Ninth Wave

It's taken me a while to process what happened to me in Campeche and on the Usamacinta river, hence this unpunctual review. I volunteered with Ninth Wave just after joining a consultancy in London focused on the built environment; I wanted to get to the lowest levels of how the built environment, conservation and community led planning work in other parts of the world, starting with Mexico.

After a thousand sweeps of the paddle we moored for lunch - I found the turtle shell by a tree stump and put it in my bag, for reasons unknown. This turtle shell is on my desk today and, counterintuitively, it reminds me not of fallen reptiles but of the coconut shells we were all handed by Jon and Amy after a workshop. We proceeded to eat from the shells for the entirety of my stay with Ninth Wave. Simple things, simple outcomes. Constant reminders, constant action.

After a thousand more sweeps of the paddle, we'd seen not just one kingfisher but thirty. Where I'm from, the kingfisher is an elusive, almost otherworldly sight in the same cadre as ghosts or snow leopards. But on the Usamacinta, this crown prince of birds becomes run of the mill. In my then consultancy practice, this constantly reminded me of how what we deem to be elusive is often localised. Drilling down and talking to the people (not the boots) on the ground is the only way to filter the elusive from the obvious.

I confess: I'm not the greatest orator in any language - but especially not in Spanish. But an evening (after I'd stopped counting sweeps of the paddle) eating, jesting and listening to a man play guitar while a fire roared (lit by a Tiger) on the riverbank was the closest thing I've felt to unconditional inclusivity. This seems to be a hallmark of Ninth Wave.

I could wax around and about the individual indigenous communities we all helped, the side quests, the dogs, the cats, the ambulance service in Frontera Corozal and the spectre, then surprising joy, of lashing together canoes and paddling in pitch darkness. But I suspect that you’ll find out about those yourself. What I will wax about is a mantra that Amy said to us during an introductory sustainability workshop: “Don’t do nothing because you can’t do everything”.

Eventually, these eight words led away from the master planned built environment to focus on smaller, localised projects that champion filtering the elusive from the obvious. As it turns out, all it takes is effort, time and a man playing the guitar. What it does not take is masterplans, decks and circling back. Having said that, I really hope I can circle back to Campeche at some time soon.

My time with Ninth Wave Global was my first step into journalism, and one I'm very glad I took. This internship programme's approach to exploration and story-finding is genuinely unique and inspiring.

Coming from a scientific background, I found the feedback and mentorship particularly valuable for learning how to convey a compelling narrative and connect with an audience. The experience is highly self-determined, which I appreciated. If you are willing to take initiative there is huge potential to build a strong journalistic portfolio. Ninth Wave's links to local news outlets offered a great stepping off point, before then pitching to wider outlets in the US and South America (and taking on paid writing opportunities).

The trips I took through Ninth Wave, both within Mexico and abroad, were particularly memorable and interesting. These were often guided by chance interactions with local people and organisations, resulting in richer and more purposeful journeys. Beyond writing, I gained hands-on experience in interviewing, pitching, and documentary production. Overall, I would highly recommend this programme as a strong foundation for aspiring journalists.

When I arrived in Campeche, I came to Jon as a published journalist with a proven ability to string words together for an audience. But writing for myself, to communicate bigger ideas, remained excruciating. The stories I wrote fell short of their potential and I struggled to find a process that compelled me to write better.

One afternoon, with all thirty pages of my drafting, splayed out in front of us, Jon began to teach me to be my own editor. I learned to take space from my writing and read it more critically. Together, Jon and I would review each sentence I wrote for not just its word choice and grammar but for its cadence and tone–the features that make some writing sing where others drone on. Jon taught me that we write, not in service of our idea but in service of the piece itself. That I must listen to the direction of the piece as much as I define it.

In a world where writing is so often taught as a science, with its grammar laws and formulaic sentence structures, I believe there is no place better for the budding writer to hone your craft than a few weeks in a small Mexican city under the guidance of Jon and Ninth Wave.

This isn't just any filmmaking mentorship, as it takes you right out into the field with real and amazing people, to stunning locations, alongside the filmmaking. The team is so supportive and experienced, and take you through everything from cameras to angles and lenses, to interviews, editing, and even onto strategies and tips for getting the best response from film festivals. It's an amazing entry point into the industry, and one which has been invaluable to me as I start out. I finished the program 6 months ago and the team are still helping me! Really beautiful people, in what is a unique opportunity for anyone curious about a possible career in the industry.

I had already tried to work in journalism prior to this placement, but it was a thankless task, with no-one offering practical and useful guidance, and I kept getting knockbacks (or just ignored), so I thought I would give things one more try through Ninth Wave, through the recommendation of a friend. And - honestly - it was like the fog lifted. Everything suddenly made sense. The team of professional journalists were there to guide me personally thtough everything, and not only did my writing improve immeasureably in a short time, but their guidance in how to connect with editors and magazines means that I now have a number of published articles to my name and know exactly what I need to do to keep the momentum going. I couldn't recommend this program more highly.