While exploring the galleries of the River Journey and OceanJourney buildings, artwork might not be what you’re focusing on during a visit to the Tennessee Aquarium, but maybe you should take a beat to give it some love.

Stylized depictions of our living collection are all over campus courtesy of a pair of extremely talented and industrious graphic designers.

In this episode — the first of a two-part mini-series — we’ll explore the overlap between art and science, learn about the role our graphic designers play in achieving our mission and how they heck they translate the recognizable features of an animal like an Epaulette Shark into a stylized illustration.

Episode Cast

• Casey Phillips, host, senior communications specialist,certified non-artist
• Aimee Swartz, graphic designer
• Mike Shuleva, graphic designer

The Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.
Printed sustainably on 100%post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure.

Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org.

Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

For many people, a visit to a national park is like making a pilgrimage, a chance to commune with nature in a setting of remarkable beauty and peace.

The United States is a big country, though, and even with more than 430 designated national parks, every region didn't get an equal share of the spoils. Although spectacular examples exist, such as the Great Smoky Mountains, Acadia and Everglades, only about 20% of national parks are east of the Mississippi.

If you live far from a national park and want to seek solace in nature closer to home, your best bet is probably one of the almost 10,000 state parks. These sites are distributed far more evenly throughout the country and enshrine vistas every bit as beautiful and grandiose as those in national parks. Even better, there's probably one (or several) just around the corner from wherever you happen to be listening.

In this episode, the Studio Dive Cage goes on the road to Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park about an hour west of Chattanooga. There, guests from The Tennessee Conservationist — the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks — and the park discuss the misnomer that gave Old Stone Fort its name, why the nearby Duck River is so biologically rich, the role state parks play in democratizing access to nature and the future of Tennessee state parks.

For more information about or to subscribe to The Tennessee Conservationist, visit https://www.tnconservationist.org

Learn more about Tennessee's State Parks at https://www.tnstateparks.com

Episode cast

• Casey Phillips, host/senior communications specialist/bona fide state park fan
• Whit Gardner, marketing and subscription manager (The Tennessee Conservationist)
• Keith Wimberley, park manager (Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park)

The Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.
Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture.

It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure.

Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org.

Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

For many species, the arrival of humans to the neighborhood is usually a portent of bad things to come. The alterations we make to our environment often wreak havoc on the other animals that share those wild spaces with us.

No matter how you slice it, ours is the dominant species on the planet when it comes to shaping the world around us to suit our wants and desires. But that power also can be wielded to enact positive change, and when humans — especially an entire community of them — rally to a species' defense, their impact can be potent.

In this episode, you'll learn about one small Tennessee community's response to learning about the plight of a critically endangered minnow living on a nearby ridge. Like all good neighbors, they came together in defense of this hard luck fish, and the story of how and why that came to happen is the subject of this discussion.

Learn more about the Laurel Dace and the Aquarium's efforts to save it here: https://tnaqua.org/join-give/race-for-the-laurel-dace/

Episode Cast

• Casey Phillips, host/senior communications specialist
• Helaina Gomez, watershed conservation coordinator
• Stephania Motes, former city manager of Spring City, Tennessee

The Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.

Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure.

Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org.

Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.