We live in an increasingly data-driven world, where our attention holds more value than ever – and online narratives around sustainable landscapes can have a tangible impact on the planet.
As the digital realm increasingly overlaps with our offline reality – or what some might call ‘real life’ – social media appears to be growing in two opposing directions.
On the one hand, we are naturally drawn to authenticity and community, and on the other, we’re flooded by vapid content created to get that quick ‘like’ and continue to feed the algorithm.
With social media users hitting the 5 billion mark last year, what role will content play in tackling the climate crisis?
At the Global Landscapes Forum, we’re delighted to announce this year’s cohort of Social Media Ambassadors. Now in its fifth consecutive year, this online program has enlisted 42 volunteer influencers, selected from over 800 applicants.
Throughout 2024, the GLF Social Media Ambassadors will share their unique perspectives on how their communities are tackling the climate crisis, reaching millions of people through the GLF’s digital channels.
While some of the selected volunteers already have vast experience in content creation and have built a solid following on social media, this program also includes new creators who are just getting started at building their online community but have a unique story to tell.
Meet this year’s GLF Social Media Ambassadors: 23 women and 19 men who will spark meaningful conversations around sustainable landscapes in over 15 languages using the hashtags #ThinkLandscape and #ActLandscape.
The journeys of these environmental influencers are as diverse as the 27 countries they represent. Rockyath Adechoubou, a social entrepreneur and innovator based in Australia, uses her unique blend of skills to channel the “transformative power of collective action.” As the founder of Auction for Change, a platform uniting art and philanthropy, she’s committed to driving positive change “at the intersection of entrepreneurship, social impact, and environmental advocacy.”
For Gilberto Sánchez, a biology student from El Salvador, and Nala Aprilia, a climate activist from Indonesia, becoming GLF Social Media Ambassadors means seizing the opportunity to inspire and mobilize others.
“I want to tell young people in my community the importance of the restoration and conservation of forests,” says Sánchez.
Meanwhile, Aprilia has taken her advocacy to the streets of Bogor with handwritten signs tied to her bike. For her, this volunteer program is a “way to be heard by people in power, learn from experts and get a chance to share more information about climate change.”
Through this year-long online volunteer program, the ambassadors will receive training sessions and hands-on workshops to fine-tune their skill sets, while growing their networks and teaming up with other creators from around the world to make engaging content.
Juvenal Vitalis, a podcast host from Tanzania, shares his expectations of this program: “I envision harnessing the power of storytelling and digital media, engaging with diverse audiences to raise awareness and drive meaningful dialogue on environmental issues.”
In the time it took you to read this article, Instagram users sent over 1 million reels through their DMs, and more than 600,000 posts on Twitter/X were just fed into the algorithm. The sea of data is rising, but we can choose how to navigate it.
Follow the GLF Social Media Ambassadors here, and join the global conversation around sustainable landscapes using the hashtag #ThinkLandscape.
Finally…
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