Innovation at The Nature Conservancy in New York

Environmental crises are complex, even linked to many other social injustices affecting us all. Thus, the environmental conservation field must not only look for solutions but the cheapest, fastest, and equitable ones. Thus, Innovation frameworks, such as agile, lean, and human-centered design that are proven to help identify solutions that work, yet are often used in the for-profit sector, are being contextualized to operate in the largest conservation nonprofit in the world, The Nature Conservancy.

In 2022, I was accepted as the Winter Innovation Intern to work with Jennifer Chin, the Director of Innovation in New York, to help their team communicate their work. Extending for two terms, I was able to produce the following that built up a systematic communication package to help them beyond my internship (in order):

• Initiated and launched the inaugural Innovation Impact Report. Interviewed 10 conservation practitioners selected to be featured, wrote 2 profiles, 1 methodology and 3 case study articles, designed the entire publication’s layout using Adobe InDesign and compellingly visualized data using Flourish. Maintained AP Style and the Conservancy’s visual identity.

• Redesigned and rewritten the internal Innovation site to improve user experience. Achieved a 223% increase in page views and increased staff inquiries about Innovation program offerings.
• Initiated and delivered qualitative research on attitudes toward innovation for conservation beyond the Nature Conservancy practitioners, interviewing internal staff and from other non-profits and government agencies to guide future communication efforts.
• Created a communication strategy that included a comprehensive list of available channels for communicating innovation for conservation—events, journalists, magazines, newsletters, content creators; a library of training materials that improved science colleagues’ communication skills, and presentation templates to streamline future communication materials.
• Produced a media kit to exhibit a brand identity for Innovation at The Nature Conservancy, including program tagline, visual identity, definition, team profile, program offerings and methodology.
• Authored short and long-term communication plans that set immediate and future milestones, broken down into tasks and organized in a project management calendar system.
• Developed a file management system to increase virtual collaboration efficiency.

#2 The Unboxed Agenda

03/2021 — The Unboxed Agenda is a student-led advocacy campaign that focused on the relevance of gender and Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC); aiming to emancipate the general public from the boxes of the socially constructed notions of how a person must act, dress, love, and be treated and placed in the society that prohibit one’s true self and potentials from coming out.

The team upholds that gender is beyond the common beliefs inside the “Man and Lady box” (hence, the name) rather, it has a long history of affecting a nation’s development and prosperity. Thus, the unboxing must start. #UnboxYourFamiliarity

MY ROLE: Co-Project Head working along with 7 other exceptional 3-1N BA Communication Research students AY: 2020-2021.

THE SUCCESS: The culminating activity of this campaign is a webinar teaching instructors of regional high schools the basics of SOGIE and sexual education, which is not widely accepted nor discussed in the Philippines. Three large high schools from the National Capital Region (NCR) were partnered for the event; thus, leading to 152 the participation of high school teachers of varying ages and cultures who got familiar with the topic in the context of engaging in communication about it with young adults (The title of the event is “Usapang Tahanan [Trans. Talking about Home]: How to Become an Askable Adult“). Yet, the event, which lasted for a little over 3 hours, surpassed this above and beyond, having 1,426 people reached and 605 engagements (on one Facebook page–the event was played on 3 different main Facebook channels).

Credits to the graphics team for the photos: Marvin Talan, Alain Bermejo

#1 LUNTI: Providing Less Waste Solutions

08/2019 — With the Philippines’ tingi culture—the practice of buying a product in small amounts, such as one sachet of shampoo or soy sauce, the country ranks as the third plastic pollution contributor (2022), and first when it is specified to plastic wastes that reach the ocean (2021). Besides proper waste management, a cultural shift from the waste source is similarly crucial to mitigate the existing plastic pollution. Yet, our market research has shown that it is not that Filipinos want to buy with plastic, it is just that alternatives are unavailable, and if it is, it is way more expensive.

Thus, LUNTI, a 3-women environmental business campaign, was established. Guided by science communication principles, the overall tone of the page is “companion” who, instead of continuously pointing to the problem, offers doable alternatives both literally through an affordable shop (online and in a university stand) and through education and awareness of other solutions (e.g., letters of petition, recycling centers, recycling codes, relevant events, and other information communications).

“Lunti” is the Filipino translation of “green.” The logo uses 3 squares that form an L; these squares symbolize quality, practical, and budget-friendly. Our products are mostly made of bamboo and went beyond just straws, utensils, and tumblers, and included combs, toothbrushes, and package-free hair care.

MY ROLE: Co-Founder and Creative Head (Content Creator, Photographer, and Communications Manager) working with my two college best friends, Jezreel Sevilla and Lark Rogan AY: 2019-2020.

THE SUCCESS: Just three weeks after its launch, the page has garnered over 1400 organic followers. It maintained 8000 monthly engagements and earned more than P25,000 in revenue during the run of the campaign (2 months).