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Chipmunk character displayed on "Nature Field Notes" panels throughout the play area. More information about Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park:  
  Previous PostsPOST, April 17, 2008 Three animals for the play area are painted. Things are moving forward quickly, and it will be completed for the May 5 opening! POST, March 6, 2008 To the right is Necdet Yilmaz’s color drawing of the little feller who will appear on several "Nature Field Notes" panels in the Forest Friends Play Area. Yilmaz is an accomplished children’s book illustrator from New York. There will be four “Nature Field Notes” panels made this year, and possibly more in 2009. This tiny chipmunk will be the panel host, guiding children from one panel to the next. Each panel will provide interesting facts on different northern Michigan animals.
POST, February 22, 2008 Construction of the Forest Friends Play Area is moving ahead at a fast pace. The concrete footings, which the forest friends fiberglass animal structures will attach to, are being constructed by the Mackinac State Historic Parks (MSHP) operations team. The sculptures, which include a climbable frog and bear, and non-climbable beaver and giant dragonfly, are being painted by artist Mary Van Abel, of Cheboygan, Michigan. She is currently working on the giant dragonfly sculpture. Bronze animal foot print plaques, created by Edward Andrzejewski, an artist in Marquette, Michigan, are now finished, with the exception of the bear print. Footprints will include animals that are commonly found in northern Michigan, including a white-tail deer, mink, turkey, blue jay, woodpecker and raccoon. Jeff Dykehouse, curator of natural history at MSHP and David Kronberg, MSHP exhibit designer, are working on the interpretive panels for the play area. Necdet Yilmaz, located in Bellingen, New York, a prominent children’s book illustrator, has been contracted to create illustrations to accompany short poems. These poems, written by Steven Brisson, MSHP chief curator, will be displayed on the panels. Yilmaz will be painting a chipmunk character host that will be creatively placed digitally on the poem panels in addition to four panels that will offer educational wildlife facts. Stay tuned as this process progresses. When the chipmunk “comes to life”, he’ll pay a visit to this page. POST, February 4, 2008 Work on the Forest Friends Play Area is progressing steadily. The fiberglass animal sculptures, including a climbable frog and bear, and non-climbable beaver and giant dragonfly, arrived from Cowpainters of Chicago, in January. The sculptures are being painted by artist Mary Van Abel, of Cheboygan, Michigan. She is currently working on the giant dragonfly sculpture. Photos of the forest friends will be posted on this page, so watch for it in the next few weeks. Bronze animal foot print plaques are being made by Edward Andrzejewski an artist in Marquette, Michigan. He is making wax impressions from animal foot life-castings and will then create the plaques using the lost wax method of bronze casting. Jeff Dykehouse, curator of natural history at MSHP and David Kronberg, MSHP exhibit designer, are working on the interpretive panels for the play area. POST, January 14, 2008 The large, sculpted animals for the Forest Friends Play Area have been ordered from vendors, and will be installed this spring. They will include a climbable frog and bear, and non-climbable structures such as a beaver and a large dragonfly. Fencing and benches will be included. Jeff Dykehouse, Mackinac State Historic Park curator of natural history, is currently working on writing the play area’s exhibit panels, which will contain relief elements and possibly audio. This play area will engage the littlest naturalists, making nature both exciting and educational. Construction of the engaging play area will begin shortly, so watch for further updates and progress photos. |
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