Here, the people behind the stories speak for themselves. Read first-person essays, opinion, and reflection from AYEJ's networks and beyond with their takes, in their own words.
"It teaches patience, awareness, and respect for wildlife."
A Haribon communications specialist's first birdwatching fieldwork at La Mesa Ecopark became an unexpected lesson in patience, and in why conservation starts with simply paying attention.
By Eula Femina Suza 5 min read
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September 12, 2026
A hemophobic kid who once dreamed of medical school found his way to marine biology instead — and then to mangroves, a field he calls "a dying breed" worth saving.
By Matthew Tabilog 5 min read
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September 12, 2026
Ten years into climate education, Lara Salaysay unpacks what the new UN climate report actually means — and why 1.5°C slipping away doesn't mean the fight for a livable future is over.
By Lara Jean Salaysay 5 min read
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September 12, 2026
A volunteer application led one writer to Bayawan Nature Reserve's research house — rain boots by the door, camera traps on every desk. Conservation, he learned, is also dishes, chores, and daily life.
By Yobert M. Juanillo 4 min read
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