SMYRNA – Holy Family School students have concluded their year-long Wildlife Photography and Illustration Unit. Grades 5 through 7 participated in a field trip to Wolf Mountain Nature Center in Smyrna. Science and art teachers, Eric Diefenbacher and Sarah Mahan, once again collaborated to combine the visual arts with biological and environmental sciences by exploring the fascinating world of wolves and arctic foxes. Students were able to observe, photograph, and illustrate these magnificent creatures from life, up close and personal, through a personal tour from the manager of the facility. The visit was wrapped up with an informative nature hike through the woods surrounding the center.

To review what makes photography possible and enjoy some of the warm weather and sunshine, grade levels from Kindergarten through 7th grade created nature prints using a special kind of light sensitive photography paper that they could develop themselves after exposing to light, simply by running water over their prints. Students enjoyed creating unique shapes and designs simply by using objects from nature and light from the sun.