Maya Higa is probably best known for her animal sanctuary Alveus. Now, her hard work got recognized by National Geographic.
Maya Higa built her animal sanctuary Alveus in Texas and over the years it has grown a lot. Her sanctuary's Twitch channel is always live-streaming the rescued animals going about their day or even just sleeping. She frequently invites other YouTubers and streamers to come over and learn about animal conservation. Now, she officially partnered with National Geographic.
Using Her Platform For Good
Many YouTubers and streamers (including MrBeast, Emiru, KatieB etc.) have visited Maya's sanctuary and learned about animal conservation, the reasons the animals (or ambassadors as she calls them) are even there in the first place and more. While teaching people, it was clear that one of her goals was to spread awareness for these issues. But one thing also became clear very quickly: What matters most to her is not the content, it's the animals.
Her Twitch stream as well as her YouTube channel seem to be a big help in funding the sanctuary, given that it is a non-profit organization. And since she is so intertwined with the online community, over time, she managed to expand the sanctuary more and more, now including a Research and Recovery Institute. Maya explains:
"We have expanded and we are developing an entirely new facility with two goals: species recovery and advancing conservation technology."
Now, her hard work is getting recognized on an even larger level.
Part Of The National Geographic Creator Cohort
National Geographic, the widely known Magazine and documentary filmmakers, now added Maya and seven other creators to their new creator cohort. And being able to partner with National Geographic seems to mean a lot to Maya. In her Instagram post announcing the news, she said:
"This is truly a dream come true. [National Geographic] has meant so much to me throughout my life"
The comments under her post are flooded with positive feedback and support, many of them agreeing that she is very deserving of that recognition. According to National Geographic, we will see what exactly this partnership means in the following few months.