Try to look like you’re enjoying this

Photo by Tetsumo

Conservation, and really every mission-driven field, is serious business. On a daily basis, we're out there trying to protect habitat, reverse climate change, feed the hungry, end homelessness, reduce violence, restore our freedoms--while also competing for the attention of the general public that is already weary of cause after cause after cause. So it’s no surprise that when we go on camera, write a report, pose for a photo, or send an email our entire countenance is sour, dour, and dark.

A few years ago, I was shooting a video with a colleague to document the completion of a pretty darn cool restoration project. I turned on the camera, and he immediately turned on his Serious Conservation Face – then proceeded to describe the project details like he was reading the nightly news. I turned off the camera and told him to act like he was enjoying this. On the next take, he had a big smile and started off saying, “This is a great day for birds!” and excitedly pointed out how a group of birds that were immediately using their new habitat. He exuded joy, and that made all the difference.

In conservation, we are so lucky to be on the front lines protecting such wondrous landscapes. In other fields, things are harder, but we are fortunate to have the ability to wage our fight out in the open, which always offers a chance to win. Sure, our work can be frustrating and hard, but there is a ton of joy in what we do – and we are wise to infuse that into our communications. Joy is infectious.