Selah, Bamberger Ranch Preserve is a 5,500-acre ranch in Blanco County that has been restored to its original habitat. Its mission is to teach ethical land stewardship — by example and outreach. It offers seminars for landowners and serves as a research lab for botanists, zoologists, and other scientists.

It provides hands-on science classes and nature camps for school children — 2,000 children in a typical year. Its public tours and workshops attract birdwatchers, photographers, and animal and plant enthusiasts.

We began working with the executive director Colleen Gardner and created an overview brochure that was a real “fence straddler,” meaning that it served multiple purposes — for fundraising, press, promotion, education, and volunteer recruiting.

Our role in creating quality communications grew over time, and we diligently implemented graphic and brand standards through the consistent application of color, typography (hello Franklin Gothic!), photography, and illustrations.

We created an editorial structure and platform for their quarterly email newsletter, The Selah Dispatch. Each issue focused on Conservation, Research, Education, the Giving Tree (donations), and Colleen’s Corner. Our email open rates were consistently over 65%, which is three times the industry average. Our click through rates to the website were above average as well.

We leveraged the popularity of The Selah Dispatch to help raise over $1 million dollars to build the Margaret Bamberger Research and Education Center.

After leaving the Ranch, many visitors are inspired to change consumption habits and better conserve natural resources. They leave with a vision of harmony with the land. They realize that the Ranch tells a story of hope: Given the chance, Nature can heal itself. Nature can heal us.