Voyagers

Everyone chances upon conservation differently. Some discover the passion in a blurry underwater photo by dive friends in Tubbataha. Others watch disturbing documentaries of species genocide in Asia. The lucky few are those who live in the virgin habitats they are trying to protect, purposely enclosing their passion and profession in a life-long search for the biodiversity that lured them in childhood. Almost none would think of it immediately as a profession.

In the Philippines especially, conservation is ridden with red taping, red tagging,  and, in most cases, a surrender to the dangers that come with your beliefs. But the Philippines is also one of only 17 mega biodiverse countries, containing two-thirds of the Earth’s biodiversity. It contains 70% of the world’s plants and animal species. There is a lot to fall in love with, and a lot to conserve. Not just for the sake of romanticism, but for the sake of the economy. 

That’s why we’ve come to look at researchers, conservationists, and biodiversity explorers as voyagers. They create the path for others to follow despite the absence of a map, the proper equipment, and sometimes even the absence of a clear destination. Voyagers take on the mammoth task of living in a vacuum, falling in love with their subjects, and coming back with enough data to convince others to be just as enamored as them. 

At Atlas, we believe researchers, conservationists and explorers (we call them Atlas Voyagers) define the future of the modern era. What they do and don’t do, and how much space and influence they occupy in contemporary times, are the determinants of this planet’s regeneration. 

If you are any of these we mentioned, or perhaps somewhere in between, we want to hear from you. We offer microgrants for short-term projects you might want to focus on and publish on our platform.

Send us a message. Let’s map out a new future.