cobbs creek environmental education center renovation

so, i was asked to do some bird identification panel paintings for the cobbs creek environmental center in west philadelphia. my good friend tony croasdale and i taught environmental ed together at the center there a number of summers back, and on of the things we saw even then was that the center, which is uniquely set on a narrow band of greenspace in the greater fairmount park system, was lacking a decent interactive visitor center. the facility had no where for folks from the community and beyond to come see what types of programs the center had to offer and what biological diversity was to be found inside their city's limits. well, i didn't work at the center after that summer, but my enterprising and visionary friend moved forward to become an administrator and all around mover and shaker at the center, and spearheaded the renovation of a downstairs classroom into the interpretive center he'd wished existed on the site. among tony's talents is the ability to network and surround himself with amazingly talented folks, all of whom share the same work ethic and spirit, and i was proud to be asked to be involved in this project on several levels. initially, i helped flesh out potential room layouts, creating digital mockups designed to entice potential investors in the project, which we did. after initial funds were secured, it was time to break ground. next, i worked with the carpenters to design shelving, fixtures, and storage spaces, and i also created the fore-mentioned bird identification panels. the new visitor center opened on june 7th to rave reviews and a packed house. the next move is to try and secure additional funds to more fully equip the room with modern digital learning aids and a full-time staff. i also have two more panels in the works, so look forward to updates in the near future!

here are some images of the paintings in progress, and on the wall in the environmental center..

while i did these, i made a painting of a belted kingfisher for tony:

here's a link to an article, about the center and the opening that appeared in an issue of 'grid', a philadelphia-based magazine about sustainability and being locally-conscious.

the rest of the room, of course, is worth visiting, in person if possible, though if not possible, visit my mom's photo album here. thanks, ma!