This one is made from a variety of materials gathered from an actual river cleanup site. From this collection of junk, the commissioned artist creates a found object sculpture , combining innovation and education. Well, in order to maintain a healthy watershed, the public needs to understand what a watershed is . But one can only educate those who express an interest in learning. Once Paul reels fairgoers in, he gets a chance to educate.
People get really excited about the sculpture.
The sculpture has been at the fair for the past five years, and has been a successful tool in educating the public on what the Adopt A River Program, and the DNR does to protect our state's natural resources. Another educational project Paul is involved with is called the Big River Journey. This is a partnership involving the Padelford Packet Boat Company and other organizations, providing an educational experience for 1800 4th, 5th and 6th graders. Each May, the students are on board the Harriet Bishop, a riverboat. There are six stations on the boat, each covering a topic, such as geology, river animals, river ecology, river stewardship, macro invertebrates, and river navigation.