High Mountain Creative

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High Mountain Creative

High Mountain Creative is a boutique creative studio that helps brands and nonprofits tell a unique visual story.

High Mountain Creative is a creative studio dedicated to saving the planet through helping sustainably-minded brands and nonprofits tell their story. For over 15 years, Margo has used her passion for design and nature to empower her clients to promote the outdoors and to protect our Earth’s natural resources. Through beautiful design, she works with her clients to solve problems and amplify the ma

rketing efforts that ignite action and change. Specializing in: infographic design, custom map drawing, annual reports, event branding and logo design. Clients include: American Rivers, National Forest Foundation, Vail Resorts, Merrell, Friends of CAIC, Butterfly Pavilion, Camp4 Collective

High Mountain Creative is a member of 1% for the Planet and a small business member of the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics.

05/20/2026

Data centers are a hot topic in most communities right now. In an effort to get myself at least a little bit educated on the issue, I sat in on this panel discussion at University of Montana. I learned that a lot of the "no data center" conversations aren't simply about protecting the environment. The conversations are about high power bills, blackouts on the power grid, having enough water for growing food, and community impact (like the 24/7 humming). Data centers really are a nonpartisan issue and the only ones that benefit from them are the tech and energy companies.

No matter how you slice it, data centers generally aren't ever going to benefit the environment or communities, but if we *must* have them, the companies building them need to be held accountable and provide transparency to the public to make make an effort to minimize their impacts.

I encourage y'all to find answers in your community and talk to local leaders about impacts of these projects.

Thank you to the smart, incredible panelists: Amy Cilimburg, Anne Hedges, and Barbara Chillcott

University of Montana Sustainability, Climate Smart Missoula, Montana Environmental Information Center - MEIC, Western Environmental Law Center, Families for a Livable Climate

04/27/2026

Welcome to another episode of This Bag's For You, where I pick up litter and fill a bag to show gratitude to a nonprofit, person or brand that’s doing great work for the planet. In this episode, my friends and I are picking up litter during Earth Month in honor of Clark Fork Coalition at their annual River Cleanup.

Since 1985, Clark Fork Coalition has been protecting and restoring the Clark Fork watershed in Missoula and Western Montana. Their work includes stream restoration, advocacy, superfund site support, water management, water monitoring, research, and community programs (like the annual river cleanup!). I've volunteered with CFC a handful of times planting trees and picking up litter. I appreciate how they're always out in the community and keeping us updated on conservation projects.

Thanks Clark Fork Coalition, This Bag's For You!

Learn more about the organization and their work, visit: https://clarkfork.org

04/15/2026

💚 In the beginning of 2026, I started writing letters to the Earth in lieu of journaling. I write her letters about the things I see and experience that make me feel sorrow or shame, like buying a sandwich wrapped in plastic or forgetting my reusable mug when getting coffee at a local coffee shop.

📩 Some of my letters are apology letters.

📩 Other times, they’re written as thank you letters.

📩 Sometimes when writing, I go on a tangent and just write it all out on the page. I ask questions because I don’t have answers.

This month, I’m inviting you to join me in my Dear Earth project, a letter writing project to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboards for Earth.

If you could write a letter to the Earth, what would you say? Read more and share your letter to the Earth here 👇
https://www.highmountaincreative.com/blogposts/dear-earth-dont-give-up-on-us

03/10/2026

Last night, I experienced some grassroots activism take charge and it was awesome. In 2001, the Roadless Rule* was passed after 600+ public meetings and now, the administration is threatening to rescind the Roadless Rule in order to reopen forests to logging and other extraction. The worst part is, the USFS isn’t holding any public meetings or asking for feedback from communities about the issue. To remedy this, a group of local nonprofits banded together to host community input meetings across Montana to gather comments about protecting Roadless Areas to submit the USFS. The room was packed, the comments were inspiring, and the group of concerned neighbors reminded me that we’re all in this together.

Here’s a graphic recording I made capturing the highlights and comments.

* ICYMI The Roadless Area Conservation Rule says there can’t be any new road construction on the nearly 60 million acres of USFS Public Lands.

Wild Montana Trout Unlimited Backcountry Hunters & Anglers The Wilderness Society Montana Wildlife Federation Sierra Club National Parks Conservation Association

02/05/2026

The DNA Playground is a larger-than-life sized strand of DNA inside the Missoula Public Library that’s been designed to be part playground, part sculpture. I collaborated with the client on this multi-phase project including branding and educational signage design for the installation.

This project was co-created by the Missoula community – everyone from scientists to kids. My role included closely collaborating with the project manager to plan and execute the creative direction, design, illustrations, and material selection for exhibit and interpretive signage throughout the library. I concepted and designed custom infographics, diagrams, maps, and graphics that explain human DNA and the DNA of Place inspired by the Séliš (also known as ‘Salish’), Ql̓ispé (also known as ‘Kalispel’ or ‘Pend d’Oreille), and Kootenai (also known as ‘Ksanka’ of the band of Ktunaxa) people.

Exhibits like DNA Playground provide unique learning opportunities for kids and adults alike. Using nonconventional, play-centered avenues to teach things like DNA is a great way to engage people in topics that may otherwise feel confusing or inaccessible. A big win for science and the Missoula community! Photos: , mural: .nall

02/02/2026

Clean drinking water starts upstream! Check out this new graphic I made for American Rivers about the journey of our drinking water from river to tap.

01/27/2026

The DNA Playground is a larger-than-life sized strand of DNA inside the Missoula Public Library that's been designed to be part playground, part sculpture.

This project was co-created by the Missoula community – everyone from scientists to kids. My role included closely collaborating with the project manager to plan and execute the creative direction, design, illustrations, and material selection for exhibit and interpretive signage throughout the library. I concepted and designed custom infographics, diagrams, maps, and graphics that explain human DNA and the DNA of Place inspired by the Séliš (also known as ‘Salish’), Ql̓ispé (also known as ‘Kalispel’ or ‘Pend d’Oreille), and Kootenai (also known as ‘Ksanka’ of the band of Ktunaxa) people.

Exhibits like DNA Playground provide unique learning opportunities for kids and adults alike. Using nonconventional, play-centered avenues to teach things like DNA is a great way to engage people in topics that may otherwise feel confusing or inaccessible.

See more about the project:
https://www.highmountaincreative.com/case-study-gallery/missoula-public-library-interpretive-signage

12/19/2025

Alright, friends. I’m logging off for the year.

Whether we’ve worked together, become friends or just admired each other’s work from afar, I’m grateful to know you. This has been my biggest year in the 15+ years I’ve been in business and I couldn’t do it without your support.

In 2025:

✅ High Mountain Creative helped five new clients including , Carbon Containment Lab, , and on things like reports, infographics, explainer graphics, and branding.

✅ I learned how to do graphic recording at a workshop with Sam Bradd from and booked my first paid live graphic recording job.

✅ High Mountain Creative supported and through their respective programs for small businesses to advocate for public lands.

✅ I handed out and funded 50+ pre-addressed, pre-stamped postcards for Montanans to send to Senators to urge them to vote against the sell off of public lands.

✅ I got help! I was so lucky to find Riley Earle – production and layout designer extraordinaire. I could not have finished Q4 without her.

✅ I hosted a Storytelling for Sustainability workshop with .comms and became a co-founding member of Ali’s project .

✅ I closed my office doors for four weeks in September and October and took a long vacation to the South Island of New Zealand with .

THANK YOU EVERYONE 💚

Interested in joining my client roster in 2026? Shoot me a message, let’s chat!

12/03/2025

I struggle with holiday gift giving. I’m overly practical and really dislike buying stuff just to say I got something for someone – even if I think they’ll never use it. A great solution to this: a good upcycled gift. If you haven’t heard this term before, upcycling means to reuse discarded materials and reduce waste. Much of what goes into your recycling bin can be upcycled and transformed into something of even greater value with new purpose.

🍪 Combine dry ingredients for chocolate chip cookies and add them to a used sauce jar with a recipe for baking the cookies.

💌 Craft a stationery set by collaging last season’s holiday cards or old magazines onto cardstock

☕️ Hit the thrift shop to find a set of cool mugs and pair them with a bag of local coffee to tea.

These intentional, creative, handmade gifts are fun to make and exciting to share. Plus you can avoid the craze of holiday shopping while you’re at it!

Want to see the full list? Check out my latest article Upcycling, Regifting & Getting Creative this Holiday Season - link in bio.

11/15/2025

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http://www.HighMountainCreative.com/

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