“My two older sisters and I collected starfish at the seashore, as many as we could,” she remembers.
Camille teaching kids about mangroves using underwater drones in her work with her nonprofit Oceanus · Oceanus
Turtles hatching during a day of Oceanus fieldwork. One of Oceanus’s aims is to sustain biodiversity so that Filipinos have increased food security · Oceanus
Camille diving down to monitor a coral reef, one of the ecosystems Oceanus hopes to conserve · Laura Schram
“I realized that the Philippines has so much potential. The West comes to us to discover a lot of marine biodiversity,” she explains. “It hit me that I can speak to different people of different backgrounds: government, foreigners, and communities.”
The ocean has always been part of Camille. She grew up in a mountainous area on Mindanao, in the southern Philippines, about an hour’s drive from the sea · Aoibheann Gillespie
Marine Conservation Philippines is a nonprofit dedicated to preserving and protecting coastal resources in the Philippines, including mangroves · Pol Carino
Camille estimates that she has planted more than 1,000 seedlings, alongside communities and volunteers, during her time working with Marine Conservation Philippines · Marine Conservation Philippines
Camille sharing her knowledge of ecotourism with community members · Jon Andrew Cabiles
“It’s only recently that mangroves are being considered important in our country because of carbon sequestration potential,” she says.
Mangrove forests are only recently being considered important in the Philippines thanks to their ability to take carbon out of the air. The country has a history of cutting them down to install aquaculture ponds for fish and shrimp farming · Camille Rivera
“When Western knowledge is being implemented, often local knowledge isn’t considered,” she notes. “We have to make sure that knowledge is respected.”
Camille wants local knowledge to be heeded every step of the way in mangrove restoration efforts · Marine Conservation Philippines
“It’s a nice feeling, being able to make a real impact,” she says.
A new 500-meter boardwalk in Camille’s region provided a platform for educational tours of the forests, and a sustainable form of income for the community · Marine Conservation Philippines
“To solve ocean issues, we have to include communities on the ground.”
A “Sonneratia alba” mangrove flower. Camille is just as enthusiastic about learning traditional names for mangrove types and subspecies as she is scientific ones · Camille Rivera
Camille recalls one woman community leader who fought off government officials who had come to offer incorrect advice about her local forests. The leader said steadfastly, “No, this is our home.”
Camille feels the necessity for more women, especially in the Philippines, to go into the marine sciences and communications · Emil Lars
“It’s amazing, but I’m kept on my toes,” she says. “I wake up every morning and feel like I’ve missed something, and I’m so scared of not doing what I need to do. That’s always my motivation to start working early!”
There is never a dull moment for Camille, who is hopeful that her conservation work is just the beginning of change in the Philippines · Ernst Noyons
