Esta história faz parte da campanha GenOcean - uma campanha oficial Década do Oceano que apresenta as Acções da Década, organizações colaboradoras e líderes do oceano que se concentram na juventude e nas oportunidades de ciência cidadã para ajudar qualquer pessoa, em qualquer lugar, a ser a mudança de que o oceano precisa.
Knitting is a calming activity and fun hobby, with the added mental benefits of self-efficacy, meditative repetition and a natural flood of dopamine. This activity is trendy and becoming more mainstream and accessible thanks to social media. It’s also forming the basis of in-person communities that help today’s youth find connection and friendship. But how does knitting connect to marine life?
Knit for Wildlife, an activity endorsed by the UN Ocean Decade, aims to connect more people to ocean conservation, and they’re doing it one pattern at a time. Using the craft and community of knitting as a draw, Knit for Wildlife provides open-access patterns, opportunities and storytelling people can wear to start the conversation about wildlife. Initiated as part of the Hold Fast campaign that teaches young people that “holding fast” is a learnable and shareable skill essential for life quality, mental health and fulfilling ocean dreams, Knit for Wildlife opens the door and brings ocean literacy into pop-culture.
Organized by marine biologist, Lena Fagerwing, Knit for Wildlife uses knitting as an invitation to something deeper. The whole idea started with a simple realization: it is easy to reach people who are already interested in conservation and wildlife, especially biologists, and get them involved with activities and projects in ocean science, but the challenge of connecting with groups who don’t engage in ocean content remains.
“We wanted to do something different,” says Fagerwing. “Realizing that knitters have a huge community worldwide and that these communities were already strong in their ability to positively influence each other was the key. We wanted to reach people who don’t start off with an interest in wildlife, using this wholesome hobby as a way to connect them with new and interesting information about marine life. The best part is everybody can join, and we put a spotlight on different species from around the world to engage audiences from different regions.”
Knit for Wildlife is built around what the team calls co-flourish mindsets. The idea links human wellbeing from knitting with ecological health growing stronger together. When people make something with their hands, they don’t just absorb information, they form relationships with their yarn, their community and with the species behind the story.
By turning a connection-building hobby like knitting into a gateway for ocean learning and advocacy, Knit for Wildlife unlocks a door to inspiring new communities and nontraditional audiences that might never have thought about their own connection to the ocean before.
Knit for Wildlife addresses three Ocean Decade Challenges:
2 - Proteger e recuperar os ecossistemas e a biodiversidade
9 - Competências, conhecimentos, tecnologia e participação para todos
10 - Restaurar a relação da sociedade com o oceano
The Woven Stories of Resident Knitters
Knitting circles already cross age, income, geography and culture. That makes them powerful carriers of diverse stories, and this opens the door for conservation stories to enter.
While the connection between knitting and conservation may not be inherent, this is not the first time knitters have supported wildlife. After oil spills in Australia, volunteers knitted sweaters to protect penguins from preening toxic feathers. During a period of bushfires, handmade mittens protected burned koala paws during rehabilitation. Wildlife rescue centers around the world still use knitted nests to keep orphaned birds and mammals warm.
Where knitting may not seem like traditional citizen science, Knit for Wildlife reimagined this idea and turned it into a unique opportunity with the purpose of connecting people to marine wildlife.
The heart of their mission lies in their digital knitting residencies. Knitters are invited to apply to a three-month residency where they collaborate with scientists, NGOs and textile artists. The goal of this residency is to learn the art of pattern creation. Using this tool, knitters can capture the essence of a species and tell its story in their woven works. Once complete, the pattern becomes open-access and is available for anyone in the knitting world to use.
“What initially excites people about this program isn’t the ocean — it’s the knitting,” Fagerwing explains. “Our resident knitters meet conservation officers in the program, and we provide ecological resources online. We mentor knitters in narrative textiles, teaching them how to tell stories through pattern-making. Knitters quickly realize that to craft a meaningful pattern, they need to truly understand the species they’re representing. Because knitters care so much about perfecting their work, they end up immersing themselves in the stories, threats and conservation efforts surrounding these species. It becomes a kind of Trojan horse for marine education rooted in their passion.”
The pilot residency, which took place between outubro and dezembro 2025, involved the NGO Love the Oceans in Mozambique and included knitters from the United Kingdom and Australia. Their first residency illustrated how the power of a shared hobby can bring diverse groups together and facilitate the sharing of ecological stories through art. And, because real marine species like humpback whales, manta rays and corals, were translated into wearable patterns, the residents’ art became pieces of a larger awareness campaign.
“I have enjoyed this experience so much and all of the incredible resources Knit for Wildlife has provided for us!” shares 2025 resident Eddie.
“I feel so privileged to have been a part of the residency, especially the pilot,” adds former resident Libby. “For me, it came at just the right time and I enjoyed it so much. You have created something really special. This project works so perfectly because it is mutually beneficial. I have learned so much about marine conservation and also as a knitter. It provided a supportive and creative space to connect with other creatives.”
“It was an honour and a joy to participate,” pilot resident Stephanie shares. “I loved learning more about the work of Love The Oceans and am even more in awe of this amazing planet we get to call home.”
Open Call for the Vega Archipelago 2026 Cohort
The second cohort’s residency will take place just south of the Arctic Circle in the Vega Archipelago, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Norway renowned for a 1,500-year old tradition of sustainable and symbiotic eider duck farming by local communities.
The eider duck is a species in decline due to changing ocean conditions and reduced food availability, a consequence of a disrupted food web. Aerial surveys of these populations conducted in 2022 and 2023 show a 90% decline since the 1980s. As ecosystem engineers transporting marine nutrients to land and enriching island soils, plants and ponds, a declining eider duck population means a decrease in nutrient-rich land for other life in the Vega Archipelago.
The eider duck tenders and marine scientists have collaborated in the conservation of these vulnerable seabirds, monitoring population data, nesting practices and overall species wellness. Bird tenders from the island of Lånan will be able to share their cultural heritage and scientific expertise to give insights that will be translated into new knitting patterns to be worn and spark attention and care to this threatened species.
“These birds have become like pets to us during the period of time they nest on the island. I want my children and grandchildren to experience living in harmony with nature and the birds on Lånan,” says Hildegunn Nordum, Bird Watcher and General Manager of Utværet Lånan. “Now that the bird population is rapidly declining across many species of seabirds, I am very worried that the next generation won’t have any birds to look after. I hope that our efforts now will help restore the population.”
In collaboration with researchers including marine biologists, ornithologists and cultural heritage experts along with members of the community, resident knitters will learn how the changing ecosystem affects these seabird populations. The residencies also allow for audiences worldwide to take part in knitting patterns, enabling participants to engage with seabird populations using crafts as a medium to show their beauty to the world no matter where they live.
How to get involved
Applications for the second cohort will be accepted from março 2 until março 20 with five final knitters accepted in the 2026 cohort for the Vega Archipelago residency set to take place from abril 2 through junho 30. Knitters are invited to learn more and submit their requests to take part in the residency by emailing hello@knitforwildlife.org with the subject line: “Knit for Wildlife application 2nd Cohort 2026” for detailed instructions on the application process.
“If you are a knitter, we welcome you to apply for the residency,” Fagerwing invites. “It is an amazing opportunity open worldwide over digital communication. We even have knitting patterns from the last cohort available online. We want you to spread these patterns and share these stories with the world.”
If you want to knit now, you can download the open-access patterns and stay tuned to join upcoming pop-ups and digital knit-alongs. Once you complete a pattern, wear the patterns as you go about your daily lives to bring these conservation stories to life.
“It’s a beautiful thing,” states Fagerwing. “You can walk around with a cap with the humpback whale and maybe it will start a conversation. You’re out there with a message, bringing ocean literacy into everyday culture.”
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