A Frog House

On a recent trip to upstate New York, craving nature, I found myself walking along the Erie Canal towpath and stumbled across something unexpected: a wooden staircase leading to a cottage. Signs urged people to take flyers, learn about wetlands and chemical-free yards, and save frogs. Frog sculptures, realistic and whimsical, nestled among native plants. A QR code on one sign took me to a website, and revealed that “A Frog House” is far more than a charming cottage with frog art. It’s a major hub for art-science collaboration with a mission to educate people about frogs as biodiversity indicators along the Erie Canal and beyond.

Often I’m the one providing information—writing, teaching, advocating, mentoring—but here I was the learner, simply delighted and curious. “A Frog House” reminded me how powerfully art inspires action. And even as we’re busy creating, it’s vital to make space for wonder. 

As a former Creature Conserve mentee, three-time mentor, and now Mentor Fellow in Writing, I look forward to discovering that same sense of curiosity and delight in our new cohort’s projects! I’ll also be developing new tools and resources to help our community of artists and scientists tell their conservation stories. I can’t wait to learn from the creative paths our new mentees forge.

Diana Renn - Mentorship Fellow 2025-26

Spotlighting Wildlife

Illustrator Faith Williams Dyrsten contributed “Orchard Bees” to our “Wildlife Spotlight” series on Instagram. Faith is a Creature Conserve Mentor and former Scholarship Recipient and Mentorship Fellow. In her words:

—— “Osmia is a genus of solitary mason bees that craft small nests from mud or plant fibers. Often called “orchard bees” for their skill in pollinating fruit trees, they play a vital role in increasing the harvests for foods such as apples, pears, and peaches. Sustainable farming practices can promote these bees by providing nesting materials, allowing wild areas to go undisturbed, and avoiding use of chemical pesticides.” @faithwilliamsart

Wildlife ecology and zoology are rich sources of inspiration for illustrators. We celebrate the art, artist, and the animal in our Wildlife Spotlight series on Instagram. This series invites illustrators to share what makes a creature special to you—and how it shapes the environment around it.

Have a creature in mind? DM @creatureconserve with your illustration idea to be part of our next “Wildlife Spotlight.”

Things to be inspired by

At the invitation of Maura Nguyen Donohue @mauranguyendonohue, Creature Conserve Executive Director Dr. Lucy Spelman, Writer-in-Residence Susan Tacent, and Creative Consultant Deanne Fernandes participated in three unique events during CREATURES at @lamamaetc in New York City.

—— “The whole experience - meeting the performing artists, workshopping how to combine art and science for wildlife conservation, and discussing our shared needs - was energizing and inspiring. We also discovered a thriving slice of nature just around the corner from the theater, the Bowery Houston Community Farm and Garden, the city’s first (1973) community garden.” Lucy Spelman

Events & Workshops

Creature Conserve Fellows seek to level up their leadership or professional skills. They are also establishing deeper roots within the field of wildlife conservation and personal connections with participants in our programs - both past and present - that will, in turn, help grow their creative reach and access as well as that of Creature Conserve.

Our Mentorship Fellows are fully engaged in all aspects of the Mentorship Program, including assisting the Program Director with the selection of Mentees, pairing them with Mentors, scheduling meetings, review and feedback sessions, and organizing and promoting the final Showcase. They also work independently to develop and administer a unique discipline-specific project that further develops the reach and relevance of the Mentorship Community as well as the larger Creature Conserve Community.

Anyone can apply, although preference will be given to individuals who have prior experience working with Creature Conserve as a program participant or art-sci for wildlife conservation projects. To apply and for more information, download this PDF Mentorship Fellow Open Call or visit our website.

We designed our Fundamentals Workshops so you can take them at any time and in any place, and work at your own pace. They are a great way to join our community and start a new art-sci pathway for wildlife conservation.

Help spread the word: we all need the same things

Looking for ways to help wildlife? Ask your local bookstore or library to order a copy of Creature Needs: Writers Respond to the Science of Animal Conservation, or buy a copy and give it as a gift.

Help us spread the word that all creatures - including humans - need the same things, and that these shared needs connect us. Here are five ways you can help:

1. Help us get the book out to as many stores and libraries as possible. Share the ISBN: I9781517918316 with store managers and librarians to make it easy for them to find the book.

2. Buy the book or give it as a gift. Visit the University of Minnesota Press or this link on our website or find it at any bookseller.

3. Share your reactions to the book or post a review to social media

4. Share a photo of the book if you “see it in the wild” at a library, bookstore, or coffee shop.

5. Share about the book via our YouTube Channel, where you can find the book trailer by Lizzie Brown and Deanne Fernandes and listen to readings by several of the contributing writers.

Creature Needs emerged from the work of Creature Conserve and is an example of combining art and science for wildlife conservation. The book is a collection of new literary works by 39 prominent writers paired with excerpts from recent scientific articles that inspired and informed them. Edited by Christopher Kondrich, Lucy Spelman, and Susan Tacent.

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.