Tag Archives: caterpillar lab

Highlights from Week 5 of the Wild at Art Camp: Butterfly Safari, Caterpillar Lab, and Nature CSI

It has been such a wonderful summer so far and I am so grateful for all the families that have sent their children to the Wild at Art camp this summer. We have been having a wonderful week at the end of July. On Monday, we talked about going on journey this week looking for spectacular “things.” Here are a few highlights from the week with all our spectacular findings.

Highlight #1: A visit from the amazing Caterpillar Lab!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Highlight #2: Making spectacular wildlife discoveries with friends

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Highlight #3: Exploring in the brook for aquatic critters

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Highlight #4: Creating art and making friends

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Highlight #5: Exploring in the meadow

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Connecting art with nature: Top moments from the Take Flight (Week 2) Camp Session

Campers have been having a great week during the Take Flight session. We’ve been having lots of fun learning about birds, creating bird inspired art, and exploring the sanctuary. During the week, campers loved our visit from the internationally renowned Caterpillar Lab from Keene, New Hampshire, and printmaking workshop with the amazing Sherrie York. Here are the top moments from the week:

Moment #1: Fantastic Charcoal Drawings with our artist Katie Buchanan

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Moment #2: Collecting natural materials for leaf prints in their nature journal

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Moment #3: Nature Hikes and Scavenger Hunts

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Moment #4: Creating art using the process of suminagashi

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Moment #5: Visit from Sherrie York

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Moment #6: Excitement with the Caterpillar Lab

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Connecting with art and nature: Top moments from the Natural Connections week at the Wild at Art Camp

We had an amazing first week at our Wild at Art Camp. Our theme was Natural Connections and the campers learned and created art focused on the web that connects plants and animals.

Moment #1: The Caterpillar Lab

DSC_2271 UpCloseWithACatpillar

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Moment #2: Creating marbled paper (sumagashi) and birch tree paintings

IMG_2314

IMG_2265

IMG_2323

Moment #3: Using found materials to build an eight foot wide eagles nest

Cam Eagles Nest

Moment #4: Collecting natural materials for art

Bethany's Group Field

Collecting natural materials for art projects

Nature Quests

Collecting natural materials for art projects

Moment #5: Warming up with charcoal before some awesome art projects

Katie Buchanan Charcoal

Our teaching artist, Katie Buchanan, and camper Cora warming up for the art activity with charcoal

Charcoal

Camper David and Liam having fun drawing with charcoal

DSC_2143

Moment #6: Getting up close with dragonflies and other critters in the meadow

Sean with Net

Sean Kent, the Wild at Art Camp director, shows camper Janek, Handel, Cooper, and Thomas, a dragonfly from the meadow.

Happy Thomas

Camper Janek, Cooper, and Thomas catching critters in the meadow

Moment #7: Creating art everywhere, even on the sidewalk

Chalk Butterflies

 

Moment #8: Watercolors using water from our pond full of tadpoles

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Moment #9: Going behind the scenes in the art museum and creating Charlie Harper Inspired art based on their up close tour

 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Ready to be inspired and amazed? The Caterpillar Lab is coming to the Wild at Art Summer Camp

The Caterpillar Lab is Coming!!!

We have exciting news for this summer’s Wild at Art Camp…The award winning, innovative, engaging, and awe-inspiring Caterpillar Lab is coming to camp during the Natural Connections 1  (July 6 to 10) and Taking Flight (July 13 to 17) week.

By incorporating a visit from the Caterpillar Lab with the Wild at Art Camp experience, campers will have a strong foundation to experience powerful moments of discovery throughout the year in their own backyards and daily life. In addition, this experience should infuse them with the confidence to create and express themselves more confidently through art. Only a few spots remain, so sign up today so that camper in your life won’t miss out!

During each week, the Caterpillar Lab will allow campers to get up close and personal with many different species of native caterpillars and learn about their adaptations.

Mother and daughter at a live caterpillar show seeing a cecropia moth caterpillar for the first time.  © Samuel Jaffe

Mother and daughter at a live caterpillar show seeing a cecropia moth caterpillar for the first time. © Samuel Jaffe.

 

Campers will:

  • Learn more about many fascinating species of native caterpillars
  • Discover native caterpillars at the wildlife sanctuary and at home
  • Create art inspired by these amazing natural creatures
  • Become excited about discovering their natural world and sharing it with others

 

Week 1: Natural Connections (July 6 to July 10)

For the first week, campers will learn about how these caterpillars interact with plants, like how the monarch caterpillar is able to consume milkweed and turn the toxins in the milkweed into a defensive weapon.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Week 2: Taking Flight (July 13 to July 17)

For the second week, campers will learn how caterpillars are adapted against birds. Because, unless they are “told otherwise”, birds view caterpillars as big, juicy snacks. For example, the caterpillars of the spicebush swallowtail butterfly look likes snakes, which is an adaptation that scares birds and saves the caterpillar from being lunch. We have lots of spicebush in the wildlife sanctuary and are optimistic that campers will be able to find these caterpillars on the property.

Spicebush Swallowtail Caterpillar

Spicebush Swallowtail Caterpillar. Creative Commons License.

Do you know a creative kid or a nature detective…then open up a world of exploration, imagination, and investigation this summer by signing them up for the Wild at Art Summer Camp in Canton.