From fashion to farming: Skill-sharing across industries

Laura Jean Sargent and Filippa Harrington-Griffin are the founders of In Our Nature, an online platform dedicated to the research and documentation of examples of sustainable social and environmental change from all around the globe. Previous professionals within the fashion industry, Laura Jean and Filippa have taken to the road to share their PR, Marketing and Communications skills with initiatives that they truly believe in.
“The information we share as In Our Nature is accessible, relevant and digestible.  We strive to make it readable to both those with no prior knowledge in the field, and those with plenty.  It’s also very important to our ethos, to break-down any judgments or stereotypes that surround the sustainability and environmental action sphere and those that give a voice to it.”

Their journey started in Brazil, South America, in early August where they began visiting and volunteering for environmental, sustainable and agricultural projects in exchange for food and board. Whilst In Our Nature seek to travel and learn, what is unique about their approach is that they believe in, and practice, the equilibrium of skill sharing. As well as contributing diligently to the projects they visit, they also offer their practical, professional skills.

Creating an effective communications strategy and online presence is often a time-consuming and frustrating task for those even with some knowledge in the field. With a combined professional background in PR, marketing, communications and digital management, In Our Nature create websites as online marketing tools for projects that are in need of it and consult on effective communications initiatives that help a project reach a larger audience and gain the exposure they desperately need.

In their first two months on the road, they produced websites for Fazenda Santo Antonio da Agua Limpa, an organic coffee farm in Brazil, and Mama Roja, a sustainable living centre in Argentina. In line with their ethos, throughout their time with these projects they have shared what they have learned from these enthusiastic teachers through articles on their website and regular Twitter updates.

“We felt that if we could find a way to engage a new demographic and inspire them through the people we meet, projects we experience and stories we tell than we may just be able to get a few more people thinking about what they do, what they buy, what they eat… about altering their habits.  To inspire someone to think of the bigger picture, to evaluate their actions, just for a moment, would be a great step forward.”

As In Our Nature develops and continue to set-up the small farms with online presences of their own, they aim to facilitate these voices in gaining the exposure they deserve.  Step-by-step, they hope to challenge the content that dominates modern media.

In Our Nature hope to continue traveling throughout South America and the rest of the globe, practicing their skill-sharing values every step of the way. They aim for their journey to be mutually beneficial for all the projects and people they encounter and believe that cross-pollination is key. They are always looking for projects to both learn from and share their professional skills with.

If you like what their doing, please support them by visiting their website, following their social media (Facebook and Twitter or sharing In Our Nature with any organization of a similar ethos.

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