Without climate communication, there is no climate action. Everything most of us know about climate, biodiversity, and our planet, we know because someone wrote about/filmed/explained it. Scientists, those on the ground or in a lab, gather data; storytellers turn that data into something accessible (educational, entertaining, beautiful, compelling… the list goes on).  

Conservation communication is an infinitely powerful tool– one that shapes everything from individual opinion to global strategy. This event unpacks how to make science accessible and incite critical action through the power of storytelling. 

Communications lead for the XPRIZE Rainforest, Cat Kutz, was invited by World Rainforest Day to lead a discussion on how we can effectively tell the science stories happening now, on the ground, in the field of biodiversity conservation for a broad and diverse audience. You can watch this informative and engaging conversation here and learn more about the panelists below.

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Sweta Chakraborty, We Don’t Have Time 

Dr. Sweta Chakraborty is a risk and behavioral scientist who is regularly interviewed on major, international news media outlets like CNN and MSNBC. Sweta is the US President for We Don't Have Time, the world's largest review platform for climate solutions. She is a partner at Pioneer Public Affairs and is on the steering committee of the Global Commons Alliance. She is an Independent Director at Lightbridge Corp. where she chairs their ESG committee, and is on advisory boards for Climate Power and EarthHQ.  She is a book author from her time as a postdoc at Oxford University. She is a TEDx, SXSW, and globally recognized keynote speaker and consultant for multinational companies.

Susan Cheyne, Borneo Nature Foundation

Susan has worked in Asia since 1997 and in Indonesia since 2002. She has a focus on primate ecology and conservation looking, into the illegal pet trade of gibbons and studying the rehabilitation and reintroduction successes of these threatened apes, as well as focusing on conservation research to inform actions for small ape conservation.

While working in Indonesia, Susan built a deep interest in the conservation of wild cats across Indonesian Borneo. As a Research Director of Borneo Nature Foundation International, Susan leads a team working on the conservation of primates and wild cats where camera trap technology is used to understand the movement, distribution, and conservation status of these threatened cats. Susan is passionate about working with local communities for establishing protected areas and for reaching out through conservation education to people around the world.

Celina Chien, Reserva: The Youth Land Trust; Panthera

Celina Chien is an intersectional wildlife conservationist and artist, combining her roles as an ecologist, storyteller, and award-winning photographer to harness empathy for change and advocate for biodiversity.