New Craft Beer & Art Print Series to Highlight Watershed Ecology of Western PA

For this year-long collaboration, I will be creating a new illustration in every month of 2021 that highlights a facet of a healthy watershed ecosystem in the Western PA region. Then, each illustration will be turned into a label for a delicious beer from Dancing Gnome! I will also be selling prints of each illustration in my online shop. A portion of the can proceeds AND print proceeds from my online shop will be donated to Nine Mile Run’s conservation projects.

For the first illustration, I chose to create a hand-painted overview of the entire watershed using watercolor and ink. The illustrated map features:

• The larger rivers, streams, and lakes of the region

• A jewelwing damselfly ("The presence, abundance and diversity of dragonflies and damselflies is indicative of good water quality and healthy ecosystems." - Penn State Extension)

• A rainbow darter (Darters need clear, clean water to survive. Because many species of darters share resources, they are a great example of "resource partitioning". For example, different darter species living in the same stream may choose to consume different types of food so that they can co-exist.)

• Big bluestem grass (This grass contributes to a healthy riparian buffer zone. "The grasses are also very tall, reaching 4-6 feet or more, with very deep roots (5-6 feet) that are good for preventing soil erosion. The tall stems are very rigid and remain standing throughout the winter, providing shelter for wildlife." - Penn State Extension)

• A scene of the Youghiogheny River (The Lower Youghiogheny River has been listed as the 10th most endangered river in the country by American Rivers. This is due to the threat from nearby natural gas development).