IDNR Water Trails Project
YEAR
2023
CLIENT
Dr. Peter Moore, PhD
Iowa Department of Natural Resources
MEDIA
Adobe Illustrator
DESCRIPTION
Water trails are recreational corridors and routes on rivers and lakes that provide a unique experience for canoeists and kayakers. These corridors are home to precious wildlife, historic landmarks, and unique geology influenced by Iowa’s geological past. For this project, twelve illustrations were developed for graphic display at state water trail access sites in the Boone Forks region, including the Boone River, Lizard Creek, and the Des Moines River. The illustrations I produced contribute to several larger educational panels that share information on local history, geology, and wildlife unique to specific sections of the rivers with the intent to document the historic and present-day importance of Iowa’s navigable waters. The components of this project included traveling on these water trails, researching, collaborating with specialists on these topics, and creating visuals that engage and educate the public about Iowa’s unique waterways.
INTERPRETIVE PANELS
SAMPLE OF PROJECT DIAGRAMS
Research & Fieldwork
I accompanied Iowa State University geological specialist, Peter Moore and James Pease, a wildlife biologist who retired from ISU extension and specializes in the interpretation of natural resources, on several kayaking excursions throughout the summer of 2022. Together we traversed the Des Moines, Boone, and Lizard Creek water trails for geological interpretation and observation of landmarks, history, and wildlife.
Collaborate
I worked as part of an interpretive content team of local geological, wildlife, anthropological, and graphic specialists to produce illustrations that support the information presented on water trail access site panels. It was my goal to make these visual components both educational and visually appealing to garner public attention.
Execute
Twelve illustrations were created based on topics selected by the interpretive content team. After meeting with subject specialists and conducting my own research to better understand each topic, I began visualizing and sketching potential approaches.
Multiple sketch iterations were developed for each subject and presented to the team for feedback. Once revisions were made, the updated sketches were reviewed again before I moved into more detailed preliminary drawings. Any final adjustments were completed at that stage prior to rendering and finalizing the artwork.
OUTPUT
The completed illustrations were compiled and delivered as Adobe Illustrator files to be integrated into the layouts of the water trail interpretive panels which were developed and posted at designated water trail access sites throughout the state.
