There come those times in life when you know full well the path you are on, while at the same time asking yourself if this is the one you want to be on at all.

I was kneeling by a local creek a few days ago, thinking about all the jobs I have had, my experiences, and my education—wondering if it is actually possible to start a for-profit natural conservation group. I remembered all my college education courses; none of them spoke on entrepreneurship. Yet deep down, I always knew the current conservation models didn’t make much sense. There must be better ways to offer complementary services that strengthen park municipalities, organize community decision-makers, and involve the community in stewardship of their local natural areas.

To start building something like this seems a bit daunting. Working to build a network of allies and supporters is not easy. It’s going to take a lot of cold calls and a lot of solicitation—getting out there on the ground and hearing “no” a lot. Yet still moving forward. Making more content, expanding one’s portfolio. Establishing a body of work to which you can point as your experience and expertise.

People nowadays love visuals. You want to impress someone, take in a binder of your sketch work curated in a way that tells a story that is compelling.

The thing is, I can say all the right things to do. The truth is, these are things I need to do myself.

Right now, there is a threshold that I see visibly—a place where single brave souls who see the course of the river can push their way upstream through the stones. Entrepreneur-based conservation enables completely new business models that have never been seen before. Every geography enables a unique form-cast of possibilities. Think, for example, of one person per town. The town voluntarily supports them—buys their products or consultation expertise—and in turn, this person or people can be the hypothetical naturalist and conservationist of a whole municipality, without being on the payroll or under its jurisdiction.

Behind my perspectives, I hope to create a template that is replicable for other enspirited people in the world—a perspective that causes a person to be deeply involved in their community and, most of all, close to the Earth.