About
Serving those Who Serve Nature
I'm a marine scientist turned digital strategist, and founder of TerraLens — a consulting practice built entirely around serving conservation and environmental organizations. My goal is simple: to help mission-driven organizations communicate their work more effectively, so they can focus on what matters most.
By the Numbers...
20
Happy Clients
10
Years of Experience
9
Years in Business
1
Expert—Me!
Origin Story
Helping organizations communicate with clarity, creativity, and heart
I’ve always been drawn to nature and the ocean. That connection deepened during a semester in South Africa, where I spent four months immersed in ecology and conservation in some of the country's most diverse biomes, from the arid savanna to the rocky west coast. One of my research projects explored species richness and composition in intertidal rock pools, and I was hooked. There was something fascinating about the intricate balance of life in those tidal habitats — the liminal space where the sea meets the shore.
That experience prompted me to pursue my master's degree in zoology at Stellenbosch University. There, my research focused on an invasive barnacle species — ironically native to the Washington coast where I now live — and its potential to spread along the coast and reshape native intertidal communities in response to climate change. Those field days, ankle-deep in chilly seawater, watching the tide rise around me as I recorded species counts, were grounding moments in my life. I found peace and purpose in observing how life thrived along the edges of the sea and how ecosystems respond to change and pressure. It deepened my appreciation for the interconnectedness of nature and fueled a desire to protect it.
While my research sharpened my scientific skills, it also revealed something else: a calling toward storytelling. I began to see that science is only as impactful as our ability to communicate it. As I developed my photography and writing, I started merging data with narrative—practicing the art of telling stories to inspire curiosity and move people towards action.
TerraLens grew from that realization.
What began in 2016 as digital and content management work for environmental nonprofits has evolved into something closer to my true passion: helping organizations that protect our natural world communicate their work with clarity, creativity, and heart. I've spent years managing content platforms serving climate practitioners worldwide, supporting conservation efforts and climate strategies, and telling stories through photography, writing, and design that connect people to the natural world.
My work is the natural convergence of everything I've studied, practiced, and loved. For the organizations I’m proud to serve, I bring a rare combination of skills — the scientific fluency to understand their work and mission, the communications skills to translate it for broader audiences, and a lifelong commitment to conservation that shows up in everything I do.
If your organization works to protect nature, communicate science, or inspire communities to act for the benefit of nature, I’d love to help you tell that story.
Name >
Mission >
Vision >
TerraLens signifies a focus on nature and the lens through which we see the world.
To provide conservation and environmental organizations with the digital strategy, communications, and storytelling they need to do their most important work.
Serving those who serve nature and nurture our better nature, so they can achieve their mission and continue to make the world a better place.
Meet Haley R. Pope
Founder & President
I grew up in Malaysia, Chile, South Africa, and the USA, where I developed a passion for discovery and a deep desire to protect nature. I earned an M.S. in Zoology with a focus on marine ecology from Stellenbosch University in South Africa and a B.A. in Biology from Elon University in North Carolina. I've been a contributing writer for the North American Nature Photography Association, led international volunteer trips for Habitat for Humanity's Global Village Program, and have served on the Governing Council of the National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation (NNOCCI). Since childhood I’ve been a writer, an avid nature and wildlife photographer for over a decade, and I have a knack for website design and development. Outside of work, you'll find me hiking or trail running in the mountains, snorkeling and surfing along Washington's beautiful coast, baking, playing the piano, or trying to learn a new language!
