Kelseyville >> Well over 100 4th through 6th grade students from throughout the county spent an amazing day at the Ely Stage Stop and Taylor Observatory as participants in the annual Art and Science camp on May 2. These early risers enjoyed a day full of a variety of activities.
At the Taylor Observatory, Eduardo Alatorre presented a program in the planetarium which focused on the night sky, the ancient Greek astronomers who named the constellations, new information on the conquest of Mars, and the exploits of the Mars Rover. In the Taylor classroom, Carolyn Ruttan, director of the Clear Lake Environmental Research Center, gave an interesting talk on the cyanobacteria and other creatures in our lake. Students also looked through microscopes at prepared slides as well as prepared a slide themselves after taking their cheek swab. Lower Lake High School students Brandon Cooper and Salvador Alfaro were valuable assistants at this station. Outside at the observatory, students sang and danced to old folk tunes with Martha Miller and Don Coffin.
When students arrived at the Ely Stage Stop there was much more to do. First, they made sand candles in the barn with Stephanie Figueroa of Candle Play. Teen helpers from Lower Lake High School Sara Tucker, Mary Jones and Arcelia Diaz did a wonderful job guiding the students in this activity. Then students dissected owl pellets with the help of Elaine Mansell, retired park ranger. They found a variety of skulls and other bones from the owl’s prey in the pellets. Students were happy to learn owl pellets are like cat hair balls; the owl spits out the hair and bones it cannot digest. In their final Ely session, students went up to the big wraparound porch of the stage stop building. Here there were many interesting stations: corn shucking, a spinning wheel which actually made yarn from wool, a wash basin for clothes complete with washboard and bar of soap, and a group of local ham radio operators who demonstrated their radio and talked about radio history. Two members of the Koi Nation, Ken Faber and Robert Morgan, demonstrated flint making with obsidian and answered many questions about native life. Out in front of the stage stop, the three quarter size replica of a stage coach was the site of a hold up by that notorious bad man “Bent Nose” Parker. Bent Nose came out, masked, swaggering in his chaps, demanding the cash box and any valuables on hand. A delightful scene of the dangers of travel in the 1850s.
Mid-day, students, group leaders and all adults settled down to enjoy a delicious lunch sponsored by Lakeport, Clearlake and Middletown Rotaries and the Rotary Club of Kelseyville Sunrise. After lunch another treat: a one hour raptor show in the barn. Jenny Papka from Native Bird Connections showed and talked about three rescued birds: a red-tailed hawk, a kestrel and an European owl. These birds would not be able to make it in the wild so they are part of Papka’s educational program. Students had many great questions for Papka and were a very considerate audience for the birds who get scared when crowds are noisy. The Redbud Audubon Society sponsored this very popular segment of the camp as they have for the past 3 years.
At the end of the day students were asked to write a post card to themselves saying what they liked and what they would like to remember about the camp. Many students took a short cut and wrote “everything!!!” but the bird show, owl pellets and candles were most frequently mentioned. A home schooled student wrote that riding the bus was something they will remember. Another student wrote “I like art and science camp because I got to learn about art the same time as science. I love art and science!” A sixth grader from Pomo wrote, “My favorite parts about today was dissecting owl pellets, watching and learning about birds and going to the Taylor Observatory.” These post cards will be mailed to students in about a week for them to have as a keepsake of the camp.
This free annual camp is a collaborative effort by four Lake County groups: the Children’s Museum of Art and Science (CMAS), the Lake County Office of Education, The Redbud Audubon Society and the Lake County Historical Society. Additional support from Foods Etc for morning snacks and the Kelseyville High School Culinary Arts program for preparing lunches was also greatly appreciated. CMAS thanks the many community members who make this fun and educational day possible for our youth.
