Through evocative and emotionally resonant visual storytelling, Justin Jin has contributed powerfully to WWF’s conservation work in both Madagascar and China. Commissioned by WWF offices in the USA, France, and China, Justin crafted compelling photo and text narratives that humanize urgent environmental challenges—such as mangrove loss and biodiversity threats—while spotlighting innovative, community-driven solutions.
His stories not only raise awareness but also inspire action, offering a bridge between local realities and global impact. Widely shared across WWF’s platforms and international media, his work has become a vital tool for engaging donors and stakeholders around the world.
Solar Mamas
In Madagascar, where 94% of the rural population lacks electricity, poverty forces many to cut down mangroves for firewood, endangering both their livelihoods and the fragile ecosystem. WWF launched an innovative solution: training grandmothers—who are deeply rooted in their communities—to install and maintain solar panels. This "Solar Mama" initiative is more than an energy revolution; it’s a story of resilience, empowerment, and environmental stewardship. WWF commissioned Justin to tell the story of this transformation through photography and writing. The work was published across WWF’s platforms and distributed externally through a joint media outreach between WWF and Justin, maximizing its impact.
A woman carrying her baby rushes home under the towering silhouettes of ancient baobab trees as the sun sets. With darkness comes danger—road accidents, crime, and roaming animals. For many, nightfall means retreating indoors, a daily act of survival.
Madagascar is one of the world's most bio-diverse countries. Yet the lack of electricity is forcing people to cut wood for fire, destroying mangroves that are critical barriers between land and sea. Here people are navigating a mangrove stream to head out to the sea.
A "Solar Mama" are leading a revolution to electrify their village using solar power. Trained through a WWF program, the team installs and repairs solar panels, working daily in their workshop filled with tools, meters, and stacks of lights—bringing power and progress to their community.
With a solar light, this child can continue working at night. They no longer need to burn kerosene lamps, which fill the houses with toxic smoke, or destroy forests for firewood.
This uplifting story takes place among the famed baobabs, Africa’s endangered "tree of life”, and mangroves, earth's natural barrier between land and sea.
Publications
After completing the stories for WWF, Justin showed the story to the international media, which published it extensively. The National Geographic carried it in it IG account with 46 million followers and across 12 pages in its Chinese edition magazine; Annabelle, the biggest glossy magazine in Switzerland, also ran 12 pages.
Rebirth along the Yangtze
From the icy Tibetan Plateau to its vast delta near Shanghai, Asia’s greatest river weaves through China’s diverse landscapes, shaping ecosystems and driving economic growth. But along its course, wildlife struggles to survive. WWF commissioned Justin to document this story, and he chose the Yangtze river porpoise as its emblem—a species fighting for survival amid habitat loss. The resulting story was shared widely, reaching audiences through National Geographic and WWF’s social media channels, as well as major media outlets.