The Blue-Spotted Salamander and climate change.

Sibley State Park will soon unveil a remodeled exhibit space featuring a wooden mosaic Blue-Spotted Salamander sculpture as its centerpiece. The exhibit draws park visitors in with large-scale art, pop-up-book-style displays, and interactive elements, appealing to all ages.

Years in the making, the exhibit’s theme introduces visitors to how the state park is being shaped by climate change. Recognizing the challenges of the topic, it was acknowledged that state park visitors have different levels of science backgrounds and would need a specific example to follow. The Blue-Spotted Salamander was chosen as an approachable species to symbolize the park’s changing ecosystem. Climate change is threatening salamander habitat in the park the same way it’s affecting the habitat loss of many plants and animals.

The exhibit theme was guided by expert insights including DNR research and advice from a DNR climatologist. The DNR also collaborated with tribal partners to ensure the exhibit content is inclusive of indigenous worldviews. By the end of the exhibit’s guided message, visitors are asked to consider their role in stewardship.

📷: A display features a bronze, touchable replication of a toad sitting in a den, Sibley State Park

Visitors can also engage in tactile exploration with bronze animal sculptures, such as a life-size toad in a burrow. An accessibility station in the exhibit provides sensory packs, fidgets, noise-muffling headphones, and braille books to accommodate a variety of visitor needs. Soon, interactive audio description devices will be added to the station. All interpretive displays are placed at accessible heights and angles for wheelchair users. The goal is to ensure that every visitor can engage fully with the exhibit and its messages.

Sibley State Park’s new salamander sculpture will invite visitors to discover the ecosystem of the state park and consider how they, too, can shape the future of Minnesota’s landscape. The exhibit will open this winter. Visit the Sibley State Park website to learn more about the park and plan an upcoming visit.

Article was shared from the MN Department of Natural Resources Newsletter