We believe it is critical to continue science education after formal education has ended. But how do we reach people if they don't seek out science content? Our approach is to put science directly into people's lives, using public art. Our murals aim to highlight mostly environmental education, connecting folks to the wildlife in their local ecosystems. Our mural projects include community engagement in creating the mural, and events at the mural sites to invite neighbors to engage in environmental activities like neighborhood cleanups. Each project also includes ways for folks to learn more, via text hotlines or QR codes, along with action items to empower viewers with ways they can get involved.
Fishtown's River Critters
Artist: Carissa Hugo Funder: The Pennsylvania Department for Environmental Protection In collaboration with the Fishtown Neighbors Association and artist Carissa Hugo, we created a mural in Philadelphia along a major business corridor in the Fishtown neighborhood. We hosted a community paint day where we invited neighbors to help us create the mural, and over 100 people came out to help us create this work! The goal of this project was to educate neighbors that live along the Delaware River about the biodiversity of the region, to motivate folks to take care of our local ecosystem. This project is ongoing, and will include a drain marking event in spring and neighborhood cleanups that will start at the mural! Thank you to Tom Donkin for taking pictures of this mural!
Learn More About The Shore
Artists: Tiff Urquhart (Sea Angel), Katie Mai (Horseshoe Crab), and Kelly Nichols (Sea Angel), Sean Martorana (outer design) Funder: The Penn Treaty Special Services District In Summer 2023, we teamed up with 3 local artists for our “Learn More About the Shore” project. These artists created educational bar coasters that taught bar-goers about animals that live – in Philadelphia parlance- “down the shore”. 7000 coasters were distributed across Fishtown, Northern Liberties, and East Kensington to connect people with science on their night out.
Our Aquatic Neighbors
Artist: Sean Martorana Funder: The Penn Treaty Special Services District In Spring of 2023, in collaboration with the Fishtown Neighbors Association, the Kensington High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, and artist Sean Martorana, we created a mural on the wildlife of the Delaware River in Fishtown, Philadelphia! This mural includes information that passersby can access via QR code to learn more about the river and Thank you to Tom Donkin for taking pictures of this mural!
Native Plant Poster Project
Artist: Meg Lemieur Funder: Our monthly donors! The goal of this project is to make it easy for my neighbors to increase habitat for our insects, and make that process feel non-threatening, inexpensive, and accessible. The poster has a QR that leads you to a website with instructions on how to plant native plants in the city! Check out a protocol on how to do a project like this here!
