(Photo provided)

SARANAC LAKE – From Aug. 13 to Aug. 17, BluSeed Studios will offer a different experience for children ages 7 to 12.

The art center will be hosting the Utica Zoo and the Wilmington Wildlife Refuge to bring area youth a hands-on art and science integration program.

Children will receive guidance on creating their own journal to record their experiences and they will have the opportunity to create art based on their intimate interactions with the critters that they will encounter during the Zoo’s visit.

BluSeed Artistic Director Carol Marie Vossler and other members of the BluSeed creative team will offer instruction along with Utica Zoo’s Mary Hall and staff of the Wildlife Refuge. “It will be an amazing experience for the children to meet animals face to face and seamlessly integrate science and art through this unique learning experience,” Vossler said.

Ages 7 to 12 are invited to participate for a morning (9 a.m. to noon) or for every morning of the week of Aug. 13.

The participation fee is $150 for the entire program or $35 per session. There are partial scholarships available for students participating for the full-week.

This program and the scholarships are made possible, in part, with a grant from the Charles R. Wood Foundation.

Visiting instructor Mary Hall is the director of education and conservation for the Utica Zoo. She brings 25 years of experience in environmental education and loves to share her passion and knowledge about the Adirondack forests. She earned her degree in forestry from Paul Smith’s College.

BluSeed’s own Carol Vossler has varied experience in forest practices. She holds art integration certification and has taught the studio arts for 20 years. She earned degrees in forestry from Paul Smith’s College, a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Plattsburgh State University and a Master of Fine Arts from Syracuse University.