Hi! I’m Stephanie Martin
I’m an Environmental Communicator, primarily working in social media, presenting, podcasting, and writing.
I also provide Social Media Management, Website Design, and Brand Development services for environmentally minded organisations and individuals.
My Story
I’ve cared about the environment for as long as I can remember…
…which led to me inevitably pursuing a career in environmental research.
After 2 years of study in Australia, a research internship in the Peruvian Amazon, a BSc in Biosciences, 1 year at an academic publishers, and an MRes in Tropical Forest Ecology… I eventually came to the realisation that scientific research was not my calling!
It finally dawned on me that pursuing a research career was preventing me from doing what I really loved: inspiring people to care about the natural world so that they want to take action to protect it.
This has led to me spending the last 6 years working in the field of environmental communications. My past work has included giving talks and leading workshops at zoos, coordinating conservation events, and creating social media content for environmentally aligned brands.
I set up Step(h) into Nature as a brand to consolidate all of my science communication activities, including blogging, making YouTube videos, and collaborating with other incredible science communicators and eco-conscious businesses through social media.
Since then, I have gone on to develop and co-host a nature podcast, performed at live events, and grown my online reach significantly.
As I continued to develop my skills and gain more experience in the online space, I realised that something was wrong. There are so many new and exciting businesses led by environmentally minded individuals sprouting up, but their online presence is often lacking. Websites can be clunky and outdated, branding doesn’t align with their mission, and social media seems to be an afterthought.
The result? Fantastic businesses that could have a real impact on how we perceive and interact with nature, either by living more sustainably, embracing the outdoors, or just learning more about our natural environments, that are falling flat with their audience and failing to generate the revenue or engagement needed to keep things growing.
That’s where I come in!
By combining my environmental science background with my skills and experience in social media and design, I help eco-conscious individuals and brands develop an online presence that truly reflects who they are and what they are trying to achieve. I do this through:
1) Freelance social media management on Instagram and TikTok
2) Building attractive, functional, and user-friendly websites (like this one!)
3) Developing branding that reflects the core of each business and business-owner
Latest Episode:
Planty Planty Zoo Zoo is a fantastical imaginary zoo and botanic gardens dreamed up by podcast hosts Steph and Connor and described here, on the ridiculous plant (and zoo)-based podcast Planty Planty Zoo Zoo, two species at a time.
Connor oversees the zoo, and Steph looks after the botanic gardens. Each week, they take turns adding one new species of animal and plant to Planty Planty Zoo Zoo.
Upcoming appearances:
20th October, 2024 – Me and Connor Davies will be taking to the stage once more with An Evening of Unnecessary Detail, part of the Festival of the Spoken Nerd, this time at The Royal Institution in London! We will be taking the audience on a worldwide whirlwind tour of plants and animals. Don’t worry if you can’t make it in person, you can buy pay-what-you-can afford tickets to watch the livestream online!
23rd October 2024 - Me and Connor Davies will be attending the Independent Podcast Awards 2024 event in London, as our nature podcast, Planty Planty Zoo Zoo, has been nominated for an award in two categories!: (1) Educational: Environment & Natural World, and (2) Science & Technology. Win or lose, we are just thrilled to have been shortlisted, and we can’t wait for an amazing night celebrating everyone’s wins!
past appearances
Live events
July 2024 - Me and Connor took Planty Planty Zoo Zoo podcast to Global Birdfair again, recording live episodes and leading nature-themed movement workshops for children.
March 2024 - Me and Connor took our nature podcast, Planty Planty Zoo Zoo, live on the main stage at the Bristol Beacon as part of Festival of the Spoken Nerd’s Evening of Unnecessary detail. We explored the interconnectedness of plants and animals by taking the audience on a rapid world tour!
July 2023 - Me and Connor recorded live Planty Planty Zoo Zoo podcast episodes at Global Birdfair. We were lucky enough to interview wildlife TV presenter Ajay Tegala, BTO Youth Ambassador Mya Bambrick, and Natalie and Sarah from the Birda birdwatching app team!
podcast guest appearances
November 2023 - Steph and Jen talk about how intellectual gatekeeping can discourage everyday people from participating in furthering their own learning and why it's important to make the stories of science accessible and meet people where they're at.
August 2022 - Steph joins Jack as they share their experiences with writing stories, telling myths and legends and speaking more scientifically. They also chat about how they make sure that they tell stories in a way that is respectful and culturally sensitive. Finally, they highlight some of the stories which mean the most to Steph. These include fortress conservation, parachute conservation, mismanagement of land in the UK, and Seagulls and pigeons!
September 2020 - In this episode, I talk with scientist and science communicator Stephanie Martin about a topic near and dear to her heart – barriers to entry in the field of wildlife biology.
November 2018 - We talked to Stephanie Martin, a Tropical Rainforest Ecologist. So listen in to hear about Stephanie’s field research in rainforests around the world, as well as what individuals can do to aid in conservation efforts. Stephanie works to help preserve endemic species, plants and animals that exist only in one geographic region. Also, we talk about the ethics of ethnobotany and a recent World Wildlife Fund study on extinction levels.
Organisations i’ve worked with
blog posts
ENVIRONMENTAL CAREERS ~ CLIMATE ACTION ~ GREEN MARKETING ~ NATURE TRAVEL ~ SCIENCE COMMUNICATION
let’s connect on socials!
instagram feed
The river Frome has wound its way inconspicuously beneath the streets of Bristol’s city centre since the 19th century, when it was bricked over for urban development. Despite being once vital to the city’s success in industries like milling and tanning, the hiding of the river from public view has trickled down through the centuries into its absence from the public consciousness.