Helping visitors make the connection between science and fun has always been an important goal of the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden. In this whimsical setting, children are introduced to scientific concepts through exciting hands-on activities. Sketching and writing are two of the most effective tools in helping young people learn the scientific skills of observation and recording. To develop these skills, Mark Baldwin, Director of Education at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute (named in honor of the artist/naturalist and creator of the famous Peterson Field Guides), led a nature journal workshop. The workshop participants learned how a field journal can sharpen a child’s senses and observation skills while promoting literacy and art education.

The first part of the workshop focused on the difference between observation and inference. Baldwin illustrated the point with stories, including the time he asked a teacher to draw a tree. The teacher sat down with his back to the tree and began to draw. When asked how he could draw the tree when it was behind him, the teacher replied: “Why do I need to look at it? I already know what a tree looks like!”

Once Baldwin addressed how to dispel the preconceived notions about the world, he focused on how to open the mind by opening one’s eyes. One exercise called “pure contour drawing” involved tracing the edge of a leaf with the eye, while moving the pencil across the page in synchrony. Some pretty funny drawings emerged, as well as a new appreciation for the intricacies of a leaf. Other exercises taught how to capture motion, how to label a drawing, and how to use a field guide to help identify the plant or animal depicted. The workshop was made possible through the generosity of Edith and Henry J. Everett.