Why Connection Moves Us to Act

In the latest episode of Wild Connection, I talked with Dr. András Hárs, an international law scholar who specializes in the United Nations, peacekeeping, and accountability. On the surface, these topics might sound far removed from conservation or climate. But our conversation revealed just how connected they are. The UN was in the news about two weeks ago and when that happens, the news usually isn’t great. However, it inspired me because the truth is that the UN’s role isn’t just about politics or security.

Conflicts unfold in landscapes that includes forests, rivers, and savannas that provide homes for countless other species, never mind resources we too depend on. When conflict erupts the consequences are felt by wildlife and people alike.

During the podcast, András walked me through a number of issues from how peacekeeper misconduct erodes trust to how the UN struggles with accountability. Then, we turned our attention to why environmental considerations are often sidelined during peace operations (though that may be changing). We talked about endangered western lowland gorillas in the Central African Republic, whose survival is threatened not only by poaching and deforestation but by the instability that keeps conservation programs and ecotourism from functioning.

For me, I often consider if peace is only about people and doesn’t include the environment, it isn’t sustainable. It’s like how I think about conservation. We cannot save other species without also thinking about the humans that co-exist next to them. Yet herein lies the challenge. Even when we know these things, when the data are clear and the urgency is real people don’t always act. From watching genocides unfold to species extinctions, we have collectively failed more times than we would like to admit.

There is a psychology explanation for this. First, motivating people into action is hard. It’s especially difficult when the problems are enormous. And what is bigger and feels harder to tackle than climate change, biodiversity loss, plastic pollution, and conflict that destabilizes entire regions? In addition, what we often label “apathy” is more accurately understood as cognitive fatigue or a lack of perceived efficacy. People aren’t indifferent per se, we’re exhausted. Our brains are protecting us from too much emotional overload (especially over things we don’t feel we have any control over). This leads to not believing that small actions will make any difference against large, complex problems.

When this happens, we feel powerless, and we disengage. And that’s why I’ve come to believe the solution isn’t more information. It’s more connection. How to we create that connection? Stories. For millennia, humans have shared knowledge, warnings, and wisdom not through bullet points or datasets, or tweets, but through narratives that evoke emotion and memory. Research backs this up. Emotional engagement and feeling connected to a story, a place, or another individual (be person or animal) is one of the strongest predictors of action. People act when something feels personal, when it becomes part of their own story.

That’s why I embraced Wild Connection as a concept or philosophy. It was the title of my first book and ironically, I didn’t connect with it at all. I begrudgingly accepted it and now am so glad I did because it encapsulates what my mission has always been: bridge the gap of understanding between ourselves and other species. Why? Because we simply will not care about something we can’t relate to. This isn’t just theory for me. It’s something I’ve seen repeatedly in the field.

I’ve spent years studying animal behavior from prairie dogs on the grasslands of the U.S. to now mountain gorillas in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.

In both species, I’ve seen how subtle behaviors like grooming, touch, and shared vigilance build trust and cohesion. These are the glue that holds groups together, enabling them to survive challenges. Then, when I share the stories of individual animals, a gorilla mom going to great lengths to protect her child or a prairie dog boldly facing danger and not taking any shit from a rattlesnake, something shifts. Their lives suddenly feel familiar to us: family bonds, loss, resilience, even joy. And in that moment of recognition, we connect. And when we connect, we care. It’s the same between us. Connection, trust, and care are what allow communities, local or global, to act collectively. Without it, even the most urgent information falls flat.

So how can we bridge the gap between knowing and doing?

The takeaway is breathtakingly simple but far from easy. If you want to move people to act, don’t just give them reasons or facts. Give them a relationship to care about. That relationship can be to a gorilla family in Bwindi, a river in your hometown, or even a principle like accountability. But it must feel alive, immediate, and personal. Beyond getting people to care, what else can you actually do?

András and I wrapped up the episode with concrete, practical things you can do. Your actions don’t have to be big, you just have to begin. Here are a few ideas:

Support Conservation & Peace Efforts Globally

• Learn more about the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

• Volunteer with or donate to NGOs working at the intersection of environment and human well-being (WWF, International Crisis Group, or region-specific gorilla conservation programs).

Act Locally

• Join a local conservation or climate action group. Or any group you care about.

• Reduce your ecological footprint by planting pollinator gardens, minimizing single-use plastics, or support regenerative agriculture projects.

Use Your Voice & Platform

• Share stories, not just statistics. Talk about the connections you see between people and the natural world.

• Follow Wild Connection on Instagram and YouTube.

• Support our work at www.wildconnection.org so we can keep building bridges between science, storytelling, and action.

Peace, sustainability, and conservation are not separate struggles. They are the same struggle. And whether we’re talking about gorillas in Central Africa, students in Kazakhstan, or neighborhoods in your own city, the same principle holds. Feeling connected is what makes collective action possible. Stories that connect us, inspire us, and remind us that the future is something we build together.

This piece first appeared on Wild Connection Substack, where I share essays and stories about conservation, connection, and action.