Partners

Conservation Tales 

The 2021 Conservation Tales team is working with three external partners:

• The Indianapolis Zoo
• The Venturelli Lab (Ball State Unviersity Fisheries Program)
• The Stream Ecology Lab (Ball State University Fisheries Field Program)
• The Rinard Orchid Greenhouse
• The BSU Field Station and Environmental Education Center

These Content Consultants are the scientists featured in the 2021 Midwest 2 Series books, and their research is the model for the story. They also review text of the story to ensure content accuracy and authenticity. Consultants also share photos that often are used in our books.

Indianapolis Zoo, White River Gardens

Observing in Oceans Building

Meeting at Global Center for Species Survival

Observing butterflies in White River Gardens 

The Conservation Tales Team has a strong relationship with the Indianapolis Zoo, one of our Content Consultants. We traveled to the Zoo twice in Spring 2021. Our visits are an opportunity to do research and develop sketchs and photos for the books.

Observations included time in the Ocean Building to work on sketching the effect of light under water, and getting up close with butterflies in the White River Gardens. Information from these observations helps with the two books we are currently developing.

The 2021 team also was invited to be the first group to meet in the new Global Center for Species Survival to learn from Sr. VP Bill Street about that groups plan to collaborate with universities to help communicate conservation messages to the public.

The team also had time to meet some other animals and take photos and make sketches. 

Cheryl LeBlanc of the Rinard Orchid Greenhouse

Erica Forstater of BSU's Field Station & Environmental Education Center

The Rinard Orchid Greenhouse was another site visited by the team. The staff of the greenhouse taught the team about monarch butterflies, and both teams worked on illustrations and sketches of carp, turtles and the plants in the greenhouse.

The Rinard Orchid Greenhouse and the Environmental Education and Field Sites are developing a monarch way-station and butterfly trail. Their experience in raising and hatching monarchs and teaching about their life cycle was instrumental in shaping the story. 

Cheryl and Erica will also review the text of the story for accuracy. When the books are done, copies will be kept at the Greenhouse for educational programs, and future outreach by our team may take place at Christy Woods and the Greenhouse.

The Venturelli Lab and the Pyron Lab in the Fisheries programs at Ball State served as Content Consultants for the Invasive Carp book. They helped the team learn about research on invasive carp, the equipment used, and the ways scientists use data collected from the Fish Brain app to study fish populations.