TNC ME Campaign Impact Report 2023 pages - Flipbook - Page 2
The 20 years I’ve spent
at TNC so far are just
an instant from an
ecological point of view.
But they give me enough
perspective to begin
understanding how lasting
change is built. That’s
what makes me so thrilled
about the progress we are
making together for the
planet through the Join
Maine campaign—and so
grateful for the role you
play in it.
© Sam Moore
As I think about the work described on page 3 to bring fish back
to the Skutik (St. Croix) River, I recall being part of the team
working to restore the Penobscot River in the 2010s. Now
millions of native fish migrate up that river each spring, carrying
nutrients upstream from the ocean and bringing eagles out to
feast on their bounty. The change in just a few years is astounding
and life-affirming. Thanks to you, a similar transformation is
underway Downeast.
You’ll read on page 5 about a research collaboration between TNC
Maine and our Kenya program. It measures ecosystem health in
areas with improved conservation practices after the launch of the
Upper Tana-Nairobi Water Fund—an initiative jump-started in 2015
with early support from TNC Maine trustees. From planning to
evaluation, your support ensures our work is based on sound science
to achieve the best possible results.
Together, we can take action that extends far beyond our own
homes and our own lifetimes. Thank you for joining together with
us to help nature adapt and heal.
Sincerely,
Kate Dempsey
TNC Maine State Director
The Nature Conservancy in Maine and Maine
College of Art & Design have partnered
through a program created with MECA’s
Artists at Work team. Each year, TNC
works with a new graduate from the MECA
Illustration department to create original work
for TNC’s annual campaign report. Oliver
Walker ‘23, a recent graduate from MECA’s
BFA Illustration major, was named this year’s
TNC Summer Illustration Fellow. In a similar
program, Sam Moore, a 2022 graduate of
MECA’s Salt Institute for Documentary
Studies, was named TNC’s Documentary
Storytelling Fellow in March. In this oneyear engagement, Moore is documenting
TNC stories through original photography
and video to build awareness and encourage
the support of those caring for the natural
world. Sam and Oliver are the fourth and fifth
fellows from Maine College of Art & Design
to spend time on TNC’s team in Maine.
ILLUSTRATOR BIO
Oliver Walker is a 2023 Maine College of
Art & Design graduate. Based in Maine,
Oliver specializes and moves between natural
history, reportage, and editorial illustration.
His work revolves around themes of science,
human nature, and the protection of land and
animals. Being influenced by environmental
activism, he uses his illustrations to bring
awareness to our natural world, and to
encourage the building of community within
art and nature.