It is really hard to care about something when you don’t know anything about it, which is why I believe that education is one of the best ways to foster a love for our planet and is a key tool in the conservation toolbelt. Personally, growing up going to my local aquarium helped foster my love for the ocean by giving me the opportunity to see and learn about the amazing animals that call our oceans home. Today, I strive to do my part in educating others, whether at my job, while volunteering with a local sea turtle conservation group called Malama i na Honu, or with the Oahu Sea Turtle Nesting Team. I have so much fun talking to and educating people from around the world and working with passionate individuals who care deeply about our oceans.
Recently, however, I was reminded of the importance of educating with the Spirit of Aloha and how we communicate has a huge impact on fostering a conservation mindset. While working with sea turtles, a man on the beach decided to fly his drone over to where we were working. Unfortunately, this man flew his drone too close to the sea turtles, creating a potentially dangerous environment for the turtles. After retrieving his drone, he walked over to us to see what we were doing. This prompted one of the people I was with to confront him. Everyone was very upset by the drone which prompted the conversation to start from a place of anger. This ultimately ended in the man getting very defensive and eventually storming off.
This was such a missed education moment. I believe that most people don’t intentionally harm animals, but may simply be unaware of the potential consequences of their actions. Like this man who probably didn’t realize what he did could be threatening to the turtles. I think that the conversation would have been so much better if we would have been invited over to learn what we were doing and in the process of educating let him know how to properly view wildlife using his drone. Sadly, he walked away with a bad impression, which might discourage him from following guidelines in the future.
Reflecting on this encounter has had me rethinking about how I handle
difficult people in my efforts to foster a conservation mindset in others. I have had to deal with some very challenging people who try to ride sea turtles or pull fish out of tanks so I know that I have not always been kind about letting people know that it’s not ok to do that. That being said, I have been trying to give people the benefit of the doubt and change my mindset towards people who don’t know any better. So far this has really made my interactions more fun and positive both at work and while volunteering. I also feel that when I take this approach people ask more questions and are actually interested in what I have to say.
Through this approach, we can ensure that our messages of conservation are not only heard but embraced. By teaching others with the Spirit of Aloha, we can create a world where people feel inspired to protect and treasure the natural wonders around us.