This May as an Artist in Residence at IslandWood, I enjoyed sharing my appreciation of the Western Red Cedar tree with many students from the area. Young people ranging from fourth through sixth grades came from North Beach Elementary, Emerson K-12,The Evergreen School, Emerson Elementary, Adams Elementary, and The Brighton School. During their four day, three night stay at IslandWood, students are clustered in small groups that journey through all kinds of environmental learning opportunities led by highly trained graduate students. I got to hang out at the giant straw-bail art studio, where students could learn about important native plants and how they have been regarded and utilized by local First Peoples cultures for thousands of years.
