Storm drain mural project raises awareness about stormwater issues

Artist Mickayla Poland shows off a storm drain mural she painted in the town of Ridgway, Elk County.

​Approached by the Elk County Conservation District to design one of several storm drain murals to engage and educate people about stormwater pollution, artist Mickayla Poland brainstormed images that would create an immediate impact.

“I thought about why there have been so many efforts to clean up these waterways, why it is so important and why people love it so much,” she said. “So my mural in Ridgway has a kayaker or a canoer – depending on how you view the image. There is a hellbender, which is a very vulnerable species to pollution and there’s a brown trout, along with some greenery and stones.
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“I combined all these elements as inspiration to show what could be affected if you would dump something down the drain and how it goes directly into our waterways.”

The mural – one of six that has since been painted at specific Elk County locations – is part of the Upstream Art Project, funded by an Elk County Council of the Arts grant.

“The project ties together science, conservation and art as we try to educate people that water that washes into these storm drains aren’t filtered before they go into our waterways,” said Poland. “Dumping things down these drains can impact our wildlife and even drinking water that can be funneled from those streams.”

Poland is one of two artists that the Elk County Conservation District has contracted with since the beginning of the program, which started with a few murals in the summer of 2020.

“The person in our agency who started it saw a similar concept using general environmental awareness murals, and thought it would be a good way to engage people about stormwater issues,” said Elk County Conservation District water specialist Micaela LeFever. “It didn’t take long to realize that people love these murals.”

Part of that is because of the intricate design of each mural, Poland said.

“Including the brighter, eye-catching element of a larger mural or art piece, people are like, ‘What is this about?’ It pulls them in and sparks questions,” said Poland. “Also, the conservation district developed QR codes that are spray-painted with each mural so that anyone who has additional questions can pull out their smartphones, scan the code and go directly to the Elk County Conservation District’s website with information about stormwater, watersheds and other educational materials.”

Poland, who founded the PA Wilds-inspired clothing and arts company called PA Made, draws inspiration from her natural surroundings.

“I was born in southern California and spent my first 12 years there before my parents had this crazy idea to pick up and move us all the way across the country to the small town of Weedville. Going from a desert-like barren environment in California to the beautiful green rolling mountains of Pennsylvania, a light bulb went off for me and I gained a whole appreciation for what we have here,” she said. “I like to tell people that while I was born in California, Pennsylvania made me who I am today, hence the name of my company. I never get tired of the outdoors and a big goal of mine s to preserve that and maintain it not only for me to enjoy the rest of my life, but for generations to come.”

Even in the midst of such a bucolic wilderness area, there are a number of threats facing our waterways and other natural resources, according to Poland.

“I see a lot of litter and garbage, which is a big pet peeve of mine. This is a big recreational area, and people leave lots of traces behind like garbage and stacking rocks,” she said. “I also live in an industrial little town, so we have a lot of efforts in keeping companies from dumping and trying to keep our water sources cleaner than they were years ago.”
Which is why Poland appreciates the opportunity to use her artwork to tell a story and inspire those around her.

“Publicly, while making these murals, we had so much foot traffic. We had kids stop by and ask questions of the watershed technician who was there while I painted, so we were able to kind of do this hands-on education while working on them,” she said. “It takes an army to not only repair some of the damage from the past, but also clean things up now. Education is a really big part of that process – showing people that they can use their abilities to make a difference.”

According to LeFever, there are plans to expand the project as resources become available.

Mural painting in Ridgway led to an in-person education opportunity about stormwater pollution as a crowd gathered to watch the process.

​Listen to artist Mickayala Poland talk about the Upstream Art Project in the newest episode of the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Podcast:

Mickayla Poland has developed stickers with conservation messaging via her business, PA Made.

“These murals really have gotten a lot of attention. It has been neat to watch the artists, and while they paint, their ideas come to life in a way that helps us spread important messages,” she said. “People don’t realize what we’ve seen in terms of how the water is impacted by what goes down those drains. This gives us a new opportunity to spark a conservation that can really make an impact.”

Via PA Made, Poland has created stickers with messages such as “Save the critters, don’t litter” and a colorful trout insignia with the slogan “Keep my home free of debris.”

“Creating something that is cute and visually appealing and marrying that with the conservation part of things can be a very powerful tool toward engagement and education,” said Poland. “I love where I live, I love the outdoors and it’s a huge mission of what I do and what PA Made does as a company. My hope is that our Upstream Art Project inspires similar efforts across the greater region and shows people that they really can make a difference.”