About WildStory Communications
Where science meets story.
Every conservation effort starts with a story.
A story about a threatened species or habitat.
A story about the people working tirelessly to protect it.
A story about the wild lives that depend on us getting it right.
A story about the people giving a voice to those who cannot speak for themselves.
At WildStory Communications, I help wildlife AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums tell those stories clearly, strategically, and with heart — so they don’t just inform people, but inspire them to act.
Meet the Founder
A little girl who fell in love with wildlife at zoos and grew up to be a wildlife biologist and conservation copywriter.
Hi, I’m Diana, founder of WildStory Communications. I’m a conservation copywriter, strategic marketing specialist, and lifelong zoo lover.
Before I ever wrote a headline, I was a little girl who fell in love with big cats by visiting our local zoo. I’ve long been inspired by Dr. Jane Goodall and her incredible legacy — the work she has done for chimpanzees, for conservation, for future generations, for young girls in science, and for us all. Like Jane, I felt called to go to Africa to study wildlife since I was a young girl. This feeling stayed with me until, in 2011, I traveled to Africa as an undergrad for the first time. I loved it so much, I didn’t want to leave. So, after returning home to California, I vowed to get back to Africa.
Two years later, I returned to Africa as a graduate student and became known as Mama Punda Milia, which means “Mama Zebra” in Swahili, by the locals. I spent my days counting zebras and observing their behavior with the Tanzanian sunrise, hiking through the rainforest in Cameroon, and studying how ecosystems thrive when we give them the space and respect they deserve.
From Science to Strategy
After years of living abroad and working in the field, I returned home to California and worked for a wildlife nonprofit as a biologist, wildlife conflict specialist, and science-based advocacy writer.
There, I wrote everything from donor appeals and newsletters to social media campaigns and comment letters to wildlife commissions throughout the United States. I saw firsthand how challenging it can be for even the most passionate wildlife advocates to write emotionally resonant messages that move people to act, as well as the challenges nonprofits face in fundraising for their cause.
That realization inspired WildStory Communications — a place where science and strategy meet storytelling.
Today, I help AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums:
Clarify their message so they can reach the right people.
Grow their email list and create consistent email communication with their audience.
Connect emotionally with members, donors, and guests to build relationships that last.
Create campaigns that build trust, bridge science with story, and turn awareness into action.
From living with wildlife to family life and life in the garden.
My life changed when I became a mom. I could no longer jump on a plane to live with zebras, so I created my own wildlife haven at home — a small flower farm and abundant garden that invites wildlife in.
I now live in Northern California on a small piece of land that hums with life. I am greeted in the morning by the sleepy eyes of my children, the loud moo’s of my cows, the whinnying of our miniature horses, the clucking of our chickens, the wet noses of our dogs, and the meows of our cats.
My husband and I are raising our family surrounded by the rhythms of the natural world. I love to garden and we have a small flower farm where we grow seasonal flowers that we share with our local community. I love that gardening and growing flowers allows me to create food that nourishes my family, flowers that nourish our souls, and a habitat that invites wildlife into our backyard.
And, we get to our local zoo as often as we can. It’s where I learned to love wildlife and where my children are learning to love wildlife, too.
Rooted in Wild Places
My passion for wildlife and conservation has taken me across continents:
To South Africa where I studied abroad and volunteered at a Cheetah Conservation Centre.
To Cameroon where I studied biodiversity change across palm oil plantations and undisturbed rainforest and joined a team of large carnivore researchers to study lion, leopard, and hyena densities in protected areas.
To Tanzania for my Master’s research, where I studied antipredator behavior and grouping patterns in zebra — work that led to two scientific publications:
I now hold an M.S. in Biodiversity, Ecology & Evolution from the University of Göttingen, Germany and a B.S. in Wildlife, Fish & Conservation Biology from the University of California, Davis.
My time in Africa taught me something powerful: the most effective conservation tool isn’t always data — it’s story and human connection.
Your zoo’s mission matters.
Your voice deserves to be heard and your organization’s story has the power to inspire change.
Together, we’ll craft a message that bridges science and emotion, purpose and action, and helps your audience feel as deeply as you do about your mission.