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Teen conservationist becomes national voice for a species most Australians have never heard of.

LAND AND SEA FOR ALL

Key Facts:

The Story

Most Australians have never heard of the Maugean skate.

But 15-year-old conservationist Spencer Hitchen wants to change that before it’s too late.

The Maugean skate is an ancient ray species found nowhere else on Earth except Tasmania’s Macquarie Harbour. Scientists warn it is now at serious risk of extinction, with only around 1,000 individuals believed to remain. If lost, it could become the first shark or ray species extinction linked to industrial aquaculture.

For Hitchen, the issue is deeply personal. A long-time advocate for biodiversity and glossy black cockatoos, he has emerged as one of Australia’s most recognizable young environmental voices—appearing on ABC, Channel 7, and other national platforms while still in his teens.

Now, he is the face of a new documentary, LOVE LETTER TO THE UNSEEN, premiering at the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival on July 18, 2026.

Why This Story Resonates

This is more than an environmental story. It’s a story about:

• Young leadership in a time of climate and biodiversity anxiety.

• Hope over despair in environmental storytelling.

• An underdog species fighting for survival in one of Australia’s most remote landscapes.

• A teenager stepping into the national conversation usually dominated by politicians, scientists, and industry leaders.

At a time when many Australians feel overwhelmed by environmental crises, Spencer’s story offers something rare: optimism grounded in action.

The Human Hook

Hitchen is not a career activist or politician. He’s a young Australian who started by caring about birds in his local community and discovered that one person’s voice can influence a national conversation.

His message is simple: “If I can do something, anyone can.”

That accessibility is part of why the story connects across generations—from school students to parents and grandparents worried about the world being left behind.

Why The Maugean Skate Matters

The skate’s story also carries international significance:

• It exists nowhere else on Earth.

• It evolved more than 60 million years ago, making it a living relic of Gondwana.

• About one-third of its remaining habitat lies within the UNESCO-listed Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.

• The species itself is recognized as a World Heritage value.

• Its decline raises questions about Australia’s commitment to its “No New Extinctions” policy.

Yet despite its significance, most Australians have never heard its name.

That contrast—the global importance of the species versus its near invisibility in public awareness—is at the heart of the film.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New documentary LOVE LETTER TO THE UNSEEN premieres in Melbourne at the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival on July 18, following Australian youth conservationist Spencer Hitchen's fight to save an ancient species found only in Tasmania—one whose remaining habitat overlaps a UNESCO World Heritage Area.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA — As Australia continues to grapple with its status as a global leader in species loss, a new documentary is putting a teenage conservationist at the center of one of the nation's most urgent environmental questions: What does "No New Extinctions" actually mean if an ancient species disappears on our watch?

LOVE LETTER TO THE UNSEEN will make its Melbourne premiere at the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival on July 18, 2026, while embarking on a broader Australian and international tour.

The film follows youth conservationist Spencer Hitchen as he investigates the growing extinction risk facing the endangered Maugean skate, a little-known species found nowhere on Earth except Tasmania's Macquarie Harbour.

With an estimated population of around 1,000 individuals remaining, scientists have warned the species could become the first shark or ray species driven to extinction due to industrial non-native Atlantic salmon farming.

The Maugean skate evolved more than 60 million years ago and is often described as a living relic of Gondwana. Yet despite Australia's commitment to a "No New Extinctions" policy and international biodiversity targets, the species remains at risk.

The skate's plight is particularly significant because Macquarie Harbour is not simply a remote Tasmanian waterway. Approximately one-third of the species' remaining habitat lies within the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, one of Australia's most celebrated UNESCO World Heritage landscapes. The Maugean skate itself is recognized as a World Heritage value of the region.

Found nowhere else on Earth, the species has become a test case for Australia's commitment to biodiversity conservation on a global stage. Conservation advocates argue that allowing the extinction of a species whose habitat overlaps a UNESCO World Heritage Area would raise profound questions about how the nation balances international conservation commitments with industrial development.

"This film asks a simple question," says Hitchen. "If we know a species is in trouble and we have the ability to help, what responsibility do we have to act? The skate's story isn't just about one species. It's about the future we're creating and the world young people will inherit."

Hitchen has become one of Australia's emerging youth voices for biodiversity, previously appearing on ABC, Channel 7, and other national media advocating for conservation and species protection. A recipient of Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots grant, he represents a new generation of environmental leadership grounded in hope rather than despair.

Directed by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Josh "Bones" Murphy, the documentary explores not only the skate's uncertain future but also the power of storytelling to inspire action and elevate young voices in public discourse.

"People are exhausted by environmental doom and division," says Murphy. "What Spencer offers is something increasingly rare: hope. This film is ultimately about possibility. It's about believing that ordinary people, especially young people, can help shape the future before it's too late."

The documentary features a diverse collection of voices including Tasmanian cultural leader Lyndon O'Neil, Guardian Australia cartoonist First Dog on the Moon, artist Wendy Edwards, independent MP Andrew Wilkie, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, former Australia Institute campaigner Eloise Carr, and researchers from the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies.

At its core, LOVE LETTER TO THE UNSEEN is both a race-against-time conservation story and a celebration of youth leadership.

The film arrives at a pivotal moment for Australia as governments, industry, scientists, and communities continue to debate the future of Macquarie Harbour and the fate of a species found nowhere else on Earth.

For the filmmakers, however, the story extends beyond extinction.

"It is easy to talk about saving species," says Murphy. "What's harder is supporting the next generation of leaders who will inherit the consequences of our decisions. Spencer reminds us that young people are not just future leaders—they are leading right now."

LOVE LETTER TO THE UNSEEN is produced as part of a broader impact campaign led by the nonprofit LAND AND SEA FOR ALL, which uses storytelling to connect communities, culture, science, and conservation action.

MEDIA INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES

Spencer Hitchen
Youth conservationist, recipient of Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots grant, and lead subject of the film.

Lyndon O'Neil
Tasmanian cultural leader featured in the documentary.

First Dog on the Moon
Guardian Australia cartoonist featured in the documentary.

Josh "Bones" Murphy
Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, writer, impact campaign strategist, and co-founder of LAND AND SEA FOR ALL.

Suggested interview topics:

• Australia's "No New Extinctions" commitment
• Youth leadership in conservation
• The fight to save the endangered Maugean skate
• Biodiversity loss and species recovery
• Hope-based environmental storytelling
• Conservation, culture, and community action
• Documentary filmmaking as a tool for social change

EVENT DETAILS

LOVE LETTER TO THE UNSEEN
Melbourne Documentary Film Festival
July 18, 2026
Melbourne, Australia

ABOUT THE FILM

LOVE LETTER TO THE UNSEEN follows youth conservationist Spencer Hitchen as he uncovers the threats facing the endangered Maugean skate and discovers the power of storytelling, community, and hope in the fight for a future where both people and wildlife can thrive.

About us:

At Land and Sea For All, our mission is to champion impact storytelling and amplify individual and community voices to drive meaningful change for both people and planet.

Contact details:

MEDIA CONTACT

Emily Murphy
[email protected]
+1 530-401-1091

Embargoed film file, trailer, interviews, still photography, and screening information available upon request.