Eugenio Fernández is a veterinarian with experience in animal welfare and wildlife conservation. He has worked in several sanctuaries and zoological parks and currently serves as Head of Communications for the association Avafes Nacional. He also shares educational content on social media through the project @Capithecus, an initiative that aims to raise awareness about our relationship with wild fauna.
During his talk, he will share his experience with social media and its impact on wildlife observation. These digital platforms, now deeply integrated into our daily lives, have democratized and brought birdwatching and wildlife observation closer to a much wider audience in recent years. As our digital presence has grown, it is only natural that this hobby and its dissemination have increasingly moved into online spaces.
However, the algorithms that govern social media platforms tend to concentrate collective attention on a limited number of species, locations, and experiences, amplifying some of the impacts associated with wildlife observation, especially among occasional visitors.
What lessons can the birdwatching community offer to help us understand, deconstruct, and mitigate these effects? Can we transform social media into spaces that encourage curiosity, learning, and a diversity of experiences, rather than turning biodiversity into the backdrop for personal branding and competition?
A conference that invites collective reflection and seeks to create a space that promotes more responsible social, touristic, and environmental connectivity, grounded in good practices and ethical wildlife observation.
