Conservation Tales - Wildlife Conservation Books for Children

STRETCH GOAL OF $5,000 TO FURTHER FUND OUR PROJECT!

Thank you so much to all of our donors who helped us reach our initial goal of $2,000! We have extended our goal to $5,000 in order to cover the costs our project will incur in 2021!

Your gifts have met our need for art supplies and some printing costs, and some local travel expenses. But let us tell you about what comes next!

The Conservation Tales team is looking at plans for the next three years AFTER our current project. In Summer 2021, we hope to have funding for our most ambitious project yet! If the funding is available, we plan to produce 

books about Cheetahs and Lions! The Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia has expressed their willingness to help with one of the books, and we are working to build a relationship with a lion conservation group in Kenya. Both sites include some important examples of both research and conservation efforts that are ideal elements of our stories! Dr. McConnell visited Kenya

in 2018, and is trying to arrange a preliminary visit in Namibia this year.

So our next goal of $5000 will help us support the cost of taking students to Africa in May 2021! We want our team to meet the researchers and experience the savanna where these endangered cats live as they research content for the book.

We have discovered that our books have an unmatched sense of realism IF THE STUDENTS VISIT THE PLACES FEATURED IN THE STORIES!

Our team will also add some telecommunications students to produce a documentary video of our work, AND a virtual reality learning module we plan to post on Google Expedititions - a FREE teaching resource that will let learners around the world "travel" to Namibia and Kenya to learn more about big cat conservation.

Our projected cost for EACH student for this trip is $3800. The gifts you give now will serve as a "travel scholarship" for at least one of our students. The team will also pursue some grants for more of the costs, but this is a great chance for you to help!

So again, THANK YOU to those who gave so generously! Let's keep the ball rolling and extend this project for an even longer period of time!

     Have you ever wondered what you can do to protect seahorses? Do you know that more than 400 species of bees may be found near your home that need your help? Have you ever wondered why animals like elephants and tigers are endangered? And haves you ever wanted

to help others learn about protecting species like manatees, orangutans, bats and giraffes?

The Conservation Tales project is an immersive learning program at Ball State that brings together an interdisciplinary team of students who research, develop and publish children’s books about wildlife conservation. Our student team includes illustrators, graphic designers, photographers, educators and conservation biology majors.

     The team collaborates with researchers in the field, zoos and other partners to ensure that the books represent authentic science and conservation. Characters in the books show the diversity of scientists and learners as they find out about the scientific processes involved in studying

and protecting endangered species. The team then creates original ​illustrations, writes the story and combines elements to produce the books. So far, we have published eleven books, and there is so much more work to do!

The team also plans and facilitates educational outreach events. We have led a Community Day at the Midwest Museum of Natural History in northern Illinois, reading club visits to local elementary schools, teacher workshops across Indiana, and interactive activities at local nature fairs and craft shows.

In order to create these books, we need your help! Your donations can help fund the team’s work. Donations are used to buy art supplies, print marketing materials, and to develop activities and materials for our outreach events. We will also use the funds to pay for travel to meet researchers in the field to sketch the animals and their habitats as we learn more about conservation efforts.

Our teams travel to zoos, animal sanctuaries, and when possible, habitats where the scientists study the animals in the wild. Past teams have traveled to Brown County, Indiana, and to the Gulf Coast of Florida as part of their research. Future teams hope to visit sites in Namibia, Kenya, Costa Rica, and more! But to make these plans a reality, we need your gifts.  

Please help us make a difference for wildlife! And help us teach children that they CAN be scientists and conservationists! 

Your donations will contribute to the creation of these unique and important learning resources, and will give our team the help we need to share our stories of conservation with kids and adults of all ages! Check out our project at conservationtales.com, and find out how your donation can help!