I'm just going to say it: conservation intitatives which have the aim of making people feel good about themselves but ignore science are very problematic.

Remember that flow hive initiative that raised over $5million because they made it seem like you were helping bees by donating? $5 million to help the Endangered Rusty-patched & other actually declining bee spp. would have been a game changer.

We need to hold sustainability initiatives, orgs & ENGOs accountable when they misdirect these funds & other resources. Ppl are profitting from species declines w/o helping the species. The biodiversity crisis is real, and we have solutions.

Also, media outlets need to do better too. Journalists, interview experts the first time a story hits your desk, not for the follow up. Scientists don't have advertising $$ to counter all the misinformation. The damage is done quickly.

I have approached large ENGOs about inaccurate messaging over the years. They told me they just want buy-in, not accuracy. Simple stories with seemingly simple solutions. I am not convinced this moves the cause forward, but obviously it benefits the org.