Hi, I’m Olivia Mandle
Environmental and Animal Rights Activist
Journey
I grew up surrounded by nature, books, and stories of people who chose to protect the living world instead of looking away. From a very young age, being outdoors also meant caring for it: picking up plastic during our walks, understanding that enjoying nature comes with responsibility.
At 12, after being deeply impacted by an exhibition on climate change, I took my first step into activism by creating the Jelly Cleaner, a simple tool made from recycled materials to collect microplastics and spark awareness. That moment taught me something essential: action creates connection.
My love for animals, especially cetaceans, led me to question captivity and to launch my campaign #NoEsPaísParaDelfines, calling for the progressive closure of dolphinariums in Spain. Over time, that personal conviction became a collective voice.
My journey is still unfolding, guided by a belief I learned early on: caring for the planet is not a choice we make once, but a commitment we renew every day.
I don’t remember a single moment when nature wasn’t part of my life.
I grew up surrounded by images of wild places, books filled with oceans and forests, and long evenings watching documentaries that quietly shaped my imagination. Every year, my birthday gift was the same: a subscription to National Geographic. Today, that same gift continues with my brother, as if curiosity itself were something we pass on in our family.
My mother read me stories about women who listened deeply to the natural world and chose to protect it. Through figures like Jane Goodall and Sylvia Earle, I learned early on that caring for nature is not passive. It requires courage, knowledge, and action.
If nature gives us so much, the least we can do is give something back
Being in nature was never just about enjoying it.
When we went hiking or walking near the sea, my parents taught my brother and me to pick up plastic and litter along the way.
It was our way of saying thank you. A small gesture, but a meaningful one.
That idea stayed with me: if nature gives us so much, the least we can do is give something back.
At 12, my activism
took shape
Jelly Cleaner
What had been quietly growing inside me became impossible to ignore. After visiting a climate change exhibition, I felt deeply shaken and couldn’t stop thinking about what I had seen. I began researching plastic pollution and knew I had to act. That’s how the Jelly Cleaner was born, a simple tool made from recycled materials to collect microplastics and prove that action is possible.
That first step led to many others, from beach clean-ups to community movements. Over time, my focus became clearer: defending animals, especially cetaceans, intelligent and deeply social beings confined for entertainment.
Campaign
In 2020, I launched my first campaign on Change.org to free the last dolphins at the Barcelona Zoo. Although they were transferred, I learned to keep going.
That determination led to #DolphinsAreNotForCaptivity, calling for the progressive closure of dolphinariums in Spain. The campaign now has over 160,000 supporters and has been presented to the Spanish Senate and Congress.
From a very young age, I’ve felt an immense love for animals. When I was five years old, my school took me to the zoo. I remember standing there, fascinated, watching the dolphins. I liked seeing them… but at the same time, I felt something strange. I didn’t know whether it made me happy or not. There was a quiet discomfort I couldn’t explain.
Years later, I understood that feeling was the beginning of my activism for animal rights.
Beach Clean-Ups
Language matters
At 15, during The Festival of Consciousness, I formally asked the Real Academia Española to revise the definition of “consciousness” to include sentient animals, not only humans.
Years later, it was changed. A reminder that words shape how we see the world, and how we treat it.
My book Sí es Cosa Tuya, published by Penguin Random House, marked another milestone in my journey.
Around the same time, I filmed my TV series #Kanviem, collaborated with Mario Picazo on his program on national TV Cuatro, and worked on the documentary Sin Timón.
Each project became a new platform to turn awareness into action.