Okay so writing your story is overwhelming, where do you start? What is the storyline? Has my story even reached some kind of natural conclusion yet?

Well fear not Lonely Conservationists, because I am on your side and I’ve got you covered with this series of thought-provoking questions. Copy and paste them into an email or word document and send them right on over to jessie@lonelyconservationists.com to be featured on our blog and Instagram pages. Happy writing!

1. Introduce yourself, who are you and where did you grow up? Not necessarily your town or country, but think about your environment, the people in your life and your first experiences in nature and how they started you on your journey in conservation. (Or maybe these experiences came later in life, set the scene!)

2. When was the moment where you realised “Oh my gawsh, I have to do something!” Describe that moment where you knew you were going to sacrifice the jewels and riches of being a doctor or a lawyer and instead dedicate your life to saving the planet’s biodiversity.

3. What were the steps you took to pursue this career? Maybe you volunteered or studied or got a job somewhere? How did you begin to do something, what were your first steps?

4. What were some of the challenges that you faced along the way? Did people tell you to get a normal job? Did employers give you a hard time? Maybe just seeing wildlife in really unfortunate conditions took a toll on you. What makes you feel like a Lonely Conservationist?

5. What field did you grow into? Did you end up specialising in anything? What stole your heart or what direction are you moving into now. Maybe you are working on or towards multiple projects, keep in mind its totally okay to be conservationally promiscuous – I know I am with three projects on the go at once!

6. Is there a light at the end of the tunnel? Are you getting there slowly but surely? In the end, the conservation industry gives us the opportunity to meet some amazing people, some amazing wildlife and do things that most other people will never do. What is the thing that keeps you going despite all of the hiccups along the way?

I think these prompts will lead you in the direction of an excellent story, but if you get distracted or immersed in your writing- feel free to carry on on your own! There are no rules to exploring your journey or for speaking your truth. I can’t wait to see what you come up with, good luck and happy writing!