The Rosette

I was 12 years old when I started my first field research trips diving into wildlife conservation.  I wanted to share what I was learning but I also wanted kids like me to feel that there was hope that,  despite all of the bad news around extinction and climate change. If enough of us believe that change is possible and fight for what we believe in, then we can save the world.  I am a huge Marvel fan. I love graphic novels and let’s face it, there aren’t enough teenage superheroes, especially not fighting for the environment and against extinction! 

So I began writing the story of The Rosette  based on what I imagined being a superhero could be like.  I wrote her imagining the best version of myself as a superhero, and all the powers I wanted! I imagined that my own travel buddy, a stuffed snow leopard named Himalaya, was a real life crime-fighting mentor. THIS Himalaya, aka Himmy, can make herself invisible except for the silver pawprints she leaves behind. Himmy trains The Rosette for her crime-fighting adventures.  I wrote the story based upon the lessons I was learning through interviews with conservation leaders and scientists and my own experiences with wildlife.

The Rosette learns about the secret parallel spy universe run by animals and discovers her destiny. The birthmark at the base of her neck that is shaped like snow leopard’s rosettes proves that she is the one chosen to help save the world from the sixth extinction.  Along the way, The Rosette and Himmy meet a quirky little white platypus named Louie who becomes an indispensable part of their team.

The graphic novel is illustrated by Colombian born designer Mariana Prieto.  She joined us on the field research trip to Borneo, which allowed us to talk through the initial design concepts and illustrations for our superhero trio. 

We’ve been working for years to tell The Rosette’s story…  now we need to get her into the world so she can start saving it!  We need your help. Our next final step is to hire a colorist so we can finish the story and then we plan to self-publish with a green printer recommended to us by friends at several wildlife conservation organizations.  We have decided that for the first Rosette issue, her inception story, we will self publish so that we can get the story out into independent bookstores and promote with the support of our incredible conservation and environmental partners. 

I am excited to share videos and stories and I even have a couple surprises, so I hope that you will donate, share, and help bring this new superhero to into the world! 

You can learn more about my wildlife conservation activism through my organization Endangered Activism  and follow this campaign on social media on Instagram at @endangered_activism



Devon
age 15 
aka The Rosette