Week of July 28, 2024 – August 3, 2024
by Anna Stunkel, Environmental Educator
The week before last was one of my favorite camp weeks of the summer– art camp! Throughout this themed Voyager week, we explore all over the preserve while drawing, painting, sculpting, acting, and creating other forms of nature art. I provide materials and some guidance, but this week is mostly camper-led in terms of how the kids want to connect with their surroundings through art. Some of the materials are found in nature, too! This includes clay at stream sites, sticks for building forts, ashes from campfire rings for drawing “tattoos,” and mud for painting or creating mud pies.
Art provides many opportunities for campers to connect with nature during summer camp. Through creative expression, they develop a sense of focus and sharpened observation skills. Projects like rock spirals and forts provide great opportunities for teamwork. As last week’s blog shared, it’s also just fun to get messy!
Although Voyager week is dedicated specifically to nature art, artistic creativity can be found all throughout the camp community. Preschoolers create fun crafts to learn about the living beings found in forests, fields, and streams. Campers of all ages love sculpting with streambed clay. And at the end of the week, campers test out their acting skills through goofy, entertaining skits. Finally, we wrap up the week with campers participating in The Lorax play, a reminder of why it’s so important that natural lands like Baltimore Woods stay protected. Thanks to hard-working staff and volunteers who care for this place, campers can make lasting memories as they have fun playing in nature with their friends.
Have you felt inspired to create art in nature this summer? If you’d like to share any of your creations, stop by the Interpretive Center and check out our current interactive art gallery exhibit, Beyond the Bend. We invite you to share artwork, prose, or poetry to add to our community art gallery!