KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – Art students from Truman State University’s TRU 120 class partnered with Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) Resource Forester, Yvette Amerman, to combine conservation education and art creation on the university campus.

MDC has worked with Truman State University on a rain garden over the course of the last several years. Amerman reached out to the Assistant Professor of Art, Danielle Yakle, to see if their students would be interested in creating mosaic sculptures that would be placed in the existing rain garden. Each of the sculptures were created by groups of 4 students, and they represent critters that could realistically be in or near a rain garden.

“This sculpture project was a unique way to connect Truman students and the larger community of Kirksville with nature,” says Amerman. “It draws attention to our ongoing rain garden project and shows that nature can often be found anywhere if you look for it.”

Courtesy of the students in TRU 120 class, there are now sculptures of 3 different kinds of frogs, 1 snapping turtle, and 1 salamander. Next to each sculpture, there are informational placards talking about conservation in Missouri.