Understanding biology begins with recognizing the living world around us. In February, the Yale School of Public Health (YSPH) collaborated with Celentano Biotech, Health and Medical Magnet School, and New Haven Public Schools, to create The Tree of Celentano Life.
Together with Senior Research Scientist Dr. Zheng Wang, PhD, YSPH partnered with students, educators, and a local artist to bring the project to fruition.
The multidisciplinary community engagement project provided students an opportunity to explore evolutionary biology, environmental awareness, and creative expression. It began with a student-led biodiversity “bioblitz” to document plants, fungi, birds, insects, and other organisms found near the school. Through this process, students learned how scientists observe, classify, and identify living organisms, and gained hands-on experience with scientific methods while developing a deeper connection to their environment.
The species identifications were then passed on to researchers with the Townsend Lab at YSPH where they were used to compose a scientifically accurate evolutionary phylogeny and time tree, illustrating how familiar local species are related through hundreds of millions of years of shared evolutionary history. The project culminated with the creation of a large mural inside the magnet school reflecting the scientific framework and communicating the science concepts in a way that was both rigorous and inviting.
The artwork, created by Connecticut artist Oksana Tanasiv, integrates the students’ discoveries into a branching “tree of life,” making abstract ideas related to evolution more concrete by relating them to the species the students encountered. The mural was unveiled during a dedication ceremony attended by students, faculty, families, and community members, marking the project as a shared achievement.