Stories are powerful. Stories bring about change. We use the power of storytelling via films, education programmes, art, design and of course, the written word. We hope to not just inform the public, but also evoke wonder and empathy toward the species and habitats that we share this beautiful planet with. This is a vital part of The Habitats Trust’s strategy in communicating conservation and science to a discerning audience. In an age that is fatigued with information, it's a good idea for us to think about what is truly important.
The last five years have been a journey of learning and experimentation for us to find that fine line and walk it with collaborators we trust. Films, stories and writing can be powerful tools, and the people who bring them to the public become their eyes and ears to a world they might not have had access to or paid attention to.
We also aim to take much of our conversations offline, in an effort to break away from one- sided communication, and to encourage knowledge-sharing. Scrolling through this site or social media, watching our videos is just one part of it all. Let's also talk, meet, swap ideas. Let's be present and engage.
This way, outreach becomes a vehicle for empathy, understanding, busting misinformation and rekindling a powerful wonder for nature.
To build on this, we support the Green Literature Festival, a pioneering initiative that spotlights environment literature, and have partnered with the pioneering ALT.EFF film festival to support and showcase films that matter to a wider audience.
In the past few years, The Habitats Trust has commissioned a total of 190 films. Told by the locals themselves, these films span across states, species and habitats. Our work has been awarded with the 68th National Film Award for the episode on bats in On The Brink Season 2 and the Nature inFocus award for the Malabar Pit Viper episode from Wild You Were Sleeping, a win for lesser-known species indeed.
More about our other individual projects coming soon. Watch this space.