The Vermont Master Naturalist BTV Program and BPRW announces a series of workshop that focus on nature photography, environmental art, and multi-media presentations. The workshops will take place outdoor this summer in natural areas around Burlington.  Selected art from these workshops will be on display at the South End Art Hop at Evolution Yoga Studio on September 6 - 8, 2019. Details about the workshops are in the calendar below.

Share your favorite natural seasonal observations with the Burlington's Master Naturalists!

The Burlington Phenological calendar will represent the sequence of seasonal natural events in the city, and encourage residents to experience our dynamic environment. With an impressive 49% of open space, direct proximity to Lake Champlain, and a variety of natural community types, Burlington is a unique urban ecosystem.

 

The content for the calendar will draw from the collected observations from residents. No Burlingtonian can avoid the cottonwood fluff that blanket the entire city in early summer. Or miss hundreds of roosting crows cackling as winter comes. There are lesser-noticed events too, like short-lived ephemerals that only surface their pretty flowers in yet-shaded spring forests. When can you expect to see migratory birds? Or when is the most likely time in the winter to find fox tracks in the snow? These are just a few possibilities for what the calendar might include.

 

We want to hear what your favorite observations are!

Two Wildflower Walks in Arms Forest.  See over 20 varieties!

       

Pollinator Games at Kids Day:  Join Vermont Master Naturalists BTV for games, gifts and more.   

Saturday May 11 from 10 am to 3 pm at the Waterfront. 

  

Wild Food, Wild Medicine and Abundant Edible and Medicinal Wild Plants of Burlington, VT with Melanie Brotz, RD, Wild Edible Plant Guide, Registered Dietitian and Herbalist   

Tuesday May 14 from 5:30 to 7:00 pm.  Meet at the Diocese parking lot at 5 Rock Point Road.  Over flow parking at the High School.  Please don't park in the fields.   

  

"The focus of the walk will be on edible 'weeds' and those labeled invasives like Knotweed and Garlic Mustard."   

  

  

Nature Photography with a Naturalist's Eye with Rob Merrifield

"Following a brief introduction at the trail head, where we will review basic camera functions, as well as some tips and techniques used in photographing nature, we will share our backgrounds and what we hope to learn from each other. After a short overview of unique natural features of Rock Point, we will explore the forests, cliffs, swamps, and beaches of Rock Point in search of images to capture. Trees, wildflowers, rocks, water, the beach and cliffs, sunset, shapes, patterns, textures, and colors are all fair game."

  

Artist: Avid outdoor photographer Rob Merrifield has spent nearly 5 decades hiking, paddling, and skiing in many wilderness settings throughout the US as well as Canada, Panama, Kenya, Rwanda, and Ethiopia.

  

Ephemera: Transitory, Environmental Art with Melanie Brotz and Carolyn Gould 

June 15, 10 am - 1 pm.  Meet at the Bike Path/Shore of Lake Champlain, just south of Perkins Pier.

  

"If you've ever built a sand castle or a snowman, you've engaged in environmental art. Inspired by the materials found along the shore and among the trees, shrubs, and grasses, participants will create their own works of environmental art using only what is found on the site. You can choose to work either individually or in collaboration with others. We are working in a disturbed area so that our creations will not have further negative impact on the environment. You may bring some small tools (darning needle, trowel, or knife, for example). We will photograph or videotape the finished art works so that they may be included in the Art Hop event."

  

Artists: Melanie Brotz's art fuses her passions for environmental protection, wild plants and healing, community building, and the transformative power of love and kindness. Her environmental art pieces-sculptures, mixed media art, and paintings-are inspired by the natural world. Writer and illustrator Carolyn Gould's love of the environment began in childhood exploring the rivers, forests, mountains, and beaches of Oregon. She works as a marketing and management consultant.

  

  

ArtOUTside: Plein Air Watercolor, Sketching, & Painting (Oils/Acrylics)

Thursday June 27, 5-7 pm

Oakledge Park, Burlington. Meet at the furthest in parking lot.

"After brief introductions, participants in this community Plein Air art gathering will explore the natural environments of Oakledge Park and choose their preferred views/locations. Community artists will be on hand to help support your creativity. Participants will need to bring their own art materials. (chair/stool, easel, paper, paints, etc.)"

Artists:  Kara Greenblott is a watercolor artist, coordinator for the Arts Collective at the Howard Center, and member of Burlington's Art Tribe, a group of women artists that nurture and support one another's journeys as artists. She works as a social worker and public health consultant to support her addiction to making art. Annie Caswill has been teaching and making art in Vermont for over 30 years.  She is a sculptor, photographer, and painter, and nature provides her endless inspiration.

 

This issue of BTV Conservation News edited by Claire Dumont  and Alicia Daniel 

Banner Photo:  www.flickr.com/photos/wildreturn