Witch Weekly's Most Inspiring Activist Award (World Wildlife Day Edition): Alison Sudol

Happy World Wildlife Day, magical friends! 
 
Whether you’re an aspiring Magizoologist or are simply a creature enthusiast, we could all take a moment today to celebrate the natural world around us. 2021’s World Wildlife Day theme is “Forests and Livelihoods: Sustaining People and Planet.”
 
Every Potterhead knows just how important the Forbidden Forest is in the entire Harry Potter series. The dense woodland on the edge of the Hogwarts grounds is home to herds of unicorns and Thestrals, Acromantula colonies, and a sprawling centaur camp. 
 
Luna Lovegood and Hagrid are famous for their frequent visits into the forest and the love and respect they show to its fantastic creature inhabitants. Newt Scamander is also well-known for his focus on protecting magical creatures and their habitats.

​​But they’re not the only wizarding world denizens known for their passion for nature. We’re proud to present to you the very first featured actress in our new Witch Weekly’s Most Inspiring Activist Award series, Alison Sudol!

Our Witch Weekly series is going to spotlight performers and other creative individuals who bring our favorite characters and the magic of the wizarding world to life in the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts film and media. 
 
But there’s a twist. Our featured celebrities are also animal rights and environmental activists who, through their platforms and communities, have inspired fans like you to educate yourselves and to also take action! 

That said, let’s meet Alison!

In both Fantastic Beasts films, the American actress plays our favorite Ilvermorny-alum and Legilimens (mind-reading) witch, Queenie Goldstein. In the Muggle world, the kind and lovely Alison Sudol is one of the most outspoken advocates for biodiversity and defending the environment. 
 
Outside of the magical Potterverse films, the actress and singer-songwriter is very vocal about her compassion for animals. She first gained notice as an activist in 2011 when she tweeted about the Canadian seal slaughter, urging her 1 million followers to take action to put an end to the horrific practice. 

Ocean conservation, deforestation, species extinction, and environmentalism are some of Sudol’s greatest passions. They often appear repeatedly in her various creative projects, particularly in the songs she has created as the musician, A Fine Frenzy. With albums like One Cell in the Sea, Bomb in a Birdcage, and Pines, Sudol’s messages touch on speciesism, conservation, and a deep love for animals and nature. ​

Credit: Warner Bros.

Credit: PETA​

In 2011, she became a Goodwill Ambassador for IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), working with esteemed conservationists Jane Goodall and Professor E.O. Wilson. That same year, Sudol also teamed up with PETA and PETA2 to promote kindness towards animals.
 
Later, in 2018, Sudol became a Greenpeace Antarctic Advisor and continues to work closely with the acclaimed organization. 
 
Sudol has also shown her support for the environment-oriented film, “The Promise,” which also stars another Potter-alum, Katie Leung. The short, animated climate film revolves around the positive and inspiring message that even one person can make the world a greener place.  
 
When it comes to the question of how we can start to make change on a small scale, Sudol says it all begins with, “Being more aware that literally every single one of us has an impact.” 
 
No action is too small. Even planting acorns, as Sudol did for “The Promise,” is a positive action you could take for the environment. 
 
What we eat also plays a huge role in our environmental impact. In an interview with MuggleNet.com about “The Promise,” Sudol expressed concern over meat consumption - particularly factory-farmed meat. 
 
Sudol said when you eat factory-farmed meat, “You’re eating antibiotics, you’re eating things that are bad for you physically in ways we don’t even really know about yet,” and added that choosing not to buy factory-farmed meat creates less demand for it.

Most recently, Sudol has been speaking up about some of the most pressing environmental issues of our time - namely, issues involving the US government’s American Wildlife Administration and climate change. 
 
These issues include:
 

• Urging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to keep endangered species protections in place for gray wolves.
• Demanding Russian authorities release the wild orcas and beluga whales held captive in their bays. 
• Speaking up for endangered marine mammals in Antarctica. 
• Calling for the Australian government to protect koalas and their habitats from the coal industry’s destruction. 

 
Alison Sudol’s advocacy for living a compassionate lifestyle and fighting to protect animals and nature is something that we can all learn from. We couldn’t think of a better wizarding world icon to spotlight for World Wildlife Day 2021!

We love that Alison continues to encourage her fans and animal lovers everywhere to have compassion and to carefully consider what they can do to stand up for the environment and all of its magical and non-magical inhabitants. 
 
We’re also SO grateful for the continued support she’s shown to The Protego Foundation! With positive forces for change like Alison taking the time to join us in our efforts to advocate for animals, we’re able to spread the word about animal rights further and wider!
 
 
P.S. If you love Alison as much as we do, you can enter for a chance to win a personalized video from her when you donate to our annual Indiegogo fundraising campaign! 

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​Written by Victoria Tomis

Credit: LA Times

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