Tag Archives: Nature

Wild at Art Summer Camp – Highlights from Week 1

The first week of our 2017 summer camp season is off and running to a fantastic start. During the first week, the campers are learning about the ways birds and other animals fly, swim, and move. Here are a few of the highlights:

Highlight #1: Seeing larval salamanders and wood frog tadpoles at the vernal pool

Highlight #2: Creating Amazing Art with Lindsey Caputo (Art Educator)

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Highlight #3: Making Animal Themed Hats

Highlight #4: Hiking to the pine forest to see our “eagle’s nest”

 

Learn, Create, and Express Yourself at our Digital Photography Homeschool Program

Build your own digital camera!

IMG_2601On February 3rd, we will kick off our winter STEAM Ahead Photography homeschool course, only a few spots remain so sign up today. This program focuses on fostering curiosity, creativity, innovative thinking, and problem solving and is designed and taught by Sean Kent, a dedicated science educator, field biologist, and accomplished amateur photographer. Students will build a digital camera and learn about the science behind the camera lens, while exploring the art of photography. As an art museum and a 121 acre wildlife sanctuary, students will have the unique opportunity to learn about the science, art, and technology of photography, while also being immersed in project based learning focused on our environment. To learn more about homeschool courses offered at Mass Audubon’s Museum of American Bird Art, check out a blog post about our Fall 2015 courses.

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Photography students exploring the brook and completing a photography scavenger hunt. Photo credit: Sean Kent

During the photography course, students will

  • Learn about the science, engineering and technology behind the camera lens, including power generation, how an image is created by a lens, and how the microcontroller in a digital camera works
  • Learn about the anatomy and physiology of the human eye
  • Explore the artistic tools used to compose a photograph, including the rule of thirds and leading lines

“The homeschool classes at the Museum of American Bird Art are the most thoughtfully designed programs my children have ever attended.” – PARENT

For members, the course fee is 160$ with a 100$ materials fee for the cost of the digital camera that a students build.

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Learn more about the course instructor

Sean Kent, the education coordinator for the Museum of American Bird Art at Mass Audubon, designed and will teach the digital photography course. Sean is a skilled educator with broad experience working with elementary through college-age students in art studio, classroom, and outdoor settings. He has a master’s degree in biology, and his research on native plants and pollinators has taken him from the Boston Harbor Islands to Belize. He is an art enthusiast, birder, and accomplished amateur photographer.

 

Check out our other Winter Homeschool Classes

Monday:

  1. Animal Ecology, Behavior, and Art (Two classes: Ages 7 to 9, and Ages 10 to 15)
  2. Where in the World: Wildlife, Geography, and Art! (One class: Ages 7 to 9)
  3. Pollinator Ecology, Inquiry, and Art (One class: Age 10 to 15)

Tuesday

  1. Painting Immersion – Famous Nature Artists and You (Two Classes: Ages 7 to 9, and Ages 10 to 15)

Wednesday

  1. STEAM Ahead Photography Homeschool Program

Connecting homeschool children through art, observation, and inquiry

At MABA, we believe that strong links exist between creativity, brain function and learning, so concepts from each homeschool class are reinforced by creating art. Check out our homeschool offerings for Winter 2016 and keep reading to learn more about our fantastic and engaging fall 2015 programs.

“The homeschool classes at the Museum of American Bird Art are the most thoughtfully designed programs my children have ever attended.” – PARENT

Ecology and Art homeschool students counting maple seeds along a transect

Ecology and Art homeschool students counting maple seeds along a transect

This past fall homeschool students and their families connected with nature, created art, had lots of fun, and delved deep into STEAM (Science, technology, engineering, art, and math) subjects during our two homeschool classes: 1) Ecology and Art and 2) STEAM Ahead Photography. Our homeschool classes focused on close observation of nature and activities that encourage creativity, imagination, and inquiry.

“These are the best homeschool classes I have ever taken” – Homeschool Student

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Two students from the STEAM Ahead Photography class planning their photography at our brook

What did we do during the Ecology and Art Class?

During the Ecology and Art class, students investigated seasonal changes that occur in the fall. We focused on how seeds move and how plants and animals prepare for winter. For example:

  • Students each built their own transects – the same type used in ecological research – and explored how the wind and animals move seeds from one place to another.IMG_3360
  • Students explored the vernal pool and brook to see how salamanders and other animals prepared for winter.DSC_6589
  • Students created art that was inspired by nature and concepts from each class. This opportunity allowed them to expand their understanding and better realize their artistic ability.

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What did we do during the STEAM Ahead Photography Class?

During the STEAM Ahead Photography class, students built a digital camera on their own to better understand the science, engineering, and technology behind digital photography. In addition, they explored the wildlife sanctuary to connect the art of photography with a better understanding of their environment and acquired different artistic tools for photography.

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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

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

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Moment #3: Nature Hikes and Scavenger Hunts

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Moment #4: Creating art using the process of suminagashi

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Moment #5: Visit from Sherrie York

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Moment #6: Excitement with the Caterpillar Lab

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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

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

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

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Moment #4: Collecting natural materials for art

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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

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Camper David and Liam having fun drawing with charcoal

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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