Nature Photographs

Students from the Boys and Girls Club Teen Center explored Frank Wilson Park with VMNH on July 20th. As part of their week-long Photography theme, they participated in several photo-related nature activities. They acted as photographer and camera to view elements of the park ecology more closely, they reviewed their life science while completing a nature photo scaventer hunt with their cell phones, and they created framed artwork with materials from nature.

Photographers take nature photos with their human cameras

Getting a close-up with their cell phone cameras

They found a conifer!

This tree needed a hug

Frame complete, now for the art

Framed Nature Art

She found a dead butterfly in the leaves, a beautiful swallowtail

Design and Dig!

The MHC After 3 group from Collinsville participated in VMNH led programs the week of July 5 - 8. They learned about plants, gardening, and the importance of community green spaces. For the last two days of the camp, they chose a site for a new garden at Jack Dalton Park (they decided on two small gardens), prepared the sites, chose the flowers, designed the gardens, planted, mulched, and sweat a lot in the heat! Henry County Parks and Recreation assisted with site options and loaned some shovels, and Gateway Streetscapes worked along-side the kids the whole time and also let us use some of their equipment. Next time you're at Jack Dalton park, check out the new garden next to the walking trail.

Breaking Ground

Digging in to remove the grass where the garden would go

Adding a Butterfly Bush

Planting some perrenials

A hard-working group!

The whole group with one of the completed gardens

And a little goofiness