ConservationDONATIONGuardian PartnerPRESS RELEASESponsorship
Sloth Circle Guardian PartnerEmma Jacquelyn Design
A Brand Built on Science, Heart, and Hope
At The Sloth Institute, our work to protect and conserve sloths would not be possible without the support of Guardian Partners, who believe in creating a healthier, more compassionate world.
Today, we are proud to celebrate a Guardian Partnership with Emma Jacquelyn Design, whose generous in-kind donation of a full brand refresh has helped strengthen how we share our mission with the world.
This partnership is rooted in shared values: sustainability, animal welfare, and a commitment to building a future where healthy ecosystems are prioritized for generations to come.
A Shared Commitment to Conservation
Emma Jacquelyn Design was inspired to support The Sloth Institute through firsthand experience in wildlife rescue in Costa Rica. While volunteering with veterinary teams at another rescue center, Emma witnessed the immense effort required to rehabilitate injured sloths, and the critical role of long-term monitoring and data collection in ensuring their success back in the wild.
Our holistic conservation model, combining rescue, rehabilitation, tracking, habitat protection, and community education, deeply resonated. By rebuilding habitat, caring for sloths impacted by human expansion, and empowering local communities to become lifelong sloth advocates, we work toward the kind of world Emma Jacquelyn Design strives to help create through its own work.
Why an In-Kind Brand Refresh?
Through their non-profit growth initiative, Emma Jacquelyn Design donates one comprehensive Brand Building package each year to a nonprofit organization. Rather than a traditional monetary contribution, this in-kind Guardian Partnership equips organizations with long-lasting tools, strategy, visuals, and systems that help build trust, strengthen community engagement, and ultimately support sustainable fundraising and growth.
For The Sloth Institute, this gift has been transformational.
Designing a Brand That Reflects the Heart and the Science
The brand refresh was shaped through close collaboration and deep conversations with our team, especially co-founder Sam Trull. The goal was clear: create a visual identity that reflects both the scientific rigor of our research and the heart-centered nature of our rescue and education work.
The resulting brand balances professional, research-driven credibility with warmth, color, and playfulness—making it approachable for supporters, travelers, students, and conservationists alike. The refreshed system is designed to be practical for our internal team while resonating with the global community that supports sloths in Costa Rica and beyond.
Transparency is a cornerstone of our work, and the brand reflects that value visually. Documentary-style photography captures real moments in the field, while custom logos and badges help tell the story of our interconnected programs, from sloth tracking and nurseries to habitat corridors, sloth speedways, and Sloth School.
Honoring the Past While Looking Ahead
A central goal of the refresh was to honor our roots. Our original logo, featuring Monster, one of the very first sloths rescued and rehabilitated by TSI, remains at the heart of our identity. Monster’s story represents what we believe in: that every sloth is an individual, and every rescue carries a story that matters.
The refreshed brand also introduces a new two-fingered sloth logo, representing the approximately 56% of rescued sloths in our care that are two-fingered. Together, these elements help tell a more complete story of the sloths we serve.
A Holistic Story of Conservation
Through this Guardian Partnership, Emma Jacquelyn Design sought to amplify a message we care deeply about: conservation works best when it is holistic. Tracking ensures rewilding efforts are successful. Habitat protection reduces the need for rescues. Education creates lasting change. Each program supports the others, and the refreshed brand brings them together under one recognizable TSI identity.
Collaboration, Creativity, and Impact
One of the most meaningful aspects of this collaboration was the shared joy in the process. Creativity, curiosity, and care guided every step, and yes, designing sloths is undeniably fun. But beyond that, this partnership was built on mutual respect, kindness, and a shared commitment to doing conservation work the right way.
Strong, intentional branding helps nonprofits stand out in a crowded digital landscape, especially amid misinformation and AI-generated imagery that can erode trust. Clear visuals and a grounded brand strategy help supporters quickly understand who we are, what we stand for, and why our work matters.
Looking Forward
We hope that when people encounter the new TSI branding, they feel drawn in by the sloths’ charm, inspired to learn more, and most importantly, hopeful. Conservation is serious work, but it can also be joyful. There is room to celebrate progress, share adorable moments, and build community while protecting wildlife.
This Guardian Partnership is also a powerful reminder of the role businesses can play in conservation. Many industries benefit from systems that impact the environment, and giving back, through financial support, in-kind expertise, or creative collaboration, is one way to help reduce harm and support solutions.
About Emma Jacquelyn Design
Emma Jacquelyn Design creates strategic branding and web design for mission-driven organizations and sustainably minded founders. Their work helps amplify impact by making external touchpoints more engaging and internal systems more efficient. From full branding suites and custom websites to illustration, merchandise design, and consultations, they partner with organizations that value kindness, progress, and positive change.
Sloth Circle: Uniting Businesses for a Wilder Future
Through their annual nonprofit branding initiative, Emma Jacquelyn Design continues to support organizations working to make the world a better place and we are deeply grateful to have them as a Guardian Partner of The Sloth Institute.
