A new workshop is aiming to draw more youngsters to appreciate their natural environment.
Drawing Habitats is a one-day workshop for children aged 8 to 12 that combines the natural wonders of Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary with the skill of a pair of local artists.
The event runs from noon to 4 p.m. Aug. 10, with the workshop beginning with a tour of the Swan Lake wetlands. While exploring the sanctuary from different vantage points, participants will learn about Vancouver Island ecologies and how they fit in both natural and urban systems.
Following the Swan Lake outing, participants will take school bus to Open Space on Fort Street where they will have the chance to meet artists Jim Holyoak and Matt Shane. The pair are working this summer to create an enormous, immersive drawing installation titled Forestrial Brain, inspired by their experience hiking the West Coast trail. The workshop participants will be able to talk to the artists about shared experiences of nature and about drawing the land and the environment they experience.
The cost of the program is by donation, however, pre-registration is required. To register, email office@openspace.ca.