In this episode of Creative women, leading change, hosts Mirjana Arlaud and Shea Karssing sit down with Farwiza Farhan, a forest conservationist working to protect, conserve and restore the Leuser Ecosystem in Sumatra, Indonesia — one of the last places on Earth where rhinos, tigers, elephants and orangutans still roam together in the wild.
What does it take to keep fighting for something when the problem feels bigger than any one person?
For Farwiza, the answer lies in curiosity, community, and determination. Her journey into conservation began with a childhood love of nature, but over the years she realised that protecting forests isn't just about science or wildlife. It's about people, justice, inclusion and bringing more voices into the movement.
Together, they explore what it means to protect an ecosystem that is alive in every sense, what local communities can teach us about sustainability, and why the people living closest to environmental consequences are so often missing from the decisions that affect them.
Farwiza also opens up about the challenges of being a woman in conservation, from sexism and intimidation to the pressure of having to prove your credibility over and over again. She shares what keeps her going through burnout and difficult days — and why making space for joy is just as important as acknowledging suffering.
This is a conversation about conservation, but also about leadership, resilience, solidarity and the power of falling in love with the world we're trying to change.
Because sometimes creating change means being stubborn enough not to give up — and curious enough to keep falling in love with what you're fighting for.
Episode highlights
- How a childhood encounter with a herd of elephants shaped Farwiza's relationship with nature
- What it feels like to experience the Leuser Ecosystem — a forest where “everywhere you look” is alive
- Why Farwiza believes conservation needs “inclusivity and storytelling”
- What environmental destruction teaches us about the connection between people and nature
- Why the voices closest to environmental consequences are often missing from decision-making
- What local communities have taught Farwiza about sustainability
- The challenges and unexpected strengths of being a woman in conservation
- How to keep going when progress feels too slow
- Why curiosity is one of the most important things each of us can bring to protecting the planet
- And why, ultimately, “we would not protect something that we do not love.”
Quotes by Farwiza
“What conservation movement really needs is inclusivity and storytelling.”
“We are not separate from nature and conservation is not separate from people and communities.”
“Everywhere you look, every sense that you use will show you that this entire forest is alive.”
“Women hold so much knowledge.”
“We don't have to suffer all the time.”
“Just be as stubborn as you possibly could. Don't give up.”
“We would not protect something that we do not love.”
“Be curious... but do something.”
Resources & actions from this episode
- Learn more about grassroots environmental organisation HAkA
- Read Farwiza's recommended books: We Will Not Be Saved by Nemonte Nenquimo and Mitch Anderson, Fresh Banana Leaves by Jessica Hernandez, Unbowed by Wangari Maathai, and Change Starts Now by Melati Wijsen
- Ask → Whose voice is missing from the decisions being made around you?
- Challenge yourself → Be curious about an issue you care about, then find one concrete thing you can do
