LECTURES & CLASSES
Essentials of Digital Photography
This in-door only class covers the essentials of your digital camera. You will learn how to use your camera’s shutter, aperture, ISO control and the drive modes to create images with impact and creativity. Sonny Saunders has over 35 years of experience in photography and instruction and is renowned for his ability to communicate to a wide variety of students.
**No previous camera or photography experience is necessary, just a desire to learn.**
Watercolors & Wildlife: Painting with Jan
- Perfect for beginners
- Spotlights on nature from shells to bird life to local waterways
- All materials are included
- Complete a painting at each class!
Artist Statement
Working primarily from mental images, memories and impressions I aim for an ethereal, dreamlike quality to convey an emotional experience rather than a mere snapshot of the subject. While my subjects are based loosely on scenes and experiences from the natural world, this abstract, interpretive style sharply diverges from the photo realistic portrayals more typical of watercolor artists.
Currently a resident of Naples, Florida, I take advantage of having lived and traveled in the Far East and draw upon the influences of Asian styles and techniques such as the vibrant colors of Japanese woodblock prints, the perspectives of Chinese landscape painting and the simple yet elegant images of sumie ink painting.
I want to draw you, the viewer, into the images prompting individual interpretation and a personalization of the viewing experience. Sometimes this is with unexpected use of color, shape and perspective, and sometimes it is the changes in the subject from everyday to memory inspired. What is important to me is what the viewer sees in a painting, what I could think about it is not remotely as interesting to me as what you tell me you see.
About the Class
In the classes at Rookery Bay, we will be able to use the amazing charm of the plants, birds, aquatic life and vistas to capture some of the delight and loveliness. In our 2.5 hours for each class, we’ll get a brief insight into one of the residents and use that to create a picture.
These will definitely not be a photo realistic portrait, but rather a study or exercise to capture the energy and essence of our subject. We will also cover some of the technical parts of watercolor, as needed.
Forest Bathing
Our forest bathing takes place on the Snail Trail, a scrub and mangrove forest along Henderson Creek at the Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center. From seating on a dock overlooking the water, a Certified Forest Bathing Guide will conduct a guided meditation session and offer a series of invitations to use your curiosity and senses to connect with nature and yourself. Look, listen, smell and feel what the forest is offering you.
Optional opportunities for sharing throughout the program create a communal sense of a shared experience. Light refreshments during a closing ceremony help you feel refreshed as you continue your day.
Decades of research have shown that forest bathing can reduce stress and depression and improve immune function as well as cardiovascular and respiratory health, among other benefits.
Dates
October 7, 2023
November 4, 2023
December 2, 2023
January 6, 2024
February 3, 2024
March 2, 2024
April 6, 2024
What to bring/wear:
Closed-toe shoes
Sunscreen
Bug spray
Hat
Water or other hydrating beverage
Camping-style chair, if you need or want to sit
What not to bring:
Phone, camera or other electronic devices; it’s time to relax.
Lunch & Learn Lecture Series
Each month, experts will focus on a unique, research topic related to Mangroves, Mud, and Management: Stories of Resilience and Restoration in South Florida.
Monthly Topics
- December 14, 2023 – Hurricane Impacts on Mangroves by Dr. Kara Radabaugh, Research Scientist (Fish & Wildlife Research Institute)
- January 24, 2024 – Small But Mighty: Urban Mangroves Provide Important Functions to South Florida by Bella Reyes, Ph.D. Candidate (Tropical Research and Education Center at the University of Florida)
- February 14, 2024 – How Can Collaborative Science Address Mangrove Resilience by Dr. Danielle Ogurcak, Interdisciplinary Science Manager (Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve)
- March 6, 2024 – Sea-level Rise and Mangroves: Why is this Important? by Andrew From, Ecologist (U.S. Geological Survey’s Wetland and Aquatic Research Center)
- April 10, 2024 – Don’t Stop Believing: A Restoration Journey from Muck to Mangroves by Marissa Figueroa, M.S. Student (Florida International University)
Q&A
What: Lunch & Learn Lecture Series: Florida Talks at the Reserve
When: Monthly starting in December from 12pm – 1pm
Where: Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center, 300 Tower Road
Please arrive 15 minutes early to get your plate, grab a seat, and enjoy the live-stream lecture 12-1 pm.
How: Cost is $20, includes lunch. Advance registration is required.
Virtual Binoculars
From the comfort of your computer, we will taken you on a virtual tour of the amazing mudflats of Tigertail Beach. You will see what birds are out there in real time through a virtual spotting scope while viewing photos and receiving clues to look for to help you identify these birds in the field.
Each month the birds species and their appearance will change so we encourage you to join us for the entire series. No two sessions will be the same!
Florida Master Naturalist Program
Birding with Biologists
Practice using your binoculars binoculars and field guides as you tour the paved paths of Donna Fiala Eagle Lakes Community Park, led by local expert biologists Rochelle Streker of Audubon Florida and Collette Lauzau of Rookery Bay Research Reserve.
Learning with the Experts
