservation, and the wide diversity of skills and types of action that make up this movement.
The types of stories and faces which dominate the conversation about wildlife are also limited- people know the name David Attenborough and Jane Goodall, they know that elephants and tigers are endangered, but there are so many more stories to share of the often-overlooked people and communities striving to safeguard their local wildlife and wild areas, especially lesser-known species and habitats which have important roles to play in the global ecosystem.
This is why Synchronicity Earth and The Ellen Fund worked with the BBC Natural History Unit to create six short films highlighting the stories of incredible conservationists working on less popular species like crocodiles and large storks, or unusual approaches, such as approaching young Samburu warriors to become wildlife ambassadors. This project was supported by our Synchronicity Portfolio.
The first six champions
Each of the stories told in the Champions of the Endangered campaign so far have shown a different side to conservation than the typical news stories we read about (e.g., New national protected area) and focus on the story of an individual whose work is making a big difference for at least one species threatened with extinction.
Caleb Ofori-Boateng and Afia Birago’s puddle frog (Herp Conservation Ghana)
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