My awesome project aims to encourage people to explore the world around them by incorporating art and science through the collaboration of multiple participants - using Great Blue Herons as the focus! The list below provides an overview.

1. Publish creative nonfiction children’s book (target age group is K-3). This book describes the adventures one great blue heron (who was tagged and tracked by State of Maine biologists) faces as she migrates between Maine and Haiti! Her story is based on the actual tracking data obtained from her over the past five years.
2. Create a supplemental activity book. This will include coloring pages, word searches, and other activities that teach and entertain.
3. Integrate science lesson plans that were developed by the State of Maine heron project to encourage adults and children to get outside and learn about habitats, wildlife, and more, with suggestions for how to get involved in current research projects.
4. Local artist will illustrate the book in addition to offering bird/nature sketching classes through institutions such as Audubon, wildlife educational programs, nonprofit art organizations, and schools.
5. Colleague will offer art-based perceptual ecology workshop. This novel methodology collects data at the landscape (or habitat) level and allows participants to view the data from different perspectives.
6. Initial plan is to offer resources in-person/online to Maine communities, but want to make widely available while continuing to develop and expand lesson plans/activities, with the potential to include other focal species.