KELSEYVILLE >> Well over 100 third through fifth grade students from throughout Lake County had an incredible day at the 11th annual Art and Science Camp at Ely Stage Stop and Taylor Observatory on Saturday, April 29.
This year they had a very special visit from Miss Muley who was brought by the volunteers from the Backcountry Horsemen of California and was part of their presentation on Leave No Trace. After students heard about proper and “gentle” use of backcountry during hikes and camping, they assisted in properly packing an “iron mule” so the load was evenly distributed, and then were able to offer Miss Muley a piece of carrot and give her a pet. It was hard to say who enjoyed that interaction more — the kids or the mule.
Students groups then cycled up to the Ely Museum porch where four different stations were offered. John Parker demonstrated arrowhead making and talked about Native American culture and local history. Historical Society docents helped students crank the old-fashioned corn shelling machine which separated the kernals from the cob. The Lake County Amateur Radio Society set up a series of activities which included having the students talk on the ham radio to people all over the United States, and even got a few responses from Canada, much to students’ surprise and delight. Students also learned to spell their names using the military alphabet (alpha, bravo etc) as well as learning to tap out S-O-S in Morse code on the telegraph. The last station on the porch is always a big hit with students: they wash clothes in an old-fashioned wash tub using a bar of soap and a scrub board. Then they put the garment through a wringer and hang it on the clothes line.
In the Ely barn, students under the direction of Stephanie Figueroa, made scented wax collages. Students incorporated a variety herbs and scented plants like bay leaves, lavender, thyme and sage into their wax creations. They looked beautiful and they smelled great. Students are always very engaged in whatever activity Stephanie offers at camp.
After a delicious lunch prepared by A Passion for Food, a local catering service, students filed into the barn to hear Jenny Papka from Native Bird Connections talk about raptors. This hour long presentation was sponsored by the Redbud Audubon Society. Jenny brought four rescued birds which she shared with the students: a peregrine falcon, a red tailed hawk, a barn owl, and an Eurasian Eagle Owl. She told their stories, how they came to her rescue center, but more importantly she told how birds of prey are sometimes endangered by pesticides as they are at the top of the food chain and the chemicals become concentrated in the prey they eat. She shared many fascinating facts about each bird: that the peregrine falcon is the fastest bird on earth, flying 200 mph, diving faster than a cheetah can run.
Students were then bussed over to Taylor Observatory to complete three sessions at that location. They saw a planetarium show. Many students were impressed with this session, citing it as their favorite and recalling certain facts they learned, like that the oldest star in the Milky Way is 8 billion years old.
Students then entered the classroom where Carolyn Ruttan, from the Dept. of Water Resources, and Bonnie Ryan, a Vector Control biologist, had a variety of activities going on. Carolyn used the interactive sandbox to show students how Clearlake developed and to stress the importance of the watershed. She shared how Clearlake is one of the 2 oldest lakes in the world and how it needs to be protected. Bonnie brought lake water full of organisms and students viewed them under a microscope and saw different stages of their development. She used the midges they were seeing to talk about metamorphosis.
Outside under the oak trees, Bill Bordisso led a session, assisted by Martha Miller and Sue Condit, where each student had hands-on time with a guitar. For many this was the highlight of the day. They learned some simple cords and played and sang “We Will Rock You.”
Before they went home students were asked to write a postcard indicating what they liked the best about their day. Many wrote “everything.” Many parents who attended felt the same way. Four students from Kelseyville High School were extremely helpful setting up and keeping things running smoothly throughout the day.
