Question: Can you tell us a little about yourselves and what motivated you to get involved with wolf advocacy?
Ella: I’m Ella. I just graduated from Timberline High School last May. I got into Wolves with TREE Club [Teens Restoring Earth’s Environment] at Timberline, which I joined at the end of my sophomore year. I was really involved during my junior year which is when I got into wolves. I realized our voice means so much and it’s our future, so I fell in love with other wolf packs and being a part of a wolf pack at Timberline. After that, it was pretty much a done deal. I was like, “Okay, this is going to be my career, and I would love to protect apex predators and Keystone species.”
Sneha: My name is Sneha. I got involved with wolf advocacy in high school through TREE Club. I am a class of 2022 graduate from Timberline, so my senior year was that return to in-person school after COVID. I met my environmental science teacher Erin Stutzman in person, she introduced me to all these amazing environmental justice orgs and TREE , and I ended up becoming president of TREE Club my senior year. TREE Founder, Dick Jordan told us about the Timberline Wolf Pack named after our school, and how in 2003, he led Timberline students to adopt this Wolf Pack, track them, and study these beautiful creatures. Then in 2021, wolves were being killed, so it was really shocking, and I was like, I need to do something about this. Being involved in Wolf Advocacy really opened my eyes to the fact that there are so many fields within environmental justice, and now it’s still a huge part of my life. I do whatever I can to stay involved in sustainability and advocacy work, and I’m trying to see how that ties into medicine because that’s a field I still want to go into. I really want to study the intersection between healthcare, medicine, and environmental policy because I feel like our environmental factors really shape human health.
Question: How did you both get involved with IWCN?
Ella: For me, after being involved with TREE Club and Dick Jordan, a lot of the connections were very organic. I met Suzanne at the Idaho Depredation Control Board meetings, and I’ve just been really involved in those kinds of things. The group and community were just the biggest thing for me. After board meetings, a lot of us went down to get lunch, and it was like, “Oh my gosh, these people agree with what I agree with,” and it was such a community.
Sneha: For me, it was near the end of my senior year. I was asking Mr. Jordan, “I’m scared. I’m moving to Texas. There’s not that huge same environmental push there that’s here in Idaho, and I want to stay involved.” He was like, “You should join the International Wildlife Coexistence Network. Talk to Suzanne Stone and see how you can get involved.” Suzanne is amazing—everything she does is so cool—and she connected me with Alison Miller. Alison is also amazing. She’s been my mentor for the past year, and we’ve been working on trying to get more youth involved with IWCN. We’re starting the IWCN Youth Council, which should be opening this summer, and we’re hoping to get more students involved. This is one of my passion projects—connecting people from across the globe and integrating them into all levels of advocacy and into all levels of government and policy making. Because the world that adults are leaving behind is a world that we are going to inhabit, and we should have a say in some of the decisions that are made. Dick Jordan connected me to IWCN, and everyone on the board has given me some amazing resources to get this passion project of mine started, so I’ve been here ever since.
Question: What problem or problems are you trying to solve through your advocacy?
Ella: I think the biggest thing that we are struggling with today is that middle ground between the coexistence of ranchers and biodiversity. Most people, when they think about this wolf discussion, think that there are two sides—anti-wolf and pro-wolf—but it’s not so simple. There are so many different little things that go into coexistence, and people don’t realize that. I want it to be known that science is not accessible and that the resources we need are not accessible to the public, so a lot of people don’t go out of their way to understand wolves’ true nature. The media likes to portray wolves as these evil creatures, and the average citizen is going to believe that. One problem is that wolves have this negative persona, so it is important to start bridging between science and the public. It’s not either the ranchers win or the wolf advocates win; it’s the fact that we are very similar. We’re all human beings, we all have our hobbies, and we all believe what we believe, even though it may be different. I’ve been working on finding that middle ground where ranchers can have their livestock because Idaho relies on that kind of stuff. I think that’s the biggest issue—trying to find that middle ground and finding the way to have biodiversity and continue anthropogenic activities. I also think that the negative reputation of wolves has got to stop, and the brutal killing of wolves has got to stop. We want to get them back on the endangered species list. Overall, there are so many different things that we can tackle, but I think a lot can be solved with non-lethal methods, regulating better, and getting that information out to the public.
Sneha: I definitely agree with what Ella said. It’s all about education, first and foremost. A lot of people don’t know what’s going on because it’s so hidden. The numbers that Idaho Fish and Game are putting out are not accurate, so it’s all about pushing for that transparency. We, as the public, should know what is happening to our wildlife, how it is being regulated, so let’s start there. From there, let’s not just focus on science; let’s start talking about solutions using science. We need to act now, and that’s the biggest push. We’re asking for our federal government to step in. At this point, we’ve seen that our states cannot responsibly handle the situation—they’re profiting off of this—and it’s time for the federal government to step in. Listen to youth voices, and people advocating for them. Don’t silence them. We have the Wood River Wolf Project, so let’s implement more of those techniques. I think that’s our biggest push: educate the public and become more transparent with what’s going on.
Question: Why did you feel you needed to bring your voice to the rally in DC?
Ella: Because we’re in Idaho, you can mention the word wolf, and no one has to say anything, but you’re subject to the same hatred that wolves receive. So, going to DC was like this big deal—we are going to find our wolf pack, per se; we’re going to find people that agree. So, taking that risk of talking to the important people in the federal government was a great experience. Idaho’s very nonchalant about it, and they don’t really care. They look at us like these young kids who don’t know what they’re talking about, but in DC, they treated us like adults; they treated us like our voices had the same value as theirs no matter what their opinions were. It was good to get out there further in the wolf advocacy world.
Sneha: I kept saying in DC, “We have found our wolf pack.” It was all about getting people from across the United States mobilized to show that there’s this community out there that cares for the wolves, and we want change to happen now. It was not some performative activism; this was us using the power of our democracy, the power of our voices, to be like, “You know what, if you aren’t going to come and listen to us, we will come to you. We have the right to come to you, and we are your constituents. Your job is to voice what we deem important, and what we want to see in our communities is why we elected you, so listen to us and take action.” Everything that we did was super respectful, and I appreciate everybody who gave their time to meet with us. It was nice to see people on the same side as us, and it was good to share our thoughts with people who don’t necessarily have the same views as us. It was a great experience, and hopefully, we will see them take some action.
Question: I heard that you both spoke to a crowd of around 200 people. That’s amazing! Can you tell me about that experience? What takeaways do you hope people left with?
Ella: Everyone was coming up to us and saying, “Oh, that must have been so hard for you, talking in front of this many people,” but we were both saying the whole time that we go and talk at Idaho Fish and Game meetings where it could be just seven men there who don’t believe in what we have to say. It’s infinitely easier to talk to 200 people who are cheering and clapping in between what you’re saying, and you can feel the energy rise. Every single speaker, not just us, had that energy about them—like every time someone would say something, everyone else would just cheer, so it was this great feeling of “we are all in this together.”
It was interesting for people to come up to us and say, “Oh my gosh, you’re from Idaho! That’s crazy. You have wolves in your state.” And we’re like, “Yeah, we have wolves in our state and that’s why we’re here. Because we grew up around wildlife, we don’t want future generations to not have that and for that not to be accessible.” People were stunned that we were able to talk, but I think for both of us, it was a breeze compared to what we do here.
I think closing out the whole rally was very powerful in the sense that we are youth activists, and so we are that next step in the future. Everyone else spoke on their many years of life experience and what they’ve been doing for the last few decades. We don’t have that, but we are the steppingstone to the future—it is our future. I think that ending it off with us speaking was not only powerful for us, but I think it was just powerful as a whole. We brought that light to the fact that we are youth, and we deserve to be heard. We’re not silenced anymore. It’s coming to the point where we are going to DC and putting in the same effort as others. Our voices were heard, and I think that’s really a powerful thing.
Sneha: It was so natural. What we were saying came straight from the heart. It was just a great experience. I feel like we left on a note of hope. Ella and I are going to continue this fight. That note of hope was a positive touch at the end and really inspiring. I’m so grateful we got the chance to do that, and that rally was eye-opening. We saw so many amazing people, so many different organizations, so many careers. I met a lady who was a pediatric EMT. I was like, “This is so insane—like this is exactly what I want to do—a physician advocate who’s still doing her job in medicine and still involved with the environment.” Seeing someone like that was super eye-opening. I’ve never seen that before, and I felt like I had found my person.
Then seeing people of all ages—there were high school students, college students, adults, and elderly people—was just this beautiful, beautiful community of powerful people.
Being in this advocacy space can be really tough at times. Like Ella said, in Idaho, you are faced with a lot of hate, which is super unfortunate, and it can take a toll on you. Also, just thinking about eco-anxiety in general—that’s one of the biggest things that our generation faces. Being able to do something, to take action, fills us with a sense of hope, so it was a really powerful experience. I’m just so immensely grateful.
Question: What advice would you give to other students or young people who are passionate about wildlife conservation and wolves that want to get involved?
Ella: I would say just show up. At this reception that we went to, where we had to speak, there were these two boys around our age, and they were like, “How do you get into this kind of stuff—you were just high schoolers.” We said, “Just show up,” and they laughed. Sneha and I looked at each other like, “No, we’re serious—literally just show up.” They were like, “Well, why? What will that do?” We said, “It will open up so many opportunities for you.” They were taken aback by that—that it was as simple as just showing up. In reality, that’s how we started. We showed up to TREE Club one day, started showing up to Idaho Fish and Game meetings, and showing up to wolf depredation control board meetings. That’s how you start making connections and finding your passions. Truly, it is as easy as just showing up.
You don’t have to be a public speaker from day one—it’s like learning anything else. Because you hold that passion, it’s so much easier to show up. You want to be there, you’re with like-minded people, and even when you’re not, your voices are being heard whether they want to hear you or not. When you’re around people who don’t agree with you, your presence is equally as important. People are going to think in their heads, “Who is this young person?”
It’s not one size fits all; there are many different careers and paths you could take, but everyone you meet along the way will help you get to where you want to be. Another important thing is using your platforms to educate people. Even if it’s just like, “Oh, I see this Instagram story, I’m going to repost it.” You’re getting the educational outreach out there on a level that works for you. I really think that showing up is the biggest thing you can do and not being afraid to do so. You’re going to struggle at some points, but you will find people along the way to help you.
Sneha: I think Ella did a great job saying “show up”—that’s a huge thing. Just be present in the moment, sign up for orgs, and get involved in whatever your school is doing. Just putting yourself in that situation is that first step.
On campus, I’m part of UTD Student Government on their Green Initiative Committee. I’m always telling people, “Sign up! This is a great way you can make change in your school at a local level.”
Another thing is to be curious and ask questions. When I first started getting into the environmental movement, I felt insecure. I was like, “I don’t know all these things. I don’t know all these laws and I don’t know what they mean. I’m just a kid. What am I supposed to do?” That’s the beauty of this movement: there are people to help you. The more you put yourself in these situations and ask questions, the more you will learn.
On top of that, social media is a powerful tool. Follow organizations that you support, like IWCN. IWCN puts out great stuff. Take part in petitions, call your senators, and contact your elected officials. People tend to put those people on a high and mighty platform. Yes, they are in a position of power, but they got that position of power because they were elected by people like you. Call them, voice your concerns to them. That’s what I really learned in high school.
Another group I was a part of did postcards for salmon, so we sent postcards to Governor Little. You can do that—you may not be able to vote—I couldn’t vote at that time—but I was still able to show him what I cared about as a student. That is super powerful.
This journey is for everybody. Coming from someone who’s a pre-med student, it is not just for people who are interested in going into law or environmental engineering. There are so many fields, and environmental justice intersects with so many different career paths. That’s what we’re really trying to stress with IWCN’s Youth Council that’s coming out. We want artists to use the power of art. It connects people in ways languages can’t, and it is so unique. We need someone with a creative mind to come up with innovative solutions. You are more than welcome to join in this movement. All these issues involve everybody, whether you want to be involved or not, so we want artists, engineers, healthcare students, politacal science students. Just bring your passions and figure out how you can mold them for this movement. What makes this movement so unique is that it intersects with so many things, and you’re always learning, you’re always growing.
Another thing I want to end this off with is to take care of yourself. In high school, one project I was working on was getting the Boise School District to commit to 100% clean energy. We were doing press releases, being interviewed by the media, and this stuff was getting posted on Facebook. Unfortunately, there are people out there who will say hurtful things about what you’re doing and may not agree with it. Those comments can be pretty hurtful but know why you’re doing this and surround yourself with people who care for you and practice self-care. Not a lot of people talk about how it can be difficult, and change can be slow in this movement a lot of times, which is a little upsetting. Just remember to take care of yourself. It’s all about collective action, and you might feel the pressure of the whole world on your shoulders but know that you have a community.
Question: Can you tell us a little about yourselves and what motivated you to get involved with wolf advocacy?
Ella: I’m Ella. I just graduated from Timberline High School last May. I got into Wolves with TREE Club [Teens Restoring Earth’s Environment] at Timberline, which I joined at the end of my sophomore year. I was really involved during my junior year which is when I got into wolves. I realized our voice means so much and it’s our future, so I fell in love with other wolf packs and being a part of a wolf pack at Timberline. After that, it was pretty much a done deal. I was like, “Okay, this is going to be my career, and I would love to protect apex predators and Keystone species.”
Sneha: My name is Sneha. I got involved with wolf advocacy in high school through TREE Club. I am a class of 2022 graduate from Timberline, so my senior year was that return to in-person school after COVID. I met my environmental science teacher Erin Stutzman in person, she introduced me to all these amazing environmental justice orgs and TREE , and I ended up becoming president of TREE Club my senior year. TREE Founder, Dick Jordan told us about the Timberline Wolf Pack named after our school, and how in 2003, he led Timberline students to adopt this Wolf Pack, track them, and study these beautiful creatures. Then in 2021, wolves were being killed, so it was really shocking, and I was like, I need to do something about this. Being involved in Wolf Advocacy really opened my eyes to the fact that there are so many fields within environmental justice, and now it’s still a huge part of my life. I do whatever I can to stay involved in sustainability and advocacy work, and I’m trying to see how that ties into medicine because that’s a field I still want to go into. I really want to study the intersection between healthcare, medicine, and environmental policy because I feel like our environmental factors really shape human health.
Question: How did you both get involved with IWCN?
Ella: For me, after being involved with TREE Club and Dick Jordan, a lot of the connections were very organic. I met Suzanne at the Idaho Depredation Control Board meetings, and I’ve just been really involved in those kinds of things. The group and community were just the biggest thing for me. After board meetings, a lot of us went down to get lunch, and it was like, “Oh my gosh, these people agree with what I agree with,” and it was such a community.
Sneha: For me, it was near the end of my senior year. I was asking Mr. Jordan, “I’m scared. I’m moving to Texas. There’s not that huge same environmental push there that’s here in Idaho, and I want to stay involved.” He was like, “You should join the International Wildlife Coexistence Network. Talk to Suzanne Stone and see how you can get involved.” Suzanne is amazing—everything she does is so cool—and she connected me with Alison Miller. Alison is also amazing. She’s been my mentor for the past year, and we’ve been working on trying to get more youth involved with IWCN. We’re starting the IWCN Youth Council, which should be opening this summer, and we’re hoping to get more students involved. This is one of my passion projects—connecting people from across the globe and integrating them into all levels of advocacy and into all levels of government and policy making. Because the world that adults are leaving behind is a world that we are going to inhabit, and we should have a say in some of the decisions that are made. Dick Jordan connected me to IWCN, and everyone on the board has given me some amazing resources to get this passion project of mine started, so I’ve been here ever since.
Question: What problem or problems are you trying to solve through your advocacy?
Ella: I think the biggest thing that we are struggling with today is that middle ground between the coexistence of ranchers and biodiversity. Most people, when they think about this wolf discussion, think that there are two sides—anti-wolf and pro-wolf—but it’s not so simple. There are so many different little things that go into coexistence, and people don’t realize that. I want it to be known that science is not accessible and that the resources we need are not accessible to the public, so a lot of people don’t go out of their way to understand wolves’ true nature. The media likes to portray wolves as these evil creatures, and the average citizen is going to believe that. One problem is that wolves have this negative persona, so it is important to start bridging between science and the public. It’s not either the ranchers win or the wolf advocates win; it’s the fact that we are very similar. We’re all human beings, we all have our hobbies, and we all believe what we believe, even though it may be different. I’ve been working on finding that middle ground where ranchers can have their livestock because Idaho relies on that kind of stuff. I think that’s the biggest issue—trying to find that middle ground and finding the way to have biodiversity and continue anthropogenic activities. I also think that the negative reputation of wolves has got to stop, and the brutal killing of wolves has got to stop. We want to get them back on the endangered species list. Overall, there are so many different things that we can tackle, but I think a lot can be solved with non-lethal methods, regulating better, and getting that information out to the public.
Sneha: I definitely agree with what Ella said. It’s all about education, first and foremost. A lot of people don’t know what’s going on because it’s so hidden. The numbers that Idaho Fish and Game are putting out are not accurate, so it’s all about pushing for that transparency. We, as the public, should know what is happening to our wildlife, how it is being regulated, so let’s start there. From there, let’s not just focus on science; let’s start talking about solutions using science. We need to act now, and that’s the biggest push. We’re asking for our federal government to step in. At this point, we’ve seen that our states cannot responsibly handle the situation—they’re profiting off of this—and it’s time for the federal government to step in. Listen to youth voices, and people advocating for them. Don’t silence them. We have the Wood River Wolf Project, so let’s implement more of those techniques. I think that’s our biggest push: educate the public and become more transparent with what’s going on.
Question: Why did you feel you needed to bring your voice to the rally in DC?
Ella: Because we’re in Idaho, you can mention the word wolf, and no one has to say anything, but you’re subject to the same hatred that wolves receive. So, going to DC was like this big deal—we are going to find our wolf pack, per se; we’re going to find people that agree. So, taking that risk of talking to the important people in the federal government was a great experience. Idaho’s very nonchalant about it, and they don’t really care. They look at us like these young kids who don’t know what they’re talking about, but in DC, they treated us like adults; they treated us like our voices had the same value as theirs no matter what their opinions were. It was good to get out there further in the wolf advocacy world.
Sneha: I kept saying in DC, “We have found our wolf pack.” It was all about getting people from across the United States mobilized to show that there’s this community out there that cares for the wolves, and we want change to happen now. It was not some performative activism; this was us using the power of our democracy, the power of our voices, to be like, “You know what, if you aren’t going to come and listen to us, we will come to you. We have the right to come to you, and we are your constituents. Your job is to voice what we deem important, and what we want to see in our communities is why we elected you, so listen to us and take action.” Everything that we did was super respectful, and I appreciate everybody who gave their time to meet with us. It was nice to see people on the same side as us, and it was good to share our thoughts with people who don’t necessarily have the same views as us. It was a great experience, and hopefully, we will see them take some action.
Question: I heard that you both spoke to a crowd of around 200 people. That’s amazing! Can you tell me about that experience? What takeaways do you hope people left with?
Ella: Everyone was coming up to us and saying, “Oh, that must have been so hard for you, talking in front of this many people,” but we were both saying the whole time that we go and talk at Idaho Fish and Game meetings where it could be just seven men there who don’t believe in what we have to say. It’s infinitely easier to talk to 200 people who are cheering and clapping in between what you’re saying, and you can feel the energy rise. Every single speaker, not just us, had that energy about them—like every time someone would say something, everyone else would just cheer, so it was this great feeling of “we are all in this together.”
It was interesting for people to come up to us and say, “Oh my gosh, you’re from Idaho! That’s crazy. You have wolves in your state.” And we’re like, “Yeah, we have wolves in our state and that’s why we’re here. Because we grew up around wildlife, we don’t want future generations to not have that and for that not to be accessible.” People were stunned that we were able to talk, but I think for both of us, it was a breeze compared to what we do here.
I think closing out the whole rally was very powerful in the sense that we are youth activists, and so we are that next step in the future. Everyone else spoke on their many years of life experience and what they’ve been doing for the last few decades. We don’t have that, but we are the steppingstone to the future—it is our future. I think that ending it off with us speaking was not only powerful for us, but I think it was just powerful as a whole. We brought that light to the fact that we are youth, and we deserve to be heard. We’re not silenced anymore. It’s coming to the point where we are going to DC and putting in the same effort as others. Our voices were heard, and I think that’s really a powerful thing.
Sneha: It was so natural. What we were saying came straight from the heart. It was just a great experience. I feel like we left on a note of hope. Ella and I are going to continue this fight. That note of hope was a positive touch at the end and really inspiring. I’m so grateful we got the chance to do that, and that rally was eye-opening. We saw so many amazing people, so many different organizations, so many careers. I met a lady who was a pediatric EMT. I was like, “This is so insane—like this is exactly what I want to do—a physician advocate who’s still doing her job in medicine and still involved with the environment.” Seeing someone like that was super eye-opening. I’ve never seen that before, and I felt like I had found my person.
Then seeing people of all ages—there were high school students, college students, adults, and elderly people—was just this beautiful, beautiful community of powerful people.
Being in this advocacy space can be really tough at times. Like Ella said, in Idaho, you are faced with a lot of hate, which is super unfortunate, and it can take a toll on you. Also, just thinking about eco-anxiety in general—that’s one of the biggest things that our generation faces. Being able to do something, to take action, fills us with a sense of hope, so it was a really powerful experience. I’m just so immensely grateful.
Question: What advice would you give to other students or young people who are passionate about wildlife conservation and wolves that want to get involved?
Ella: I would say just show up. At this reception that we went to, where we had to speak, there were these two boys around our age, and they were like, “How do you get into this kind of stuff—you were just high schoolers.” We said, “Just show up,” and they laughed. Sneha and I looked at each other like, “No, we’re serious—literally just show up.” They were like, “Well, why? What will that do?” We said, “It will open up so many opportunities for you.” They were taken aback by that—that it was as simple as just showing up. In reality, that’s how we started. We showed up to TREE Club one day, started showing up to Idaho Fish and Game meetings, and showing up to wolf depredation control board meetings. That’s how you start making connections and finding your passions. Truly, it is as easy as just showing up.
You don’t have to be a public speaker from day one—it’s like learning anything else. Because you hold that passion, it’s so much easier to show up. You want to be there, you’re with like-minded people, and even when you’re not, your voices are being heard whether they want to hear you or not. When you’re around people who don’t agree with you, your presence is equally as important. People are going to think in their heads, “Who is this young person?”
It’s not one size fits all; there are many different careers and paths you could take, but everyone you meet along the way will help you get to where you want to be. Another important thing is using your platforms to educate people. Even if it’s just like, “Oh, I see this Instagram story, I’m going to repost it.” You’re getting the educational outreach out there on a level that works for you. I really think that showing up is the biggest thing you can do and not being afraid to do so. You’re going to struggle at some points, but you will find people along the way to help you.
Sneha: I think Ella did a great job saying “show up”—that’s a huge thing. Just be present in the moment, sign up for orgs, and get involved in whatever your school is doing. Just putting yourself in that situation is that first step.
On campus, I’m part of UTD Student Government on their Green Initiative Committee. I’m always telling people, “Sign up! This is a great way you can make change in your school at a local level.”
Another thing is to be curious and ask questions. When I first started getting into the environmental movement, I felt insecure. I was like, “I don’t know all these things. I don’t know all these laws and I don’t know what they mean. I’m just a kid. What am I supposed to do?” That’s the beauty of this movement: there are people to help you. The more you put yourself in these situations and ask questions, the more you will learn.
On top of that, social media is a powerful tool. Follow organizations that you support, like IWCN. IWCN puts out great stuff. Take part in petitions, call your senators, and contact your elected officials. People tend to put those people on a high and mighty platform. Yes, they are in a position of power, but they got that position of power because they were elected by people like you. Call them, voice your concerns to them. That’s what I really learned in high school.
Another group I was a part of did postcards for salmon, so we sent postcards to Governor Little. You can do that—you may not be able to vote—I couldn’t vote at that time—but I was still able to show him what I cared about as a student. That is super powerful.
This journey is for everybody. Coming from someone who’s a pre-med student, it is not just for people who are interested in going into law or environmental engineering. There are so many fields, and environmental justice intersects with so many different career paths. That’s what we’re really trying to stress with IWCN’s Youth Council that’s coming out. We want artists to use the power of art. It connects people in ways languages can’t, and it is so unique. We need someone with a creative mind to come up with innovative solutions. You are more than welcome to join in this movement. All these issues involve everybody, whether you want to be involved or not, so we want artists, engineers, healthcare students, politacal science students. Just bring your passions and figure out how you can mold them for this movement. What makes this movement so unique is that it intersects with so many things, and you’re always learning, you’re always growing.
Another thing I want to end this off with is to take care of yourself. In high school, one project I was working on was getting the Boise School District to commit to 100% clean energy. We were doing press releases, being interviewed by the media, and this stuff was getting posted on Facebook. Unfortunately, there are people out there who will say hurtful things about what you’re doing and may not agree with it. Those comments can be pretty hurtful but know why you’re doing this and surround yourself with people who care for you and practice self-care. Not a lot of people talk about how it can be difficult, and change can be slow in this movement a lot of times, which is a little upsetting. Just remember to take care of yourself. It’s all about collective action, and you might feel the pressure of the whole world on your shoulders but know that you have a community
