Jessie Knirsch, Less Fencing, More Migrating, Oil, acrylic, marker, pen, pencil on canvas paper
ABOUT US
Creature Conserve, Inc is a 501(c)(3) glogal nonprofit outreach organization based in Rhode Island,USA.
Who We Are: Our mission is to bring together artists, scientists, writers and other creatives together for wildlife conservation.
Vision: We envision a future in which humans live in balance with the needs of wild animals and our shared environment.
Why We Exist: Wildlife populations are declining around the world because of human impacts. We are all part of this problem, yet too few of us are part of the solution. Creative works tap into our emotions and our subconscious and make the scientific and traditional knowledge we use to make decisions about how to help vulnerable and threatened species more accessible, meaningful, and real. They remind us that all life is connected and that we are animals, too.
What We Do: We create a supportive, welcoming space where program participants learn about threats to wildlife, share empathy for animals, exchange ideas, and find opportunities for growth at the intersection of art and science.
History: The organization was founded in 2015 by animal-lover, author, educator and zoo and wildlife veterinarian, Dr. Lucy Spelman. Our foundational belief is that the arts, informed, inspired, and prompted by science, have the power to direct our attention to the ongoing loss of species and what we can do about it.
Impact: To date, Creature Conserve has supported 1,959 program participants from 45 countries and five indigenous nations.
This total includes 645 scholars (exhibiting artists, mentors, mentees, program leaders, scholarship recipients, workshop instructors, and speakers) and 1,314 workshop attendees. The works of art, writing, and performance produced by this talented group cover a broad range of topics in wildlife conservation, ranging from documenting rare moths and studying beaver behavior to protecting tropical frogs, mapping unrecognized Indigenous lands. and sharing water rights. We have shared their work with over 60,000 supporters via our exhibitions, media, and public events.
Strategy: Our strategy is to support art-sci collaboration. We strive for a more inviting and inclusive approach to wildlife conservation, open to diverse perspectives from the arts, humanities, sciences, traditional ecological knowledge, and beyond.
How We Work: Our programs include curatorial programs, media outreach, mentorship, scholarships and fellowships, and workshops. They take place in person and on-line. We welcome people at all skill levels, from all backgrounds, and in all countries.
We use digital communication as a tool to amplify the voices within our creative community and generate support for our organization. Our media and outreach channels feature program participants as they explore art-sci collaboration and create new pathways. We also produce new media that explores the intersection of art, science, and wildlife conservation. This includes a standing open call for contributions to our “Wildlife Spotlight” series.
For more, please explore the links below and see our Alumni Page for examples.
Who we serve: Our organization serves two audiences: program participants and supporters.
Why work with us: We invite both groups to join our creative community and try something new.
We offer participants the opportunity to meet in small groups and hold generative conversations, gain practice curating and hosting exhibitions, online and in person; and, compete for financial support. Participants learn from each other, create and innovate together, develop new skills, and use their combined talents to reach a wider audience and improve outcomes.
We offer supporters the opportunity to hear, read, and see the works of art and writing created by program participants, connect with these individuals directly through exhibitions, podcasts, performances, social media, and websites, and, support their work by purchasing art, books, and tickets, and by donating to their art-sci projects.
Financials: We share most (90% or more) of the funds we raise with our community! For more, please visit our Donate Page.
Please see our Annual Reports for details about our program activities, financials, and measures of success.
DEFINING WILDLIFE CONSERVATION
We define wildlife conservation as taking action to live in balance with wild animals and protect the habitats that sustain them and us. It is also essential for a just and peaceful world. We recognize that bringing people together via our programming is only the first step.
Animals are central to our lives. We rely on them for companionship, clothing, food, medicine, sport, and spirituality. We live with them in our homes, farms, cities, towns, and wilderness areas. We share millions of years of evolutionary history. We compete for the same basic needs: air, food, water, shelter, room to move, and each other. Our success as a species depends on theirs. Sadly, our actions have had dire consequences for most of the other animals on Earth. Few will survive our massive presence unless we intervene.
GLOBALISM
Wildlife conservation is a global dilemma. It is a solution to a human problem, one that requires a diverse, multiple, interconnected approach. Even as we consider the specific role an organism plays in its environment, we also consider its role in the larger ecosystem that is our human-dominated planet. Our programs ask participants to consider their work on many scales; from the scale of the organism to the scale of the globe.
ACCESSIBILITY
We recognize that many artists, designers, writers and other creatives, especially those in underserved communities have limited access to experts with scientific and traditional knowledge and few, if any, opportunities to get involved in on-the-ground wildlife conservation. Similarly, relatively few experts working in wildlife conservation to restore species and their habitats have established connections with creatives.
With these limitations in mind, we are committed to making our language and working spaces inclusive and our programs accessible. For example, our workshops include asynchronous online formats with subtitled pre-recorded videos; we support curatorial and mentorship fellows around the world; and, both our mentorship and scholarship programs are designed to create opportunities for individuals of all backgrounds from anywhere in the world.
OUR WORK
FOR program highlights, IMPACTS, and financials, PLEASE SEE OUR ANNUAL REPORTS
Banner Artwork by Rachel Frank, Rewilding Offering Hand Oyster