Reflecting On Our Conversations - Finding Points of Connection

This September 2025, Wild We Stand came into being not because we had a clear stance, but because something felt missing in the conversations around conservation. The focus tends to be on the treetop of conservation, the big and important results of reintroductions and policy change, but what about the quiet roots, the community, the front-line workers, the foundation of it all? We kept noticing the same patterns, the same voices centred, the same narratives repeated, and we wanted to slow down and listen differently. That is how the ‘In Conversation With’ series came into being, a space for conservationists of all walks of life to voice their truth and be heard. 

One thing that came up repeatedly in our conversations was the need to be more honest about what’s actually happening within the conservation industry and world politically. Swadha Pardesi, a digital illustrator from India, said: “We don’t mention who is destroying the habitat… It’s the corporations and the governments that are closely aligned.” This resonated with us. There’s something powerful about saying that out loud. Environmental damage doesn’t just happen, yet so often the language we use avoids naming responsibility. Listening to Swadha reminds us that if we want change, we must also be brave enough to speak truthfully, even when it makes people uncomfortable.

Swadha Pardesi, a digital illustrator and Co-Founder of City of Birds Collective

Another theme that kept surfacing was whose voices and thoughts are heard, and whose aren't. Janel Kempf, a Learning Coordinator at Woodland Park Zoo, noted that in large institutions, people on the ground often feel worlds apart from decision-makers. “It can seem like front-line staff and leadership work for completely different organisations,” she said. So much knowledge sits with people doing the everyday, often unseen work of education, conservation, and care. Yet their perspectives are frequently missing from the conversations shaping the future. If we’re serious about change, those voices can’t be an afterthought.

Janel Kempf, Zoo Educator and Union Advocate

We were also challenged to think more openly about who should be part of these conversations. Alice Lily Armstrong, a wildcat researcher, discussed the need to bring people together who don’t usually share the same space, including those working in industries often seen as in direct conflict with conservation. “If we want systemic change, we have to understand all the pieces of the puzzle,” she said. These conversations can be uncomfortable, but they’re necessary. Systemic change doesn’t happen in neat, separated spaces. It requires sitting with tension, having difficult conversations, and resisting the urge to oversimplify complex issues.

Alice Lily Armstrong, Amazonian Wildcat Researcher and Founder of the Conservation Equity Project

Across all of these three conversations, one thing became clear: there needs to be a shift in how we talk about conservation. That means being willing to question our own assumptions and to sit with complexity rather than rushing toward easy answers. Wild We Stand is an ever-evolving space that exists to meet the needs of conservationists today. A space for conversation, for learning, and for amplifying voices that don’t always get the platform they deserve. As we move into 2026, our intention is simple: to keep listening, to keep asking uncomfortable questions, and to keep using radical language as a tool for change. 

We would love for you to join us on this journey: read the conversations we have published, reach out to us if you have something to say, and join the Wild We Stand community!