LOCATION
New River Valley, VA, USA

COLLABORATORS
Emmanuel Frimpong, Eugene Maurakis, Hiromi Okumura, Maddie Betts, Thomas Bustamante, Samantha Brooks, and Emma Hultin

SPONSOR
Virginia Tech Center for Communicating Science and Fish & Wildlife Department

PROJECT DATES
Summer 2021 - Summer 2022

Ecosystem Engineers

Every year as the winter frost begins to thaw, ecologists flock to Tom’s Creek in Virginia to observe the beginning of an extraordinary event: the breeding habits of a small, unremarkable minnow with one remarkable talent. It can build nests out of thousands of pebbles using only its mouth. We believe this too often overlooked minnow, the Bluehead chub, can inspire local community members to advocate for our freshwater ecosystems.

For a year, a team of scientists, engineers, and students were accompanied in their field research by artists and a filmmaker. Together, we developed a public event at the research field site at Tom’s Creek that incorporated storytelling, dance, writing, a walking tour, friendly competition, and a communal meal. We also created an arts-based workshop with the New River Valley Master Naturalists chapter that features storytelling and embodied exercises.

Our work supported discovery-driven learning about freshwater ecosystem conservation. The team is continuing its arts-science collaborations after being awarded at Virginia Tech Institute for Creativity, Arts & Technology (VT-ICAT) grant.