Natural Resources Defense Council rebrands its flagship member publication

PROJECT OVERVIEW: In the 1970s, the Natural Resources Defense Council launched a magazine called The Amicus Journal, after the term amicus curiae, or friend of the court.

As the organization grew and added hundreds of thousands of citizen donors, NRDC needed a publication with broader appeal to deepen members’ relationship to the organization and its mission.

Our charge? Make the award-winning magazine relatable while maintaining excellence in environmental journalism. The result was OnEarth. As the managing editor, I assigned, wrote for, and oversaw production of the rebrand and the production of the magazine. Among my stories was “Alexander’s Marvelous Machine,” about a helical turbine that harnesses the kinetic energy of water.