Social media, specifically Instagram, has changed so much since its inception in 2010. Today, thousands of people use the platform to spread news and stand up for their political and social beliefs. By widely disseminating information and sharing their own perspectives, they make environmental movements more accessible and help you bring these issues to your local communities.

Are you interested in learning more about environmental activism and want to support more activists? Are you unsure where to focus your attention and want to narrow in on your own environmental justice work? Whether their content touches on conservation, food waste, or deforestation, all the accounts below intersect their environmental activism with human rights and equity. And more often than not, they balance their rightful anger with a healthy dose of optimism. Here is a list of 10 environmental activists that educate, inspire, and provoke change. Check out their Instagram accounts below, give them a follow, and start sharing their posts to raise awareness.

@PattieGonia (he/she/they)

PattieGonia is one of my favorite activists to follow. This account is run by a queer environmentalist who is building a community around climate change and bringing the drag community outdoors. They are all about inclusion and strongly believe that the outdoors is made for every person on the planet.

Follow PattieGonia for fun content that is entertaining and educational about what we can do to create a welcome environment and protect our planet.

@gretathunberg - Greta Thunberg

Greta Thunberg’s fame rose during the U.N. Climate Action Summit when she blatantly said “How dare you?” in questioning world leaders for not protecting our natural world. You can watch the speech here.

Her Instagram content highlights the causes she supports and how she fights for a better world. She and Donald Trump also have some quite entertaining tweet battles that I highly recommend looking into.

This climate justice activist is going places.

@sustainably_vegan - Immy Lucas (she/her)

Immy Lucas talks about all things sustainable and low waste. Her Instagram educates about veganism, recipes, as well as sustainable fashion. Go to her feed for the food and stay for the amazing photos of her camping across Scotland.

@honnoldfoundation - Alex Honnold

Alex Honnold is a famous climber who is most well known for his ascent of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park without the safety of ropes. You can watch the documentary, Free Solo, on DisneyPlus. What not everyone knows about is his foundation—the Honnold Foundation. The Honnold Foundation promotes solar energy for a more equitable world. They receive applications for grants and pick projects to fund to better the world. In Cambodia, for instance, the foundation helped to fund a solar panel installation for a floating hospital.

@melaninbasecamp

This account highlights people of color in the outdoors. The account educates its followers on privilege, bystanders, policing, exploitation, racism in the outdoors, and more. Follow this account to learn more about underrepresented communities doing amazing things in the great outdoors.

@unlikelyhikers

This is another great account highlighting underrepresented communities in the outdoors. The account focuses on people of size, people of color, LGBTQ, non-binary, indigenous, and many more communities. They work hard to create a warm and welcoming environment for all people of this planet to enjoy the outdoors and embrace differences. They also run a great podcast that talks about similar issues and recently launched a partnership with Merrell to create some epic-looking hiking boots.

@autumn.peltier

This account is run by Anishinaabe-kwe who is a member of the Wikwemikong First Nation. She is best known for he activism for clean water and is nicknamed the “water warrior.” She is also the Chief Water Commissioner for the Anishinabek Nation @anishinabeknation. She has done some amazing work to advocate for clean water, and her account is nothing but inspiring.

@greengirlleah - Leah Thomas (she/her)

According to her past Instagram bio, she is “just tryna make climate justice fetch and spread radical joy.” Sounds like hard work. Leah Thomas’ account educates the public on the importance of intersectionality and environmentalism, and she also recently wrote a book, The Intersectional Environmentalist, that I personally loved. She has partnered with some amazing brands to promote her message—including Hoka. She promotes living sustainably and offers some great tips on getting started.

@Toritsui_ - Tori Tsui (she/they)

Tori Tsui is a Eurasian activist, writer, and advocate for intersectional climate justice education. They run a podcast called Bad Activist Podcast that discusses climate change, feminism, environmentalism and intersectionalism, queer rights, and more.

What is a Bad Activist? According to Tori, a bad activist is one who continuously evaluates the self, seeks to disrupt spaces and systems that lack intersectionality, and takes responsibility. Want to learn more? Head on over to Instagram and give Tori Tsui a follow to see her incredibly honest conversations about mental health and climate injustices.

@vanessanakate1 - Vanessa Nakate

Found of @amillionactiviststories, Vanessa began a strike against inaction on the climate crisis in 2019 by herself. After months of protesting by herself outside the Parliament of Uganda, other youth began to join her and followed her social media activism. Specifically, they focused on the downfall of the Congolian rainforests. Vanessa spreads the word that the future of environmentalism is intersectionalism.

These are just a few amazing people and platforms that strive to educate, create a discussion, and continue to change the world we live in. Their activism spans topics like sustainability and anti-racism to water rights and social justice—these environmental defenders are fighting the good fight. I am so privileged and grateful to get to enjoy the natural world and all of its beauty, but not everyone can be so lucky. If you are looking to learn more and spread the word, follow these environmental activists to continue questioning our social norms and what we have taken for granted.