Audubon Society Summer Camps offer something for everyone!

Kids, teens, families, adults and teachers. Spend part of your summer having fun and exploring the natural world.

Beginning in April, select Audubon Centers will be taking applications for scholarships for a week of summer camp. Choose from a broad selection of day camps near you.

To learn more, go to Audubon Camps.

Why Teach Bird Drawing?

by Kris Kirkeby
Audubon in the Schools Coordinator
541-349-2439
cr1ckets0ng (at) rgisp.com.

Look around you-notice the light switch, the chair you're sitting in, the color of the floor, and the design of your pen. All of these objects have elements of design which were created by drawings, either on paper or on a computer. Think about the variety of skills you use each and every time you go out birding. We form mental images from sounds, shapes, and colors. What sound does the warbler make? What shape is its silhouetted head? What color are the wings? Serious birders may make these observations automatically, but remember, in the beginning, everyone must work very hard to learn. We investigate an object in the same way when we try to make an accurate drawing. This approach is the difference between looking and seeing.

Our trained Audubon in the Schools instructors combine lessons of bird biology and accurate drawing based on information observed by the students. Critical thinking is involved in both the arts and sciences. Both employ skills of observing, comparing, exploring, trial and error, and problem solving. Many of the teacher evaluations we receive mention that we worked on improving student observation skills. These skills are common to all disciplines, and we hope children will fine-hone and use them throughout their lives.

Most art involves sketching and designing, whether it is done on paper or in one's head. Being able to draw an accurate image is important to any art style. Understanding basic concepts of line, shape, color, contrast, pattern, form, etc. shortens the time needed to evolve ideas. What form those ideas take-realistic or expressive-is simply the next step! Drawing compliments observing, reading, verbally relating and touching as ways of learning and retaining information.

When I was in art school, I was expected to produce art images, but was rarely taught 'technique.' Consequently, I rarely understood how to analyze the weaknesses in my work and certainly struggled to make the leap of knowing how to correct them. This came to me painfully and slowly by "reinventing the wheel." When Audubon in the Schools instructors teach our drawing technique, we leave behind a toolbox that allows children a way to figure out how to fix an image. Providing children with tools to analyze and explore concepts strengthens the educational process.

Our busy schools don't have time to include art, much less teach art technique. Understanding the concepts of ecosystems is required for the state benchmarks for Grades 3-5. If we can combine two disciplines to satisfy some of the core requirements, it will enhance the learning experience, solidify the information in different ways for students, and perhaps lessen the load for our dedicated and hard working teachers.

When a second grader shows me the drawing we worked on in the classroom and says "this is my first real drawing," I know she is telling me there is value in producing an accurate art image and that she enjoyed looking at the bird! She also is telling me she understands how this is different from the other artwork she has created. Kids do make the connection between looking at the bird carefully and creating an accurate image. They find this effort rewarding! We hope they go out the door to home with curious eyes!

Some days the drawing process produces tears! Accepting that perfection isn't a ten-minute process can be hard. Or, a student may learn better by reading, or, possibly they may not have been listening. Again, drawing, like science, is an exercise in experimentation and problem solving. They need to be willing to make mistakes. Making mistakes is risky but it's necessary in order to learn and advance. Drawing is a healthy way for students to take safe risks. Success after risk-taking translates into self-confidence and improved self-esteem.

Returning to an earlier idea, to value something, first see it rather than just look at it. To learn about birds and their world, we have to be good observers. To honor the earth, we must notice its wonder. The goal of most study, whether we are learning to recognize birds or studying ways to lobby effectively for conserving and protecting bird habitats, is to transfer our knowledge to life learning experiences. We enjoy seeing the beauty, experiencing it, and accepting responsibility for our world.

When we come to understand the connectedness inherent in the natural world, we begin to associate it as a personal and shared value system. Assessing the aesthetic qualities found in nature is a strong part of developing a value system of appreciation and sensitivity to all the demands on our planet Earth right now.

Do I believe that Audubon in the Schools achieves all of the ideas offered in this article? No. But we hope to be part of a bigger team we think is working toward common goals. Adults have more power, but kids need to learn how to take the reins we will hand them!