Laurel Dace statue to tour Tennessee cities

A sculpture of the endangered laurel dace made from recycled materials will tour municipalities throughout East Tennessee, culminating in Spring City’s 2026 Laurel Dace Day Celebrations. The statue was commissioned by the Tennessee Aquarium’s new Science, Technology, Research, Engineering, Art, and Math (STREAM) Learning Center, and depicts two laurel dace above a streambed based on Walden’s Ridge near Spring City. Made entirely from recycled plastic, the sculpture will have stops at schools and businesses in Dayton, Pikeville, and Spring City and be featured during Laurel Dace Day 2026 at the Spring City Nature Park. Afterwards, the statue will return to the STREAM Learning Center in Chattanooga. In the future, the statue will also accompany STREAM Learning Center officials to events, such as the Conservation Night for the Chattanooga Lookouts in June. (Photo by Chattanooga Aquarium)