The Ripple Effect

Ambassador for The TreadRight Foundation, Céline Cousteau is helping protect people and wildlife around the globe.

BY AVERY STONICH

A sunset view of the Ganges in India.

Exploration, conservation, and storytelling are woven into Céline Cousteau’s DNA. The granddaughter of ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau and daughter of Jean-Michel Cousteau, she grew up in a world of adventure, where family bonding often took place on the decks of the research vessel, Calypso. Now as a documentary filmmaker, environmentalist, and cultural advocate, she’s mapping new pathways for her family legacy.

Since 2015, Cousteau has been an ambassador for The TreadRight Foundation, the non-profit arm of The Travel Corporation, which supports sustainable tourism projects worldwide. TreadRight helps channel the resources of 30 travel brands to positively impact the places they visit, funding projects like anti-poaching campaigns, clean-water initiatives, and habitat preservation.

How did your family influence your career?

My whole family was involved in exploration and documentary filmmaking. It naturally became part of who I was. I added my own studies, interests, and experience to return to something my family has done for generations. My interest is understanding the human mind, why we behave the way we do, and how we shift consciousness and behavior. After getting my master’s degree in intercultural relations, I started working on documentary films. Now I’m moving beyond exploration and pure storytelling to defending causes.

Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection ship.

Temples in Cairo, Egypt.

Telling a story is an incredible way to connect and inspire people.

How are you making a difference with TreadRight?

I’m a spokesperson for TreadRight’s work, which all of The Travel Corporation brands (including Uniworld) contribute to. We’re supporting local artisans and wildlife protection in the places where we travel. I help guide TreadRight in the choices of organizations they support and tell their stories. Telling a story is an incredible way to connect and inspire people.

How can travelers make a difference?

India's Amer Fort Jaipur.

Start by being conscious before you leave. Pack a refillable water bottle and a water filter. On a bigger level, travel with respect. Honor the people you’re meeting. You’re in their home. If you’re traveling where there are animals, respect that it’s their home. Support local organizations, artisans, and shops. It’s about a shift in human consciousness. Every choice we make makes a difference.

What’s your next big thing?

I’m working on “Tribes on the Edge,” a documentary film and impact campaign that takes place in the Brazilian Amazon with indigenous tribes who asked me to tell their story. They’re facing tremendous threats to their ancestral land, as well as a health crisis (a hepatitis epidemic). I’m creating a platform for that voice to be heard and for positive change to happen.

This project is a testament to what storytellers, explorers, adventurers, and documentary filmmakers can do beyond telling the story—to actually create positive change. It’s no small feat. It been a long road of working on my own and figuring out all the details of being a director, producer, writer, and fundraiser.