Visiting conservationists in the field might be the most magical thing you can do. Not because the work they do is all sunshine and roses (far from it, in many cases), but because you get to experience their work from close-up. You get to breathe in their everlasting energy and feel the daily struggles they face. 

If I could, I would create the opportunity for each of our team members to visit a conservationist/conservation organization in person. Although it's proven difficult to make this happen for various reasons, we did strike gold for this issue. Giulia had chosen an organization, the Horstmann Trust, based on the topic. But when she dove into them, she found out she lived a mere 30 minutes from the organization's HQ. As luck would have it, she was able to visit, and the result is a stunning 6-spread feature with incredible images from photographer Chris Eley. 



But even though this was the only field visit of this issue, I'm always surprised by how well stories can be transferred from a conservationist to a journalist, and then onto paper. They aren't merely words but real and raw emotions experienced in the field. 

Flavia Manieri was able to put into words what composer and musician Aimée Portioli poured into her newest installation, Symphony for Endangered Birds. Reinhard Venzke captured the silence of Indonesia's forests, devoid of birdlife, where Asman Adi Purwanto is trying to turn the tide. Kamile Trakimate uncovered the story of Lexi Smith, whose tenacity while building Pemberton is remarkable and inspiring.

And I could keep going to talk about all the stories in this issue. But instead, I think it's much more fun if you read them yourself. 

Read issue 17 here.