Young environmental journalists from six nations share vision for planet’s future amid global crises

A new generation of environmental reporters is speaking out about the mounting challenges facing our planet, offering both sobering assessments and hopeful perspectives in a compelling new series called “Letters to the Future.”

The 2025 cohort of Mongabay’s Y. Eva Tan Conservation Reporting Fellows—emerging journalists from Malaysia, India, Colombia, Brazil, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of Congo—have penned deeply personal reflections on environmental journalism, conservation efforts, and what the future holds for their generation. These aren’t abstract policy discussions, but intimate accounts rooted in each fellow’s direct experiences within their home communities and shaped by six months of intensive fellowship training.

What emerges from this collection is both the remarkable diversity of environmental challenges across the Global South and the surprising common ground shared by these young voices. From deforestation in the Amazon to wildlife conservation in Central Africa, from climate impacts in Southeast Asia to environmental justice issues across multiple continents, these fellows are witnessing—and reporting on—the frontlines of our planetary crisis.

Their letters reveal not just the scope of environmental degradation they’re documenting, but also their evolving understanding of journalism’s role in conservation and community advocacy. As they launch their careers, these reporters are uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between local environmental realities and global awareness, bringing fresh perspectives to stories that will define their generation’s relationship with the natural world.

The series offers readers rare insight into how the next generation of environmental journalists views both the challenges ahead and their responsibility to tell these critical stories.