Bula vinaka, everyone! My name is Bren Ram and I started as Island Conservation’s Projects Communications Manager in late August—and it’s been a pretty incredible month and a half, with new restoration projects commencing, emerging research to share, and the words of our amazing conservationists out in the field to enjoy. My Fijian heritage and scholarly background in environmental studies have spurred me to work in environmental advocacy and conservation communications before—but I’m overjoyed to call Island Conservation, the world’s only international conservation organization focusing exclusively on restoring and rewilding islands, my home.

At Island Conservation, my job has mainly consisted of researching, writing, talking to scientists, learning about projects new and old, getting invested, and looking at lots and lots of pictures of birds! Today, I want to give you the inside scoop on the things I’ve learned in my first few weeks on the job.

Lots of key terms

I know conservation. I know ecology. I know science. And yet, there are always new terms that have specific uses for me to explore! In conservation communications, there’s very little room for ambiguity: precision is the name of the game, whether you’re describing a project to a potential partner organization or trying to capture the interest of a prestigious newspaper. For example, being extremely specific with how we use the words “native species,” “non-native species,” and “invasive species” has been a huge part of the job. Check out this awesome blog post that breaks down those differences!

There are also terms I’ve never encountered before. Have you heard the phrase “invasional meltdown?” It’s an extremely specific term from the science of biological invasion, and it describes the process whereby one invasive species can make it easier for subsequent species to invade and take over, leading to a domino effect of cascading ecological consequences. I probably could have described this phenomenon before working at Island Conservation, but knowing the unique term scientists use to describe it makes communicating about it all the more impactful!

Everybody wants to know what brand of headphones you’re using

I showed up to my first Island Conservation Zoom Meeting with the cheap gaming headset I’ve had since college. Big, clunky, over-ear speakers, a big microphone you flick up and down—that kind of thing. Without fail, every single meeting I had my first week involved at least one curious coworker asking what headphones I use for my remote work, whether I like them, whether I would recommend them, and so on. Honestly, my philosophy is that any wired headphones will work (wired is always better than Bluetooth, and cheaper anyway)!

Benefits of invasive species removal to human communities

In ecology, everything is connected. But the extent to which everything is connected continuously astounds and inspires me. I had a sort of implicit understanding that healthy ecosystems free from the threat of invasive species benefit everyone. The connections themselves, though, are surprising.

Invasive species threaten more than seabird populations. Many of the human communities on these islands rely on food sources or economic goods that invasive rodents eat or contaminate, so removing them can be a direct benefit to their livelihoods. Furthermore, when seabirds are able to nest safely, they bring nutrients from the ocean onto the land in the form of guano. Plants thrive as a result—but so do near-shore ecosystems, such as coral reefs, which get to enjoy the nutrients that run off the land when it rains or as part of natural erosion.

These reefs are not only more resistant to coral bleaching, ocean acidification, and rising temperatures, but they also foster rich populations of fish, which provides human communities with more stable food sources. Healthy near-shore ecosystems also prevent the worst effects of climate disasters such as hurricanes and floods, which helps islands—which are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change—become more resilient. It’s kind of amazing how much impact a single, measurable human intervention such as invasive species removal can have on entire ecosystems, across multiple biomes. It certainly makes conservation communication more complex, but more impactful, to describe these multiple benefits!

Diversity of our portfolio

As a Pacific Islander, I joined Island Conservation with a personal stake in our projects in the Pacific: Tonga, Hawai’i, Aotearoa (New Zealand), Palau, you name it. (We aren’t currently working in my family’s home country, Fiji … yet!) But Island Conservation has projects all around the world, not just in the Pacific, and they are all distinct. Our work on Floreana Island, Galápagos, deals with different species and feels very distinct from our work on Desecheo, Puerto Rico, which is different from the project on Hawadax Island, Alaska, and so on. As Projects Communications Manager, I get to delve into each project and its unique perspectives, benefits, challenges, and atmosphere, meeting with team members and partners in every time zone. It’s totally amazing to watch how a diverse, international team of conservation pros can support a diverse, international portfolio of projects!

Zoom background hierarchy

Working remotely with people around the world comes with the joy of using Zoom to blur backgrounds—or, as is the preference of Island Conservation staff, to replace them. Which image or video of an island you use is absolutely essential to signaling your vibe in each meeting. Is it a video of a tropical beach? A drone shot of a gorgeous atoll from above? A photo of a favorite species? Internally, Island Conservation also uses new background images to reward teams for fun challenges, employee-of-the-month style. It’s like decorating your cubicle, but online. I haven’t settled on a background for myself yet, but it might be this one (the favorite of our Communications Director, Sally Esposito).

The power of partnerships

Island Conservation is an experienced organization with decades of experience around the world—but that doesn’t make us experts on every single island everywhere. Every successful project, I’ve found, has involved partnership with local organizations who bring indispensable expertise and site-specific knowledge. A lot of these partnerships are with organizations that work specifically on a region, island, or ecosystem. One look at our Advisory Council will give you a sense of how important these partnerships are to us. Our Island-Ocean Connection Challenge aims to build and strengthen these kinds of partnerships to amplify the impact of conservation on 40 globally significant island ecosystems by 2030. No man is an island, so the saying goes—and, it turns out, no conservation org is an island either!

The impact of individual donors

Having worked in the nonprofit world before, I have generally thought of funding in terms of two sources: grants and donations. However, as I work with Island Conservation’s large but targeted portfolio of projects, I’m starting to think of funding in different terms: “restricted” and “unrestricted.” A lot of the money we get from institutions and grants is earmarked for specific projects and can’t be used for anything else. Grant timelines are also quite long and involve a lot of predicting and planning. However, when individual people make donations—even in amounts that might seem insignificant—we can make sure the funds go directly where they’re needed right away. “Unrestricted” funds—which mostly come from donations from individuals, like you—give us the flexibility to respond to emerging situations and target the most urgent needs of the communities we serve and the innovative solutions that make a lasting impact.

Island Conservation and Science Communication

I love working with our conservation communications team—it’s a small but mighty community of wave-makers. If you want to keep an eye on our work, the very best way is to sign up for Island Conservation’s newsletter —which will not only let you keep up-to-date on what we’re writing, but also on conservation science news in general! We’re not just an organization that helps restore and rewild islands: we’re also a reliable source of news, photos, and updates on what’s going on in the conservation world. Vinaka vaka levu–thanks for being a supporter of environmental conservation!