I was one of those rare individuals who knew the direction I wanted to go in after high school. I was going to “save the world” because I believed that all beings- humans, animals, and even plants- deserved to have a quality of life. And, for the past 20 years, I have worked in wildlife conservation and environmental education to achieve that.

But it wasn’t always easy. At one point, I considered throwing in the towel. I had seen friends who worked their tails off to protect species or the environment with sometimes very little change to be seen for it. I was seeing how people in general were ignoring big issues or not taking action, not out of malice, but rather from feelings of powerlessness by being overwhelmed or just not really knowing about the issue.

The rose-colored glasses from my youth were lifted off my eyes and I started to feel very discouraged. But before giving up, I wrote a dear friend of mine who is a rock star in wildlife conservation. I wrote to him asking, “What keeps you going when there’s so much piled up against you?” What he said to me was this; “We are on the right side of history. Progress may be slow, but there’s undoubtedly progress being made. We just need to show people the right direction and empower them to get there.” And I realized how right he was. When I was growing up, there was no community recycling program. Now I don’t know a community without one. The humpback whale might have been extinct today if it weren’t for the laws and actions taken by so many. And remember the terrifying hole in the ozone layer? It’s on its way to being healed. I can go on and on.

Despite all the doom and gloom you hear, there’s still so much good happening. There are people who are achieving great things for animals and the environment. And I believe that it’s in sharing their stories that will inspire others to act. And they also happened to be prime examples of how we don’t have to revert to stone-age living to make a difference! I want to elevate these individuals, spread ideas that work, and make them the norm. We have so much power as individuals. I am here to help you see it and act on it.