Logo needed for environmental research group

Minnesota State University, Mankato Water Resources Center

We are a center for environmental research and information exchange associated with a university. The mission for the Water Resources Center at Minnesota State University, Mankato is to gather, interpret, and distribute data of environmental significance to help citizens enhance the quality of regional lakes, rivers, wetlands, and groundwater. This is accomplished through faculty and student applied research, educational programming, technical assistance, and water resource planning.

We are going for broad appeal. More specifically, it should appeal to the general public, researchers, university faculty and students.

We want something simple and elegant that reflects water and land as the bulk of our work centers on studying rivers and lakes and the associated landscape.

We like the idea of it looking nature-based and organic. We are open to but not limited to a seal format that will look good on printed pieces, websites or apparel. We’re okay with it just being lettering or having an icon associated with it. As far as icon, we would prefer something that is reflective/representative of water or landscape. Please do not use any stock images or clip art in the logo.

We have not decided on a color scheme and are open to ideas but would only like it two colors (to keep printing costs down). Earth tones are preferable.

We can abbreviate Water Resources Center to WRC but “Minnesota State University, Mankato” must be spelled out.

We are okay with either:
Minnesota State University, Mankato Water Resources Center
Water Resources Center at Minnesota State University, Mankato

The files we will require are:
Print file format - editable Adobe Illustrator file .ai (CMYK)
We would like to obtain original, editable Illustrator files that we can alter as we decide on our color scheme.