Exploring the Seashore with Students

I have stated on a number of occasions that my approach to viewing and interacting with the 'natural' world is to do so with the wonder of a child. Over the past two days, I have had the opportunity and privilege to explore the seashore and make art with students at Bonne Bay Academy. If you are on Facebook, you can view a post on my page that the school put together. What amazed me was their keen observation skills and their ability to find life on the edges--mostly crabs.

I was most excited about a hermit crab that one of the students found. When I was very young, we had a hermit crab that I very creatively named, "Hermit". I was fascinated by him and I was fascinated by this one.

Here is a link to a video of the hermit crab.

I was also fascinated by a lovely smooth periwinkle. I knew the shells were bright orange (I've been collecting them) but I had no idea that the periwinkles themselves were orange! This video is taken through a hand-held microscope so it is very shaky. Still--it gives an idea.

Here is the link.

The students made lumen photographs (exposing images on old, photographic paper) on the beach and I thought they turned out beautifully. Here is an example: