From eligible ‘Bachelor’ to global conservationist: A conversation with Blake Moynes

My colleagues chuckled as I walked into the office exclaiming that there was “nothing like a post-interview high” one afternoon in July. My conversation with Blake Moynes had been full of energy. Blake’s passion for conservation was palpable, which is why it was no surprise to learn about the community of activists and educators that have rallied behind him and his organization, The SOSA (Save Our Species Alliance).

Blake talks about the moment in 2018 when he found out from TIME magazine that the last male northern white rhino, named Sudan, had died. I remember that story, and it stuck with me too. A species that had lived on the planet for more than 50 million years was suddenly doomed—not able to survive the impact that humanity has had on our planet. I felt guilt, remorse, and resentment. At what point had we forgotten about nature?

I spoke to Blake about The SOSA and why he believes that through the power of community and storytelling, we can together spark positive change.

Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Clairissa: Bring me back to where it began. Where did the obsession with protecting endangered species come from?

Blake: I felt shocked after learning that Sudan had passed away. I loved dinosaurs as a kid, and to me, rhinos resemble modern-day dinosaurs: They are prehistoric and powerful. I immediately became obsessed with the poaching crisis. In 2019, I booked a one-way ticket to South Africa to volunteer with Care for Wild, the world’s largest rhino sanctuary, which is on a mission to restore and protect free-ranging rhinos. On the first day I thought, “This is so cool,” but then there was a sad moment when I realized why those animals were here. It opened my eyes to many different issues.

Clairissa: The SOSA wasn’t formally launched till 2023. Tell me about the time between your trip to South Africa and the first SOSA project.

Blake: In 2020, I ended up on season 16 of “The Bachelorette” and was filming for about a year and a half. I posted a couple different things related to rhinos to my growing social media following, and funding started coming in for organizations. I thought, “Wow, there’s something to using social media platforms to help the voiceless.”

From there, it sparked. I enrolled in online wildlife courses to better understand—and therefore be able to speak about—wildlife management and anti-poaching efforts. I also started making trips to meet with organizations and see how I could help those on the front line with their campaigns and funding efforts.

At the time, I was doing things solely as myself. Eventually, I realized there’s only so much I could do as “just Blake.” I needed to get more people involved. So I brought all the different partners I worked with into one place and put a more formal business model around what I was already doing. The result was The SOSA, and our first project was in September 2023.

Clairissa: In a past interview, you said, “Humans have lost respect for nature, even though we’re dependent on it.” How does this relate to The SOSA’s work?

Blake: I recently had conversations with the David Suzuki Foundation about how nature-related policies are made and who the current decision-makers are. Why do we still not have the people who truly understand and respect nature more than anybody in the world—such as First Nations communities—around the table? There are still communities that truly rely on the land, and tapping into their expertise could bring a sustainable, realistic, and holistic approach to the management of resources.

As the climate catastrophe unfolds, we gradually get more and more reminders that we are not taking care of the planet in the way we should. But somehow that’s not enough for people to take this seriously. At some point a real big reminder will come—we’re just steps away—but unless we can change course, it may already be too late.

Clairissa: That’s a great segue to talk about the repercussions of biodiversity loss. Why should we care about the extinction list? How can we move people from passive sadness at the loss of species to activism?

Blake: When you talk about biodiversity loss, it’s not necessarily just about the extinction list. For example, habitat destruction pushes animals into communities and causes a variety of issues, including zoonotic diseases.

We are doing ourselves a disservice if we don’t take care of nature—which is the thing that is taking care of us. Let me offer an everyday example. Without bees and pollinators, the number of products in the grocery store might shrink to half the current size. Many of our key agricultural products exist only because we still have some staple keystone species that allow us to live the life we’re living right now.

Think of it like a Jenga puzzle. At the bottom of a Jenga puzzle, you have your keystone species. And if those are removed, everything can fall apart. Another example is our oceans: If you remove sharks, then our fisheries could collapse completely.

It’s hard for nonprofits and people like me and you to try and get through to people. How do we get governments on board? How do we make people understand that it all is interconnected? I don’t know how to do it. But The SOSA is one way that I’m trying to chip away at that problem.

Clairissa: Tell me about the trips that are hosted by The SOSA.

Blake: Every trip is a little different. The details depend on what’s feasible and the goals of the partnering organization, which could be about funding or gaining exposure. On expedition-based trips, the money raised might support something like field research or putting satellite tracking tags on certain animals.

For example, I wanted to understand what it’s like to be a ranger in the bush, so I completed an anti-poaching ranger certification through the Global Conservation Force (GCF). From that experience, we’ve been able to put together a program where people come out and see what goes on behind the scenes during ranger training. Once the administrative expenses are covered—such as lodging, transportation, meals, etc.—the net proceeds from the trip fee is directly donated to GCF. Participants see exactly how their money is being used, which makes it easier for people to justify that spending and also creates a long-lasting, supportive, and committed relationship with that organization.

Participants get that aha moment of, “Wow, this is what’s actually happening out here. I’m not sitting in a Jeep just taking pictures. I’m truly involved. I’m seeing how all these pieces are working behind the scenes to make these game reserves and these ecosystems function.” For example, during a recent trip we discovered that a lion needed to be collared due to a shift in predator dynamics in the reserve where we were based. We thought it was important for participants to see that process, so we provided funding to buy the collar and cover the vet expenses, and our participants were able to observe.

Clairissa: How do your trips differ from standard ecotourism, which sometimes is met with accusations of greenwashing?

Blake: Our trips are each connected with a nonprofit organization, often with the founder or leader being involved as a trip cohost. And the details are guided by the mission of that organization. It’s almost as though our participants are working for the nonprofit, because they are involved in the daily activities. This isn’t a leisurely tourist trip run by a random tour operator. Our participants are immersed in the actual work with wildlife and connected to the professionals who do it.

This can mean that activities day to day are a bit messy compared to the way some ecotours operate. On the recent GCF trip, for example, we needed to track and locate different animals: a rhino and a lioness. We scheduled to work with each one on specific days, but we couldn’t find the lioness and so we had to pivot. Participants leave with a real understanding of the work being done. I think that’s why our trips book up so quickly.

Clairissa: What about once everyone says goodbye—what happens then?

Blake: The community of conservationist that we’ve formed is amazing. Our trip return rate is 60 percent, and some participants have already been on four trips, with their fifth trip already booked. People end up becoming really close. Funnily enough, a group from our latest GCF trip flew to Canada for a reunion, and we’re all having dinner tonight. We’re doing more than conservation. We’re also building friendships—which is what happens when you share work that you’re passionate about.

Clairissa: Have you been able to measure your impact?

Blake: It’s a work in progress as our internal teams start to grow. Currently, I’m wearing a lot of hats, but once we have more people in place our goal is to start measuring our impact. We want to be able to share this with people who went on the trips, but also to show partners the potential of what we can do for their organizations and for wildlife.

Clairissa: Is there a project that has gone particularly well?

Blake: Yeah, again, I think it depends on how you want to measure success, but I would say that our most successful campaign working with a nonprofit wasn’t actually a trip. It was a video project that I worked on with the David Suzuki Foundation.

We put together a series of videos that were bringing light to the drastically declining population of boreal caribou in the boreal forests due to deforestation up in Canada, where I’m based. The government is trying to the blame wolves, which is the most ridiculous thing ever. As part of the video, we visited a First Nation community that lives there and depends on the caribou. Between the video and the interview, we collected more than $1 million for the community members. That’s a testament to how important it is to raise awareness of these stories.

Clairissa: What are simple things people can do to advocate for conservation and protecting biodiversity?

Blake: Don’t hesitate to sign petitions. There are ongoing petitions on many issues, and not always on the other side of the world. The trans-Alaska oil pipeline is one example very close to home. Sign them. You’re protecting and investing in your future and your kids’ future by doing these small things.

Start following social media accounts that speak to important issues. You could, for example, start by advocating for a specific animal and trying to raise awareness. An insane number are on the list of threatened species, and all of them are in need.

Clairissa: We’ve covered a lot of ground. What do you want to leave readers with?

Blake: When things are functioning well, nature provides for us free of charge. It takes care of our water, our soil, our health. Humanity cannot fill nature’s shoes.

Behind the scenes

This interview is part of LEFF’s Into the Weeds interview series—a series that amplifies individuals whose work contributes to the achievement of the SDGs at every level. We’ll be bringing you insights from renowned experts and the leaders of global organizations and innovative local businesses. Clairissa Myatt (she/her) is the manager of LEFF Sustainability Group, for which Katie Parry (she/her) is the director.

Comments and opinions expressed by interviewees are their own and do not represent or reflect the opinions, policies, or positions of LEFF or have its endorsement.