Making-With

For the first session, I will be joined by Mentorship Fellows Ana Sofía Camarga @camargura, Diana Renn @dianarennbooks, and Lisa Kahn Schnell @lisakschnell to introduce this year’s theme: “Making-With.” On Saturday, the first panel will be “Bridging Ecologies Through Connections” followed by “Interpreting Nature: Creating Voices” and “Managing Conservation, Working with the Natural World.”

We encourage you to choose the session that interests you the most or join us whenever you can as your schedule permits. To find out more, please watch this video. You can also find the full program linked here and on our website.

See you at the Showcase!

Derek Russell - Director of Mentorship

Community Highlights

My fellowship project “Wild Ideas” is a digital card deck designed to help writers generate ideas, clarify direction, and spark meaningful conversations with mentors or collaborators. The cards are intended to support both creative and practical thinking, including project development, narrative framing, and professional reflection. I’m currently exploring how these might be used within our mentorship program at any stage of the mentorship process, across genres, and even across media. They may be useful not only for writers, but also for visual artists, scientists, or anyone who doesn’t usually think of themselves as a “creative writer.” While I’m developing and writing the overall deck, I’ll be incorporating selected contributions from the Creature Conserve community to reflect a range of perspectives. You’ll be able to share a tip, question, prompt, or piece of wisdom that’s helped you along the way. You’ll also have the option to share links to your website, social media, or any published work if you like.

Monarch Butterflies (Danaus plexippus) are entirely dependent on milkweed (Common Milkweed, Asclepias syriaca, pictured here). It is the sole food plant for monarch caterpillars. The toxin in milkweed sap provides caterpillars with defense. Monarchs find their way back to the same northern habitats where their great grandparents were born. Milkweed habitats are declining along the entire migration route. As a result, monarchs are classified as a species at risk in Canada, the US and Mexico.

Have A Creature In Mind?

We encourage everyone in our Creature Conserve creative community to participate by submitting your work and by sharing these posts with friends and colleagues. Please visit this link on our website to download the PDF with full submission details. Our Creative Consultant, Deanne Fernandes, curates Wildlife Spotlights. Send us your idea via DM to @creatureconserve or write to deanne@creatureconserve.com.

Events & Workshops

Scholarship Applications Open In April

We provide scholarship stipends for artists, designers, writers, and experts with scientific and traditional knowledge to support their creative process, including making art informed by science that inspires conservation action.

Funds can be spent on creative time, art supplies, logistical support, travel, and conference fees. A budget outline is required. Stipend amounts range from $500 to $1500 per project. We welcome applications from people at all skill levels, from all backgrounds, and from all countries. Successful applicants receive free access to our online workshops for a full year.

Our application requires you to choose from among several categories of scholarship and propose a specific project as the focus of your art-sci for wildlife conservation pathway; this can be an existing or new project. For more information please visit our website.

Asynchronous Learning - Creature Conserve Fundamentals

Each of our six asynchronous Fundamentals Workshops includes a series of brief video recordings paired with a workshop guide. Presented by Creature Conserve Program Leaders and invited experts, they are designed for you to complete at your own pace. $10 each.

Our Shared Needs Connect Us

Anything You Want To Share?

We would love to hear from you. You can reach us via email at the following:
connect@creatureconserve.com
media@creatureconserve.com

This newsletter is sent from the land of the First Peoples of Northeastern North America, including the Narragansett Nation.