If you are looking to support charities working on ocean health and conservation, we have compiled our Give List on Marine Ecology and Conservation.

For any help on setting up a giving fund to support marine and environmental conservation, get in touch with APS.

Hosted by Kate Stone, Australian Philanthropic Services (APS) Head of Philanthropic Giving, the conversation features Margie Jenkin, Environmental Program Manager at the AEGN; Dr Katharina Peters, marine biologist and founder of Marine Vertebrate Ecology (MAVE) Lab; and Michael Walton, APS client and founder of the Wild Country Environmental Fund.

In this webinar, you’ll hear:

• Whale origin stories: Our guest marine biologist Dr Katharina shares how a childhood spent watching Flipper and Free Willy sparked a lifelong dream that took her from landlocked Germany to a career studying whales in Australia, while our guest philanthropist Michael recounts the unforgettable moment a minke whale lifted his kayak from beneath the ice in Antarctica, the encounter that sealed his passion for ocean conservation.
• The State of Whales Today: Dr Katharina breaks down how whales serve as indicators of overall ocean health. While the end of commercial whale hunting has allowed humpback whale populations to recover, population numbers alone don’t tell the whole story. Factors like body size, reproduction rates, stress levels, and pollution exposure all play a role in true whale health.
• Climate Change & Ocean Phenomena: The conversation also took a closer look at how climate change intersects with El Niño, La Niña, and other oceanic-atmospheric patterns, and what this means for marine ecosystems

To close, the panelists encouraged sharing more philanthropy stories to inspire greater giving, grow the conversation around ocean conservation, and find optimism in the next generation of young people passionate about learning and protecting the environment.