Artful Alabama: Field Studies in America's Amazon

As part of a literacy-based project surrounding the longleaf ecosystem, students created a series of twelve "stained glass" windows for Ardmore's library media center from lamination film remnants, glue and paint. Each window tells part of a story about the longleaf ecosystem and students have designed wood burned panels to go along with each piece. Last year, Ardmore media specialist Ashley Daly wrote a grant to support our Naturalist Studies program with research materials and programming. With her help, students were able to travel to Monte Sano State Park to learn longleaf pine needle basketry from DeSoto State Park naturalist Brittney Hughes.  Next, students are reading the book "Longleaf" by Alabamian Roger Reid, and will enjoy a visit from the author this January.  This arts-integrated unit teaches students about Alabama’s longleaf ecosystem through literature, art, history and science while reintroducing traditional skills. The serie...

Our Naturalist Studies students participated in an intense wilderness first aid training at Camp Jackson over fall break. The 16 hour course combined classroom learning and discussion with hands-on, practical application. Students learned to assess a patient, how to address common injuries and ailments and how to safely evacuate a victim using improvised equipment. Priority Medical went out of the way to make the course engaging and informative for our kids. For the portion of the course that dealt with activating emergency response, they even had a helicopter land at the camp so that our students could ask questions of the emergency flight personnel.  The culmination of the training was a realistic rescue scenario, complete with elaborate stage makeup, sound effects and actors. Students were told how many victims were in the woods, and they had to organize themselves as a team to find them, assess them, treat them and evacuate them in a timely manner.  Our students did a grea...

Ardmore Naturalist Studies teens are participating in Isom’s scarecrow contest. Starting this weekend, visit Isom’s orchard on highway 72 in Athens to vote! The winners get money for their educational programs.