This piece comes to us from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). To honor Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, WCS and Nature are sharing stories of nature and conservation.
Lena meets Calisto, the two-toed sloth, during a Bronx Zoo animal encounter. Photo credit: Stephen Ham/WCS.
As a child, I was gifted the love of drawing by my parents. I have them to thank for consistently putting a crayon into my fist and a sketchbook in my lap at an early age. They made sure I was never without a blank page to express myself creatively—a critical outlet as I had struggled in school with articulation and participation. I was a visual learner foremost, a quality I have carried with me to date.
I also have my parents to thank for allowing me to decide what I wished to pursue for my career, despite feeling the persistent social pressures common among first-generation immigrant families. The stereotypically expected career path for a young Chinese American was, if not an accountant, then a doctor, or a lawyer—but I stuck to my guns, and chose the newly minted Graphic Communications program at my alma mater, Baruch College. I am happy to have made that choice to turn my love for drawing into a career.
Left: Lena and her mother with a rhino statue in front of the Keith W. Johnson Zoo Center. Right: Lena with her mother and brother at the Bronx Zoo in 2021. Photo credit: ©Lena Chen.
And where does wildlife come in? I grew up visiting the Bronx Zoo, having been raised in Queens, just a train ride away. My parents saw the zoo as an accessible place that fostered an interest in animals and wild places around the world in me and my brother. I could dig up many photographs of my young self standing in front of the Zoo Center and the Sea Lion pool, among other iconic landmarks and exhibits. As I grew older and got busier, the parks and aquarium, unfortunately, became simply good memories.
It wasn’t until the summer of 2018 that I realized I needed a change in my life. My father had been recently diagnosed with cancer, and simultaneously I was let go from my job at a fine arts publishing magazine. In all the chaos and loss, I found comfort in learning about animals. Who doesn’t love marathoning wildlife documentaries and feel-good animal videos on YouTube? I became particularly interested in animal ambassador programs and accessible conservation education at our country’s zoos and wildlife rehabilitation centers.
That interest led me back to Bronx Zoo, inspiring me to take on a role that would make a difference in an area I care about. I joined the Wildlife Conservation Society as a graphic designer for the fundraising division’s Donor Communications team, and am about to mark my fourth year anniversary this July. Since that summer, my world has expanded so much.
An illustration by Lena of a red bird-of-paradise for a Patrons Family Celebration donor event. Illustration: ©Lena Chen/WCS
Good design does not exist in a bubble, and that is undeniably true at WCS. Learning and understanding the work we do globally in the field and at our five parks (in addition to the Bronx Zoo, the Central Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, and New York Aquarium) informs the approaches I take with graphic design. Translating conservation work into informative visual communication is a skill that I am grateful to have honed here.
For example, when designing a graphic, I must consider such questions as: are the trees I’m referencing endemic to a species’ habitat? Is the icon that goes with our work with Indigenous communities accurate in depicting their livelihoods? What visual cues differentiate an African forest elephant from a savannah elephant?
My team and I produce comprehensive pitches and reports for WCS’s most important funders, ensuring they learn about our pivotal wins and impact opportunities at our New York zoos and aquarium, and from across field sites in nearly 60 countries. I am particularly proud of our annual Impact Report—a culmination of our work in saving wildlife, protecting wild places, devising nature-based solutions to the climate crisis, advocating for critical health policies, and connecting people to nature.
The 2021 WCS Annual Report. Photo credit: ©WCS.
There are few things more wonderful than seeing it all come together. It is amazing knowing I have designed a book that has encouraged people to get involved in our mission or make a gift to save wildlife and wild places.
At the same time, my role allows me to grow as an artist. I enjoy illustrating for some of our family-oriented donor events. Every time, I am rediscovering my joy of learning about animals through the details that make them unique. Male birds-of-paradise, for example, sport dramatically evolved feathers serving the sole purpose of improving chances during courtship.
I am also an active member of the ASIA (Asian Society for Inclusion and Action) employee resource group at WCS which kicked off its inauguration with a celebratory Lunar New Year lunchtime talk in February. Every week in May, we are sharing ways to celebrate and observe Asian Pacific American Heritage Month with all our WCS staff.
Working at WCS has been and continues to be an invaluable experience, as my work has been a conduit that connects people to the amazing work we are doing around the world. This is only one part of my journey from being a child in a tiny Queens apartment doodling sparrows and trees outside her window to becoming a graphic design manager for one of the largest wildlife conservation organizations in the world. The future is limitless!