An elephant made of scrap metal. A mural on the side of a science center. Old clothes made new again in a recycled fashion show.
Rebecca Goldstone has brought the power of sculpture, paintings, fashion and even dance into her conservation work at New Nature Foundation (NNF), a nonprofit she and her husband, Michael Stern, founded in 2009. NNF supports conservation in Uganda through community-based arts and cultural programming.
Goldstone’s work at NNF and support of the conservation art of others won her The Wildlife Society’s 2026 Jay N. “Ding” Darling Memorial Award for Wildlife Stewardship Through Art.
The award is a tribute to Jay N. “Ding” Darling, an artist, a conservationist and the first recipient of TWS’ Aldo Leopold Memorial Award. The Darling Memorial Award honors dedicated artists who promote wildlife and habitat conservation through their art.
“Grounded in a strong awareness of traditional culture and contemporary life, Rebecca’s work stands as a powerful example of innovation, authenticity and enduring purpose,” Stern said in his nomination letter.
Recycled art
Besides being an accomplished artist herself, Goldstone elevates the work of local artists. In 2019, she approached artist Reagan Kandole, the executive director of ECOaction, an organization based in Uganda that helps marginalized people create income through alternative waste management programs, with an idea for a new piece. Kandole created a 13-foot-tall, life-sized elephant made of materials salvaged from local trash dumps and scrap yards.
The art piece sits on a major thoroughfare where thousands of people see it daily, delivering a message on the importance of conservation in their community.
The experience for Kandole was transformative for his business and mission. He was commissioned to create five more elephants across the country as well as life-sized gorillas, giraffes and a whale. “Rebecca catalyzed my future as a successful international conservation artist,” Kandole said.
Even NNF’s buildings are works of art. NNF operates six natural history museums free to the public and located in some of Uganda’s trading centers. They are covered in murals made of recycled materials by Ugandan artists. “By turning waste into colorful wildlife art, the murals combine environmental cleanup with conservation education,” Goldstone said.
Conservation through friendly competition
Some of NNF’s signature events are its annual conservation competitions, which are day-long events that gather thousands together to “celebrate nature” through a variety of artistic and cultural expressions, including traditional song and dance, drawing and poetry and recycled fashion and sculptures.
“For me, they represent exactly the kind of conservation we want to build: creative, community-driven, joyful and deeply connected to place,” Goldstone said.
Many recycled outfits include plastic bags, scrap metal and foraged flowers. “The fashion show turns waste into wearable art while engaging communities in a fun and memorable conversation about conservation,” Goldstone said.
The celebrations also include traditional songs and dances rewritten with new words and themes that share the importance of the forests the communities rely on and the importance of protecting them.
Perhaps the most revolutionary part of Goldstone’s work is that it uses joy and cultural celebration to confront and engage with serious and urgent topics like the climate crisis. “In a field that so often leans on urgency and loss, Rebecca offers something even more powerful: hope and connection through science and art,” Stern said.
NNF has six conservation competitions planned for Kibale and Queen Elizabeth National Parks in Uganda at the end of 2026.
“This award is an affirmation of the hard work we are doing through the New Nature Foundation, supporting humanity’s connections with wildlife and the natural world,” Goldstone said. “It renews my confidence and enthusiasm to keep exploring what is possible when art, community and conservation come together.”
The award will be presented at TWS’ Annual Conference in Des Moines, Iowa, starting Nov. 1.
Article by Olivia Milloway
