The Unseen Price of Passion

As I reflect on my journey in community-led , locally-based marine conservation, I'm reminded of the countless hours, sleepless nights, and personal sacrifices I've made to protect our planet. But the truth is, I'm not alone. Many of us in this field are driven by a deep sense of purpose and passion, often at the expense of our own well-being.

The hidden costs of this work is staggering. From emotional exhaustion to financial strain, these costs can significantly hinder our work and impact our lives. In this series, I'll share my personal experiences and highlight the honest realities of community-led conservation, including the financial, emotional, and social costs that often go unseen.

The True Cost of Dedication

As conservation professionals from the global south, we're often expected to be superheroes, saving the planet without any safety net. But the reality is far from it. The hidden costs of our work, can accumulate to atleast $50,000 USD annually, a price we pay with our mental health, relationships, and livelihoods. Too often we are continually absorbing these invisible costs, and innovating without the support of institiutions, to reduce the weight of injustice and push the need for change.

One day, when I was so truly overwhelmed with the realities of leading my small non-profit Fish ‘N Fins Inc., I thought why is it so hard, what’s really going on here, I needed to name some of these things that I was navigating but no one seemed to see. This infographic shows what I identified immediately - you may even have your own to contribute and if so, please write it in the comment section.

The Impact on Our Lives and Work:

These hidden costs don't just affect our finances; they also take a toll on our mental and physical health too. Not to mention that there is horrifically little support for parents in this field.

A Call to Action:

First, stop comparing yourself to people who have long-term funding partnerships, a nest egg, a team and access to opportunities and freedom from certain societal biases.

Next, let’s be realistic and pragmatic, because we’ll probably be in retirement by the time appropriate support is given to conservation work, i.e. unrestricted funding is accessible in the range of USD $50-100k per year that is needed, or there is a livable minimum wage for those of us working in and leading grassroots conservation organisations.

We need to relook at how we are putting ourselves first in this work. We need to rest more, protect ourselves with the same urgency that we protect biodiversity, allowing ourself as much time and the creative freedom as needed to figure things out.

It's time for us to acknowledge that being under-resourced doesn’t serve our values. This misalignment is creating repeated cycles of burnout. This year I’m spending time experimenting, healing and restoring myself after over 10 years of squeezing water out of stone, while continuously problem solving and scraping up crumbs to keep our non-profit afloat.

It's worthwhile noting facts shared by Fabianna Alexander in her Substack, ' Impact Resilience.'

Only 10% of non-profit organizations last 3-5 years highlighting the under-resourced missions and the human toll of sustaining them without adequate support. - ASPIRE Foundation (Barbados) in 2014

+

Sarah Peck, in her thesis Never a Dull Day, documents how Caribbean NGO leaders often women, often Black, often from the communities they serve, carry immense responsibility while being structurally under-resourced, emotionally exhausted, and financially precarious. - Fabianna Alexandar

So, now after 10 years, I've slowed down for deep reflection, I’m asking myself some important questions, like:

• What does this work really look like when we put ourselves first?

• How can we share the invisible costs with a more diverse range of people and organizations?

• How do we work with Governments, businesses, or development agencies to commercialize the cultural competence possessed by small islands and package the knowledge and insights in audiobooks, podcasts, white papers and consultancy services for the international education, research and commercial markets.

• Where do we get the support to transition from a charity mindset (reliant on donations and grants) to a social entrepreneurial model, i.e., selling of services and solutions.

• How can we put our writing to work e.g. How to use The Framework for the Equitable Caribbean Blue Economy to develop new strategies to ensure an end to exploitative practices by companies working with local thought leaders and cultural and environmental knowledge holders.

We have to figure out what is truly sustainable for us, first and foremost. As James Baldwin once said,

"We made the world we're living in, and we have to make it over."

Friennds, how might we, work together to create a new world where community-led conservation is valued, supported, and sustainable? This is what’s on my mind these days..

Join my workshops:

I know it’s July but why wait until the end of the year to get your sustainability strategy right!

Whether it's for your self-care, personal development, project, or business— balancing sustainability, rest and fun is a big deal! Taking care of yourself is vital in maintaining your energy and motivation for community building.

So, I’m beta testing a playbook for sharing this journey together. I'm excited to share this tool for strategy, vision, and reflection. I designed and used this tool myself in 2023/4, and while it's still a work in progress, it truly helped me focus on creating a number of useful outputs, from speaking decks, to identifying the real allies in my work, finding a more authentic voice, building better relationships with people who get it; to making art, and just spending more time outdoors.

One of the things that came out of this new way of strategizing, was me getting into zine making, and earlier this year producing a “Trash Zine, with a community of women associated with the Rock Retreat and low and behold, my zine is now going to be exhbited at The Institute of Contemporary Arts London 13th/14th September 2025 as part of GLUE . It is the ICA’s first event like this. I think we can confidently say that zines are pulling a lot of interests from the art sphere as a method of sharing important content and process. It’s one way I present and share, “The Playbook.”

What You'll Get:

- Access to the playbook and associated links

- Opportunity to provide feedback and help shape the tool's development

- No Cost ( though you can donate to my newsletter if you can afford to, and feel so inspired).

This is a complimentary opportunity for two selected individuals. I'm looking for people who are genuinely interested in using the playbook and providing constructive feedback. This is just one way you can help share the invisible costs of locally-led, community-based ocean conservation.

Interested? Let me know, and I'll send over more details, or we can have a 1:1 chat to discuss any questions you might have.