Children's Environmental Wall

A Generous Start

In Spring 1998, in anticipation of the new UM-Dearborn Environmental Interpretive Center’s opening, Ford Motor Company awarded $200,000 for the Children’s Environmental Wall project. 

The project engaged over 2,000 school children, mostly between the ages of 7-12, in environmental education programs conducted outdoors in the UM-Dearborn Environmental Study Area. Led by naturalists from the UM-D Natural Areas Department, the children were encouraged to pencil sketch one memory from their field trip onto a blank 6” x 6”, unfired ceramic tile. This was most often done in their own classrooms upon returning to school.

A painted mural of a heron standing in shallow water with reeds, depicted on a grid of white ceramic tiles against a blue background.
A mural featuring a raccoon, heron, hawk, fox, plants, and water on white tiles. Text reads: University of Michigan-Dearborn Children’s Environmental Wall, Made possible by Ford Motor Company. Encouraging a sense of wonder.
A painted mural on square tiles depicts a heron standing by water with reeds, set against a blue sky background.

Young Hands, Lasting Marks

To ensure good seasonal coverage, additional tiles were created by children during the 1999-2000 academic year. 

Children from other Natural Areas Department programs, such as the Young Naturalist Program, were also involved in creating their own tiles.

From Classroom to Kiln

After finishing their tile sketch, the children hand-painted their tiles. Classroom teachers, often assisted by Art teachers, guided the children in their tile painting activity. 

After the tiles had dried, they were transported to Greenfield Village, where two brand new electric kilns were used in the overglazing and firing process. 

A database was designed for the identification of each tile artist and his or her school. In all, over 2,200 tiles were designed, painted, fired, catalogued, and stored.

A group of children in matching orange T-shirts poses with four adults in suits in front of a colorful tile mural. The children are smiling, some kneeling in front and others standing behind them.
A man in a suit talks to a group of children wearing matching orange shirts in front of a colorful tiled wall decorated with various drawings and designs.
A group of children in red shirts stand along a wall decorated with colorful tile art, including a large blue and white heron, inside a well-lit hallway.

A Seasonal Welcome

At the EIC Grand Opening on May 25, 2001, the tile wall was fully on display with 1,060 high quality tiles. Arranged by season, the tiles provide an engaging welcome for Center visitors while also highlighting the Center’s vital role in promoting community nature awareness and discovery. 

Yellow wildflowers grow beside a paved path in front of a building with a large, colorful tile mural on the wall under a covered walkway supported by wooden posts.
A long, outdoor mural made up of small, colorful tiles depicting various animals and nature scenes, mounted on a brick wall beneath a wooden pergola, with a pathway and rocks alongside.

Behind the Tiles

The tile wall project was coordinated by Michael Perrin, a naturalist in the UM-D Natural Areas Department at the time.

Hand-drawn sketch labeled Childrens Environmental Wall showing a mural with children observing nature. Side notes list sponsors, observations, and signature animals and birds like hawk, fox, raccoon, geese, rabbits, and more.
Black and white sketch of an outdoor walkway with a curved stone wall and wooden posts. Three children and an adult stand together, looking at the structure. The setting appears to be part of an exhibit or environmental installation.
Black and white architectural drawing shows two people standing beside a large grid wall, labeled Wall Detail. The wall has a rectangular grid pattern, and shaded areas appear along the top and bottom edges.

A Vision Takes Flight: The Story of the Environmental Interpretive Center