About

Foundation Mission

Gathered Light Foundation is an institutional literacy and transparency organization dedicated to strengthening the informational systems that shape how environmental work is understood, funded, and governed.

We develop and publish voluntary standards that advance conservation literacy, contextual clarity, and communication integrity across environmental institutions. Through research, advisory collaboration, and open frameworks, we support long-term institutional sustainability and public trust.

We work to build the informational infrastructure necessary for environmental initiatives to endure beyond campaigns, news cycles, and personalities.

Board of Directors

Coming Soon

The Board is currently in formation as we build a thoughtful and aligned advisory group.

Mount Rainier, Washington

About the Founder

Micheal MacEoghain - Founder / Executive Director

Micheal MacEoghain is the Founder and Executive Director of the Gathered Light Foundation and the creator of the Gathered Light ecosystem — a network of conservation media, publishing, and educational initiatives dedicated to strengthening public understanding of environmental challenges.

Before founding Gathered Light, Micheal spent five years in senior nonprofit leadership, working closely with executive leadership while overseeing complex operations, multi-site programs, and major capital initiatives exceeding $20 million. During this period he was being prepared for a future Chief Operating Officer role, gaining extensive experience in organizational leadership, program development, budgeting, and long-term strategic planning.

Through the Gathered Light ecosystem, Micheal works at the intersection of nature, healing, and conservation storytelling as a photographer, editor, writer, and educator. Through this work, Micheal builds platforms that bring together photographers, scientists, journalists, and advocates to deepen public engagement with the natural world and the complex environmental challenges facing it.

His work centers on strengthening the role of visual storytelling, journalism, and public learning in conservation.

He brings strong executive-level leadership and programmatic expertise, with experience guiding complex initiatives across diverse stakeholder environments. His leadership approach emphasizes clear governance structures, mission integrity, and appropriate financial oversight, ensuring that organizations maintain both operational effectiveness and long-term sustainability.

Micheal’s work now centers on the development of the Gathered Light ecosystem, which includes:

• Gathered Light Foundation — a nonprofit initiative dedicated to strengthening conservation communication, ethical storytelling, and public understanding of environmental challenges.

• Gathered Light Magazine — an international publication connecting conservation, photography, and environmental journalism.

• Gathered Light Publishing — supporting artists, writers, and conservation-focused storytelling.

• Fine art curation, printing, and educational programming focused on environmental awareness and public engagement.

He is an active member of the Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ), National Press Photographers Association (NPPA), Nature First: The Alliance for Responsible Nature Photography, and the Professional Picture Framers Association (PPFA), reflecting his commitment to ethical photography, environmental stewardship, and professional standards in visual journalism.

Micheal holds degrees in Art History and Anthropology, with additional graduate studies in music composition and interdisciplinary research in maritime and archaeological subjects.

Born on a remote island in Alaska and shaped by the forests, mountains, and cold waters of the Pacific Northwest, Micheal has spent decades immersed in wilderness exploration. With over 3,000 hours spent in the ocean through scuba diving and freediving and hundreds of mountain peaks climbed, his work is grounded in lived experience within wild landscapes and the deep personal relationship between humans and the natural world.