"In my comic strip MUTTS, I try to see the world through the eyes of animals. It is my firm belief that there is nothing more important than saving and preserving the natural world. D&R Greenway is a model for what can be done to keep our planet green." — Patrick McDonnell

For two years now I’ve been a member of the board of trustees for the environmental group D&R Greenway Land Trust. This past summer www.the-mutts.com and I came up with a fun way to promote their good work. We collaborated with fellow board member and incredible watercolorist James Fiorentino to create a reusable bag, featuring Earl and Mooch, which D&R Greenway is now using for its membership drive.

After several meetings with D&R Greenway CEO Linda Mead and Nancy Flaherty (Director of Donor and Community Engagement), and with the help of Nikki Tramontana and Nichole Chobin from www.the-mutts.com, we "perfected" the bag. Nikki designed the bag using my and James' art, and Nichole made sure the development and delivery process went smoothly. It was quite gratifying to see this group of people coming together and donating their time for such a good cause.


We are so excited with the way "the Greenway Bag" turned out. D&R Greenway recently started a fundraising campaign and sent out a newsletter highlighting the bag as well as its illustrative art.

D&R Greenway is a land trust in central New Jersey, predominantly in Princeton and the surrounding areas. It began in the late 1980s and has successfully preserved over 22,000 acres of land, most recently preserving Point Breeze, a 60-acre property in Bordentown, NJ which was once owned by the brother of Napoleon. It’s a gorgeous stretch of land along the Delaware River with amazing wildlife, now preserved and protected forever. James illustrated Point Breeze on the Greenway Bag.

I couldn't be prouder than to be part of this amazing organization that identifies important parcels of land and then preserves them forever — for us, for generations to come and, especially, for all the animals who inhabit them.

Patrick

Comments (2)

Patrick and James, thank you for all that you do for us, always. We really appreciate your reaching out to readers of all ages and all persuasions, to inform them of the urgency of preserving nature in our time, for their children’s sake and that of their children’s children. It is no joke to be part of the Sixth Extinction! You and James, with D&R Greenway and in all your other connections, keep people focused upon this urgent priority. Even something as simple as carrying a preservation bag can help to turn the urgent tide.

So grateful! Carolyn Foote Edelmann

Carolyn Edelmann

Patrick, this is a wonderful message. I join you as a proud supporter of this amazing organization and its legacy work – preserving and caring for land and inspiring a conservation ethic, now and forever. The generations to come will benefit from understanding the beauty of the natural world around us!

Nancy Faherty