The hypocritical life of a wildlife filmmaker

So... I want to open up a POSITIVE conversation about the impact of travelling across the world to document wildlife and conservation stories 🌍

I am absolutely part of this conversation. Outside of my career as a scientist I travel to locations all over the world to present in natural history documentaries and videos. So sometimes - yes - I feel like a hypocrite. But the truth is, often flying to these locations is unavoidable and even though I try and do my bit (I try to be a conscious consumer, don't have a car, don't eat meat, am always armed with a reusable coffee cup) isn't flying across the world just hypocritical?

Not only is it important we talk about this, but positively so we don't fall into a pit of shaming some of the world's most crucial storytellers whose focus is to tell raw and powerful stories about the state of our planet.

I'm not trying to 'call out' anyone or point any fingers - as I've already said I am part of this industry myself. However, often - big shoots take numerous flights to remote locations with a big team and hundreds of bags - so let's start there! Where can we cut corners? Can we be more savvy in how we travel? Where we travel to? How about sending smaller film teams or source kit elsewhere?

I don't have the solutions but if we are serious about helping protect what we love - as so many people in the industry are - then we should all start talking about this properly.

What the wildlife film industry has done for our understanding of the natural world has been transformative and I believe has played a critical role in inspiring others to conserve it. However I would love to see a push for bigger and bolder steps forward for climate action across the industry. An industry I I am very proud to be part of. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below

L x