Hey guys! My name is Maritina and I'm combining my love for music and singing with my passion for wildlife conservation and research to raise awareness and build an uplifting community. Music has been a big part of my life for as long as I can remember, and I’m thrilled to start using it as a tool to support organizations that safeguard wildlife and their natural habitats.

This idea stemmed from my time as an undergrad at Stony Brook University. I just graduated in May 2025 with a degree in Human Evolutionary Biology, where I not only learned extensively about our early human ancestors and the biology of modern humans, but had the privilege of learning about our primates and the wider animal kingdom from world-renowned professors in their fields. This experience really opened my eyes to the intricate connections between humans and the natural world, and inspired me to find creative ways to raise awareness and make a tangible impact on wildlife conservation.

Towards the end of my academic career, I had the honor of being my department's commencement speaker. Having that platform to share what I've learned with others was a transformative experience, and it inspired me to take action beyond the classroom.

My first step in tackling this idea was to create an Instagram page dedicated to musical covers and conservation news, and to connect with others who share this interest. I named it ‘Concrete Jungle Conservation,’ inspired by where I grew up (urban New Jersey) just outside New York City, where my access to wildlife was basically limited to a few nearby zoos and NYC's infamous rats (a surprisingly fascinating and LARGE urban species). With few opportunities for actual fieldwork within range, this page is my version of conservation… Jersey-style.

I created this page with the long-term goal of building a following large enough to donate significantly to two of my professors’ research institutions, one focused on wildlife conservation in Madagascar, and the other on paleontological research in Africa. But for now, we’ll begin with one of my all-time favorites: the World Wildlife Fund!

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is an organization dedicated to conserving nature and reducing the most pressing threats to our planet's biodiversity. WWF works tirelessly across 100 countries, advocating for innovative solutions that uphold both nature and human well-being. Your contribution will directly support efforts such as:

All donations will be securely directed to the World Wildlife Fund through GoFundMe’s official charity feature, ensuring your contribution goes straight to supporting their conservation efforts. Every donation, no matter the size, brings us one step closer to an ecologically sustainable future.

I’m excited to see just how powerful this community can become, turning shared passion into real-world impact. For those of you that stuck around up until this very last sentence, y'all are troopers and I truly thank you for taking the time to read about my cause and for taking an interest in my mission!