Leelanau Conservancy Logo Refresh
I led a comprehensive rebrand of the 30-year-old logo across digital, print, and in-person platforms. This required careful building of consensus among staff, board, and key stakeholders to successfully bring the new identity to the finish line.
Indigenous Knowledges Project
I co-led the Indigenous Knowledges Project, a multi-year endeavor to strengthen the Leelanau Conservancy’s partnerships with local tribal communities. We began this work with humility, curiosity, and a commitment to deep listening and long-term relationship building. We consulted with knowledge keepers and elders from the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians to conduct cultural land assessments of protected lands. These assessments helped begin to integrate traditional ecological knowledge with the Conservancy’s land management practices. I also won a federal grant ($95K) through RCPP funding to expand outreach to underserved landowners, including tribal members.
To share about this important work, Mark Wilson and I hosted a 5-part podcast and video series to elevate Indigenous perspectives in conservation.
Founder of the LC Collective and Harvest Event
I co-founded the LC Collective with friend and board member Nick Loud. The group is a next generation council passionate about protecting Leelanau County, (groundbreaking in the land trust community, where the average age of a donor is 70). We formed in 2022 to engage young people in the vital work of the Leelanau Conservancy–in protecting Leelanau County’s land, water, and scenic character for the future–and to provide inclusive access to natural resources for all people.
The LC Collective aims to create inclusive opportunities to recreate, participate, and activate in Leelanau’s natural spaces. Forming this council and ideating the inaugural event took patient relationship building. Our success meant allowing goals to emerge out of messiness, constant collaboration, and deep listening.
I also led the planning and execution of 3 of our Harvest events which showcased the art, music and culture of the land at the Historic DeYoung Farmhouse. Our first event brought in over 300 supporters under age 45, two-thirds of whom were new to the Conservancy. The Collective has become a model for engaging the next generation of supporters in the Grand Traverse region and the national land trust community.
