Nature is home.
Nature is me.
Nature is all of us.
About our storytelling strategy
Our collective movement knows how to tell stories. We know stories move people in ways facts alone cannot. They make the abstract concrete, the distant personal. The question is: which stories actually move people to act?
The land, water, and communities we protect are inseparable from who we are, where we come from, and the futures we're building together.
This directory exists to capture the lived experiences of our coalition members: the real stories behind policy positions, the personal stakes in our advocacy work, and the visions that keep us organizing.
Your story matters. Whether you're an organization sharing your work, recounting a moment that changed your relationship to place, naming the specific forces threatening your community, or painting a picture of what thriving looks like—we want to hear it.
Choose Your Storytelling Platform
FLICKR
PRIVATE SUBMISSIONS
Choose your storytelling platform
What is a story?
For our collective movement, a story is:
TRUE - Rooted in real experience and evidence
SPECIFIC - Has details we can see, hear, feel
HUMAN - Centers people and relationships
PURPOSEFUL - Connects to our larger goals
Voices from our Community: Featured Stories
From the snapshots on Flickr to the deep discussions on Reddit, your contributions shape our collective narrative. Below are some of our community-sourced stories.
How do I write my story?
Every good story has rhythm. Research shows that stories are more effective when they:
Name specific human/institutional villains (not systems or climate)
Use forward vision instead of loss prevention
Replace economic ROI with lived experience
Apply nature metaphors that disrupt subject/object divisions
Do not use passive voice
What you care about + your expertise + these variables = Stories that result in action.
Download our story-craft worksheet to see examples.
Storytelling Resources
Our messaging research reveals what actually moves people. Access the full findings, tools, and presentations:
Messaging Guides:
Messaging Insights for Policymakers - Provides research-backed language to shift the narrative from debating costs and regulations to winning on shared core values.
Research Reports:
Lake Research Partners Insights Page - Top-line polling findings and messages that win
Slide Decks & Presentations:
ASO Communications Findings Presentation - Visual breakdown of language analysis
Lake Research Briefing Slides - Message testing results and recommendations
Webinars & Recordings:
Lake Research Briefing Webinar - Full walkthrough of polling findings
Now that you have the tools to craft your story, let's explore what we're gathering this month.. Each month, we spotlight stories that connect to current opportunities in conservation advocacy.
Theme of the Month: For the Youngest and Oldest
91% of registered voters agreed: Every child deserves to grow up healthy and safe, breathing fresh air, drinking safe water.
This month, share a story about the importance of conservation for the youngest and the oldest. Elucidate how ocean, open space, urban park, public land, wildlife and/or freshwater stewardship support babies, children, grandparents and elders. Your story might explore:
How nature acts as a caring parent/ guardian
Examples of youth, elder or intergenerational conservation leadership
Examples of rebirth or renewal from natural resource stewardship.
This theme is active through January. It is offered as a guiding prompt–you are invited to contribute a story on any health, nature and justice theme or topic. For more tips on timely storytelling hooks, see our list of upcoming observances
Observances such as holidays or awareness days also serve as good storytelling prompts. Consider contributing a story in response to an upcoming observance.
