Behind the Scenes of Wild Wonder Mail: Crafting Your Monthly Dose of Adventure

Ever wondered how each Wild Wonder Mail transforms from a simple letter into a full-blown adventure that lands in your mailbox? Today, I'm giving you the VIP backstage pass to our creative process at Wild Wonder HQ, where science meets creativity and every letter is a ticket to a new world for you and your kids!

Read on for all the details...

Why Wild Wonder Mail?

As a lifelong zoologist, author, and artist, my career has been a safari of sorts—traversing the wilds of animal behaviour and the jungles of children's imaginations. Wild Wonder Mail sprouted from a wish to bring the thrill of discovery and curiosity directly to your door.

Armed with a Masters degree in Zoology and a lifetime of storytelling and art, my mission is simple: kindle curiosity, foster a love of nature, and maybe, just maybe, help kids find their place and help the planet one letter at a time.

Step 1: Digging Up the Dirt

Every great adventure starts with a bit of dirt-digging. For each letter, I plunge into the depths of ecosystems and animal science, poring over research. Some of the science is stuff that I've wanted to share for ages, but all of my letters are vetted by the latest research and science. My sources? Anything and everything credible -- I use research of all kinds, my own wild encounters, and information from the top minds in various fields.

Many of Ellie's adventures (that's our brave protagonist!) are based on my own travels, as well. Rest assured, no stone is left unturned, no fact unchecked—accuracy is key, but so is fun! I want kids and readers to get a sense of what it's really like to visit a place and encounter wild creatures, and that means getting the sensory experience and scientific details just right!

Step 2: Crafting the Adventure

Once the facts are sorted and the story seeds are sown, I craft an easy-to-read letter that is as educational as it are enchanting. Think of it as sneaking vegetables into a smoothie—so delicious, the kids won’t even know they’re learning. Each letter is crafted to not just tell a story about a wild destination and its creatures, but to invite the reader into a narrative where they’re the main character in a plot thick with beauty, enchantment, and adventure. 

Step 3: Drawing Readers In

Now, let’s get visual. I stick on my artist's hat (it’s metaphorical here, but please imagine it’s quite stylish) and begin sketching. I use both old school sketchbooks and digital journals (Procreate!) for each letter, and design it to be an adventurous, rustic note -- like you're getting a piece of beautiful, mysterious history in the mail every month.

Every illustration is a window into our wild world, designed to draw the reader deeper into Ellie's adventure. These aren’t just doodles; they’re hand-drawn accounts to real-life treasures, guiding young explorers through the jungles, oceans, and far off places of our planet.

Step 4: The Expedition Notes

One of my favourite elements of each letter! Think of the Expedition Notes as the secret compartment in a treasure chest. This section is packed with the quirky, the curious, and the quintessential scraps of knowledge that didn’t fit into the main letter. It's where I nudge kids to look closer, think deeper, and even start their own collection of facts.

In every Wild Wonder letter, these notes are where I model the creative art of journalling, sketching, and observation, and jam-pack it with as much science and fun as possible. 

Step 5: Artifact Alchemy

No explorer’s kit is complete without the artifacts! Each letter includes a special section where photographs become canvases for additional discovery. Here, kids get the 'aha!' moments—like an arrow pointing out the absurdly blue feet of a booby or the sneaky camouflage of a leaf-tailed gecko. 

These photos are curated specifically for our readers, and typically contain snippets and close-up moments in nature that are hard to find in person, with Ellie's trademark wit and hand-scrawled notes. These are often pinned to reader walls!

Our Mission: More Than Mail

At its heart, I've got a two-fold mission:

1) Wild Wonder Mail is about connecting kids with the planet in a way that’s as entertaining as it is enlightening. It’s about crafting a love for the environment, one letter at a time. Because when kids understand the world, they care about it. And when they care about it, they protect it. 

2) I truly believe that understanding our diverse planet is key to understand where we fit within it , and that young readers benefit every time they learn about the wild world out there. By following the adventures of a brave, intelligent adventurer as she travels the world, young readers cultivate their own curiosity and creativity, in a safe, exciting way that lets them take the lead. 

The act of wonder is self care, and our letters aim to spark wonder with every word. 

Eager to join us?

Each Wild Wonder Mail is more than just paper and ink—it's a gateway to a world of adventure. It’s a conversation starter, a brain tickler, and a nudge towards embracing wonder as a way of life.

Ready to give your child the world? Subscribe today and let’s start a grand adventure together, one charming letter at a time.

Because remember, in the grand tapestry of the cosmos, every little bit of wonder counts!