Lisa Brush (MS ’01) has spent more than two decades proving a simple but transformative idea: environmental stewardship is most powerful when people work together.

As CEO and founder of The Stewardship Network (TSN), a national and internationally award-winning nonprofit, Brush has built one of North America’s most influential collaborative stewardship movements, connecting and mobilizing the people caring for land and water across 39 states and two Canadian provinces.

What began as a local effort along the Huron River has evolved into a national model for community-driven conservation. Early in her career at the Huron River Watershed Council, Brush found herself asking a simple question: Why are so many people doing similar work in isolation? Why weren’t local governments, nonprofits, land managers and volunteers learning from one another and collaborating more intentionally? 

Encouraged by University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) Professor Emeritus Bob Grese to “walk your talk,” Brush launched the Upper Huron River Watershed Volunteer Stewardship Network in partnership with local groups, bringing together diverse stakeholders to share ideas, coordinate stewardship efforts and strengthen regional impact. That experiment became the foundation for what would later grow into TSN.

While earning her master’s degree at SEAS, Brush began expanding the model across Michigan. The first regional “cells” launched in Oakland, Jackson, Lenawee and Washtenaw Counties, each designed around a bottom-up philosophy, which was to bring people together, ask what they need and help build the relationships and capacity to support long-term stewardship.

“And it worked,” Brush says. “The cool thing was that we linked them together to learn from each other.”

That network-based approach remains central to TSN today. Rather than operating through a traditional top-down structure, the organization supports interconnected “member communities” that span parks departments, land conservancies, tribal organizations, consultants, contractors, universities, volunteers and grassroots environmental groups.

Brush often describes herself not as an ecologist, but as “a people person.” For her, stewardship begins with relationships.

“One of the things I often ask when we first bring these groups together is: How many people know everyone in the room?” Brush says. “Almost nobody does. It demonstrates the simplicity and beauty of bringing people together to create change and amplify the work they do.”

Under Brush’s leadership, TSN has become known not only for ecological impact but also for creating spaces for collaboration. Programs like the annual Spring Challenge encourage communities to collectively track stewardship activities ranging from invasive species removal and prescribed fire to native plant restoration and beach cleanups.

Another annual event is their conference, which was sold out in 2025 with over 450 attendees. The conference was set to host Jane Goodall as a keynote speaker before she passed away a few months prior. In fact, Goodall, a passionate environmental steward, was so impressed by TSN’s work that when she learned about their upcoming fundraising effort, The Stewardship Network Fund, a $150 million initiative aimed at unlocking new philanthropic investment in collaborative, nature-based solutions, she was the first to donate. 

“The conference was electric this year,” says Brush. “Somebody described it really well, they said it's a chance for those new to the field to make connections. It's a chance for those of us in mid-career to hone our messages, and it's a chance for those of us in the latter part of our careers to share our wisdom.”

Recent SEAS graduate Brendan Arnold (MS ’26), who attended the 2025 conference alongside his master’s capstone project team to present the findings of their research focused on designing and implementing a replicable inventory and monitoring protocol based on the needs of Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum, agrees that the conference provided many opportunities to make connections. 

"I found it inspiring to see the stewardship community, who are all working independently, come together for idea sharing. Their research was closely related to our team's, and it was great to feel a sense of camaraderie with other researchers and organizations in the region,” says Arnold.

Another recent graduate, Sydney Lubeck (MS ’26), who presented with her master’s capstone project team about their project, “Beaver Coexistence: Dam Worth It!,” adds:

“It was the first place we formally presented our capstone project findings. Because the conference emphasizes connection through shared learning, it provided an ideal environment for our team to communicate our deep passion for our project and receive feedback from the stewards who could possibly benefit from our research and findings. Based on the dialogue that followed our presentation, it is clear that the TSN conference is a safe place for stewards to connect on issues and share honest, open frustration with emerging topics, such as coexistence with beavers in Michigan.”

Brush has also been a guest lecturer and involved directly with SEAS master’s projects, collaborating with students and faculty members such as SEAS Lecturer and Lead Faculty for Digital Learning Innovation Sheila Schueller, who says Brush served as a client for a project involving the SEAS-managed St. Pierre Wetland because she saw how the deliverables would inform engaged restoration of wetlands elsewhere. 

“Lisa recognized the ecological and social network value of that property within the larger watershed and thinks about connecting efforts across the landscape scale,” says Schueller.

Schueller, who has been attending the TSN conference since 2009, five years before becoming a lecturer in SEAS, says she considers her a long-time collaborator and inspiration who has informed her teaching. 

“It was Lisa’s approach to bringing people together from all different disciplines and backgrounds under the joint umbrella of ecological stewardship that informed the way I engage with students at SEAS, who also come to their MS with different knowledge and experience, but with a common interest in sustainability,” says Schueller, adding that through the Professional Stewards Hikes, a branch of TSN that she co-leads, she has witnessed the power of “this kind of people-centered and collaboration-building work that is quintessential Lisa-inspired” that has led to powerful connections with great results, such as job opportunities. 

Brush says that her experience at SEAS, both as a student and now as an alum, has provided her with the tools and language needed to pursue her career goals, but that throughout, the focus has always really been on relationships. 

“SEAS gave me access to knowledge sources, and I really appreciated the connection with professors and fellow students and the community that SEAS is,” says Brush. “I’m a keen believer in the power of people to make positive change.”