“Here without knowing it we were still at school; every wild lesson a love lesson, not whipped but charmed into us.”
John Muir- My Boyhood and Youth
To help you learn the feather groups of birds, roll your cursor over the illustration.
Try to name the feather group. Check yourself by clicking your cursor to see the name of the group.
School Based Programs
Following Muir's Footsteps is an innovative school-based education program that helps students learn to observe nature by integrating science and art and gets copies of the field guide into the hands of children in the Sierra Nevada. Following Muir's Footsteps engenders passionate love of nature, personal understanding of natural history and commitment to stewardship. This program gets students out in the field, learning from their own observations and using field guides and nature journals as the basis for discovering nature around them. The curriculum links to the State of California’s science, math, language, and social studies standards.
March 8, Filoli, Finding Connection in Nature, Public talk and book signing. 1PM
March 13, Richardson Bay Audbon Center, Nature Sketching for Families, Join naturalist, educator and artist John (Jack) Muir Laws for this 2 hour program that will inspire you to head outdoors with sketchbook and pencils in hand. Participants ages 9 and up will be introduced to the basic technique and tools to help you draw birds and other wildlife. 376 Greenwood Beach Road Tiburon, CA, 10AM-12PM
March 25, Sierra Club East Bay Dinners, Finding Connection in Nature, Public talk and book signing, Berkeley Yacht Club 7PM-9PM (program starts at 8PM)
March 27, Nature Sketching for Families, Sponsored by WildCare, Las Gallinas Wildlife Ponds, Marin Co. CA
April 2010
April 19- May17 , City College of San Francisco, BIO 70A. Botanical Illustration: A scientific illustration class focusing on depicting plant morphology, habitat and species identification using graphite pencil, colored pencil and watercolor.
April 19 , 6:00-9:00 pm evening introduction (overview, equipment)
April 26 , 6:00-9:00 pm,
May 3 , 6:00-9:00 pm,
May 9 (Sunday), 9:00 am-2:00 pm. Field Trip San Francisco Botanical Garden Meet at the front entrance gate of the Gardens.
May 10 , 6:00-9:00 pm,
May 17 , 6:00-9:00 pm
April 23, Point Reyes Birding Festival, Drawing Songbirds workshop 2PM-4PM
April 24-25, Pepperwood Preserve Spring Field Sketching: Birds and Wildflowers, Join us for this rare opportunity to work with renowned educator, naturalist and artist John Muir Laws. You’ll learn techniques to quickly and accurately draw birds and wildflowers using graphite, watercolor and colored pencil. The weekend includes a potluck dinner, evening bird illustration workshop, and two days of field sketching (birds and flowers). Laws is the author of The Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada, a guide to over 1700 species found in the Sierra, which includes 2710 of his original watercolor paintings. Meet at the Bechtel House. All levels of experience welcome.
Saturday: We start with things that will not fly away. Spend the day in the field learning the basics of simplifying flower shapes and handling foreshortened and curling petals and leaves, details such as delicate veins, subtle blends of color, and backlit leaves. Potluck dinner followed by an evening bird illustration workshop. Learn the basic anatomy and tricks to quickly draw birds in the field and avoid anatomical pitfalls that creep into many bird drawings.
Sunday: Optional AM bird sketching walk, followed by breakfast and a day of field sketching, focusing on birds (where we find them). Lunch in the field. Lessons include tricks for drawing heads, wings, and feet even after the bird has flown. Program ends at 4:00PM. Meets at the Bechtel House. Registration begins March 24, 2010. To make a reservation go toEnrollment limited. Registration/reservation begins March 24, 2010; class runs from April 24, 9am to Sunday, April 25, 4pm, Fee: $200
May 2010
April 29- May15 , City College of San Francisco, BIO 29. Scientific Illustration (formerly Natural History Field Observation and Illustration) CR/NC avail. A natural history course in recording and illustrating ecological and behavioral observations in a scientific field journal. Course format consists of an on-campus orientation session followed by in-depth Saturday field trips to various natural habitats in the San Francisco Bay Area. CSU. In case of rain call (415)824-2169 for alternate plan.
April 29 , 6:00-9:00 pm evening introduction (overview, equipment)
May 1, 9:00-3:00 pm Rock Spring and Mt. Tamalpais State Park From US 101 in Marin County, exit #445b CA 1/Mill Valley/Stinson Beach and drive on Shoreline Highway to the junction with Almonte (look for the CA 1 sign), about 1 mile. Turn left, continuing on Shoreline, and drive about 2.5 miles to the junction with Panoramic Highway. Turn right on Panoramic and drive about 5.5 miles to the junction with Pantoll Road. Turn right onto Pantoll and drive another 1.5 miles to the Rock Spring Trailhead, which is at the junction of East and West Ridgecrests. Meet at the parking lot near the restrooms.
May 8, 9:00-3:00 pm Sunol Regional Park From Interstate 680 in Alameda County, exit Calaveras (exit 21a). Follow the brown "parks" signs. (If you've exited southbound, stay in the left lane of the exit ramp, turn left, drive under the freeway and then stay in the left lane through a stop sign, to remain on Calaveras.) Drive south on Calaveras about 4 miles to the junction with Geary, and turn left. Continue on Geary almost 2 miles to the park entrance kiosk. Meet at the nature center in the barn (on the left).
May 15, 9:00-3:00 pm Twin Peaks and Tank Hill. Meet near the restrooms at the top of Twin Peaks.
May 7, Marin Audubon, Sketching Birds for fun and field notes: In this hands on evening program, we will learn tricks to help quickly draw birds in the field- either for field notes or for the pleasure of sketching. Master the one-minute gesture sketch and how to quickly get the posture, proportions, and angles of birds on the move. We will also explore details of heads, wings, and feet. By sketching the birds that you see, you will learn to observe them more carefully and have a much better recollection of what you saw. These skills are also important when reporting rare or vagrant birds. No previous drawing experience is necessary. Bring a sketch pad and pencil. , Richardson Bay Audubon Center in Tiburon. 8PM
May 22, Sequoia Field Institute The Art of Field Sketching: Drawing Wildlife. A full day of sketching and art instruction to jump start you in keeping your own field journal or re-inspire you to pick up your sketchbook again. We will examine tricks and techniques to help you draw birds and mammals, tricks to get animals in motion, simple ways to add color to your drawings in the field. Bring paper and pencil if you have it, supplies will be provided for those who do not have their own. Participants will receive worksheets and technique pages to supplement their notes.
May 23, Sequoia Field Institute The Art of Field Sketching: Drawing Plants. A full day of sketching and art instruction to jump start you in keeping your own field journal or re-inspire you to pick up your sketchbook again. We will examine tricks and techniques to help you simplify a complex flower shape, draw wildflowers in perspective, and simple ways to add color to your drawings in the field. Bring paper and pencil if you have it, supplies will be provided for those who do not have their own. Participants will receive worksheets and technique pages to supplement their notes.
May 24, Tehachapi Mountains Birding Club, Finding Connection in Nature, Public talk and book signing. 7PM
June 2010
June 5 Bay Area Nature Fan Fest - LOVE IT! LEARN IT! PROTECT
Heyday, San Francisco Botanical Garden Society, and Audubon California invite you to celebrate the work of naturalist and illustrator John "Jack" Muir Laws and his new pocket guides! Join us for nature secrets from Jack, Teacake Bake Shop cupcakes, lemonade, buttons, books, and two minute "quick-as-a-bunny" presentations from Jack's favorite local organizations, including San Francisco Botanical Garden Society, Tree Frog Treks, Audubon California, California Native Plant Society, Bay Nature, Golden Gate Raptor Observatory, and Nature in the City.
San Francisco Botanical Garden Recreation Room, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA Free and open to the public; to RSVP and for more information visit our Pingg invitation website. From 2:00 to 400 p.m.
June 18-20, Mono Basin Chautauqua Drawing Birds and bird sketching field trips
Introduction to Drawing Birds: Learn how to quickly and accurately draw birds in the field and from photo reference. In this class we will learn the basics of bird anatomy and tricks to help quickly draw birds in the field either for field notes or for the pleasure of sketching. Master the one-minute gesture sketch and learn tricks on how to draw heads, wings, and feet. No previous drawing experience is necessary. Bring a sketch pad and pencil if you have one or use ours.
Finding Connection in Nature: John Muir said “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe”. Join us for an exciting evening of appreciation of some of the most astounding and unappreciated species in the Sierra Nevada. In this illustrated lecture, John (Jack) Muir Laws (no relation to the other John Muir) will help us follow a series of astounding relationships between plants and animals in the Sierra Nevada. You will be delighted and amazed by the subtle and essential threads that connect species. You can find many of these species on a mountain hike with your friends or family and share the stories with them. Jack will also discuss some of the conservation challenges in the Sierra Nevada and what stewards of nature are doing to confront them. Whether you’re a botanist, birder or backpacker, don’t miss this great opportunity to enrich your explorations in the Range of Light!
Field Sketching Birds: How can field sketching help us become more observant birders? Jack Laws will lead us on a bird walk while also demonstrating how scientific illustration and quick field sketches can help develop the eye’s ability to see nature. Jack will also give us tips for quickly catching the shape and color of birds in the wild. The goal is not to create a pretty picture, but to help make us more observant while documenting our birding experiences. No previous drawing experience is necessary. Bring a sketch pad and pencil if you have one or use ours.
June 21-25 Sierra Nevada Field Campus, Drawing and Sketching Sierra Birds: How can you draw birds that move or even fly away? With a combination of understanding bird structure, knowing where to look when you see the bird, and a simple shorthand to get down the basics, anyone can quickly create accurate bird sketches in the field. John Muir Laws is writing a new book about drawing birds. Come learn the secrets first hand in the grand classroom of the Sierra Nevada. With a combination of indoor illustrated lessons and fieldwork, learn the basics of bird anatomy and how clumps of feathers ruffle, pile and unfold. Learn the basic shapes and methods for capturing the form and movement of songbirds, shorebirds, waterfowl, and raptors. We will look closely at birds in flight and foreshortening wings. and tricks to quickly draw birds in the field and avoid anatomical pitfalls that creep into many bird drawings. Understand which critical details to check when you see a bird and master the one minute gesture sketch. Learn techniques for detailed drawings of heads, wings, and feet even after the bird has flown. We will explore techniques with pencil, colored pencil and watercolor for fast field work and studio drawing. This class is open to all experience levels.
July 25-27th The Cornell Lab of Ornithology's 2010 Natural Sound Recording Workshop, Keynote Speaker
San Francisco State University Field Station, Yuba Pass, CA. Includes the selection and application of audio recorders and microphones, recording theory, metering, recording techniques, and documentation for sound recordings. The course includes daily field recording sessions and lecture/discussions. Unique to this course is the use of software to analyze the recordings and to investigate microphone and recorder performance.
June 29 REI Berkeley Finding Connection in Nature, Public talk and book signing. 7-8:30 PM
June 30 REI Corte Madera Finding Connection in Nature, Public talk and book signing. 7-8:30 PM
July 2010
July 5-9, Sierra Nevada Field Campus, Exploring Sierra Nevada Natural History, Join John Muir Laws and David Lukas, two of the Sierra Nevada's premier naturalists in this playful week searching for critters, plants, butterflies and more. Come prepared to be curious and ready for adventure as we wade into marshes with nets, peer into the inner workings of flowers, chase after lizards, examine animal tracks and sign, gaze at stars, and sit around the campfire. Each day will be as unique as the next as we look for the unexpected with the open eyes of old-fashioned naturalists. Learn to observe and record nature in field journals, sketch plants and wildlife, and more. The field campus provides remarkable opportunities for exploring Sierra Nevada natural history. Habitats range from mountain forests and woodlands, to riparian corridors, rocky cliffs, and lakes. East of Yuba Pass we will explore desert habitats of the Great Basin and the Sierra Valley marsh system - one of northeastern California's largest and most productive wetlands. We will spend time in all these habitats observing an impressive variety of plants and animals.
July 10 Gatekeeper's Museaum (Tahoe City), Nature Sketching for Families 9am - Noon Keeping a nature sketchbook is a great way to deepen learning, discovery, and memories on a family trip in the Sierra Nevada. Join naturalist, educator and artist John (Jack) Muir Laws for this 3 hour program that will inspire you to head outdoors with sketchbook in hand. Participants ages 9 and up will be introduced to the basic techniques and tools to help you draw plants, landscapes, birds and other wildlife. Bring your own sketchbooks and pencils and be ready to draw.
July 11 Gatekeeper's Museaum (Tahoe City), Nature Sketching for Families 9am - Noon
July 12-16, Sierra Nevada Field Campus, Drawing and Sketching Sierra Wildflowers, The plant illustrations in The Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada were painted in the field, usually in less than an hour. You can do it too! Join us for an intensive and accessible botanical illustration workshop with illustrator and author John Muir Laws. The class will be a combination of indoor studio work and fieldwork. Class will begin with a review of flower structure and then plunge into an approach to drawing flowers that helps you to quickly and accurately capture their form and feel. We will learn techniques for simplifying the complex structure of flowers and ways to foreshorten flowers, leaves and petals. We will investigate tricks to help draw complicated overlapping shapes such as an iris or curling leaves. We will explore applying color to our drawings using both watercolor and colored pencils and learn how to deal with the problem colors (pink, yellow, and white). Laws will also demonstrate a bag of tricks to help you deal with challenges such as pale veins on a dark leaf. This will be a full and delightful workshop, helpful for both beginners and experienced artists.
July 23-25 Calirornia Institute for Biodiversity- Sierra Nevada Teacher Workshop Join us as we explore the Sierra Nevada landscape in the Yosemite region while learning to incorporate field journaling and corresponding Language Arts exercises in your intermediate science classroom! This summer's in-depth institute will investigate the Sierra Nevada with a strong content focus on improving observation skills, asking scientific questions, and exploring the natural world through field journaling. Teachers will learn the difference between drawing a pretty picture and using sketching as a scientific tool to help record observations. The journaling activities, which include a matrix for grading, will serve as an excellent route to conducting scientific investigations of these incredible ecosystems. This intensive course will integrate California science, social science, and Language Arts content standards for 4th through 8th grade. Teachers will conduct local field investigations, receive a teacher manual, and The Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada. Housing and meals are provided. Academic units are also available. Jack L. Boyd Outdoor School (Fish Camp, CA)
July 26-30, Sierra Nevada Field Campus, Nature Journaling for Science Education Keeping a nature journal is a powerful tool to help children and adults observe carefully and remember what they see. Many children are uncomfortable drawing because they do not consider themselves to be artists. Directed journal activities relieve the pressure of needing to make pretty pictures and help focus student’s observations. In this class we will explore the lakes basin area, making nature discoveries while learning journaling activities for use with children, illustration techniques (incorporating art, science, and language arts), and tricks for managing groups of children in the outdoors. This class is appropriate for classroom teachers, outdoor educators, and home school parents.
August 2010
August 13 Calavaras Big Trees State Park, Nature Sketching for teachers, home school parents and outdoor educators,
John Muir Laws will hold a workshop designed for teachers, park docents and naturalists who work with children. He will teach techniques for educators and interpreters to help young people observe and to draw nature. A fee of $10 will be charged for the evening session for adults, and includes park admission (normally $8). This is a great way for kids of all ages to learn the appreciation of nature. Laws, who spent six years backpacking the Sierra Nevada to research and illustrate the "Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada", will share tricks and techniques for drawing birds, mammals, plants and landscapes. He will note signs of the season. He will also help attendees achieve the discipline and good habits that will help keep a journal going once begun. Here is the chance to learn to observe and appreciate the natural world in a whole new way.
No drawing experience is necessary. Adults bring your own sketchpad and pencils. For those coming from outside the park for the sessions, the normal vehicle admission fee applies. All sessions will begin inside Jack Knight Hall in the park 6 p.m.-8 p.m., and seating is limited. Reservations are required for all the sessions. To pre-register contact Sue or Tami at the park Visitors’ Center at 209-795-3840 Mon. - Fri. , 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., by August 6.
August 14 Calavaras Big Trees State Park, Nature Sketching for Kids, John Muir Laws will lead two free sessions for children and youth at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Sketch pads and pencils will be provided for students. This is a great way for kids of all ages to learn the appreciation of nature. Laws, who spent six years backpacking the Sierra Nevada to research and illustrate the "Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada", will share tricks and techniques for drawing birds, mammals, plants and landscapes. He will note signs of the season. He will also help attendees achieve the discipline and good habits that will help keep a journal going once begun. Here is the chance to learn to observe and appreciate the natural world in a whole new way.
No drawing experience is necessary. Adults bring your own sketchpad and pencils. For those coming from outside the park for the sessions, the normal vehicle admission fee applies. All sessions will begin inside Jack Knight Hall in the park, and seating is limited. Reservations are required for all the sessions. To pre-register contact Sue or Tami at the park Visitors’ Center at 209-795-3840 Mon. - Fri. , 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., by August 6.
September 20, Madrone Audubon Society Finding Connection in Nature, Public talk and book signing. 1st United Methodist Church, 1551 Montgomery Drive, Santa Rosa CA, 7PM
September 25th Booky Joint in Mammoth Lakes CA, Demonstration and Book signing 1PM
September 27-October8, Following Muir's Footsteps, programs for schools in Alpine, Inyo, and Mono Counties
Monday: Sept. 27 Diamond Valley Ele. Alpine County
Tuesday: Sept 28 Bridgeport Elem
Wednesday: Sept 29 Coleville High School
Thursday: Sept. 30 Lee Vining Elem
Thursday night: Dave M or Pete P
Friday: October 1: Edna Beamon Ele
Monday: Oct. 4 Round Valley Elem
Tuesday: Oct. 5 Big Pine Elem
Wednesay: Oct 6 Bishop Elem
Thursday: Oct 7 Jill Kinmont Booth
Friday: Oct. 8 Lo-Inyo Elem.
October 2010
October 2, Laws Railroad Museum, Drawing birds in the Western Landscape, Learn to draw and sketch birds among the artifacts of the Laws Railroad Museum. While observing, you will be taught how to sketch these fascinating birds. You’ll learn the basic shapes and methods for capturing the form and movement of birds. Gain an understanding of which critical details to check when you see a bird and master the one-minute gesture sketch while enjoying the backdrop of rugged western architecture and locomotives.
October 14-16 Filoli Fall Migratory Bird Watching and Sketching Filoli is a popular stop-over destination and home to many migratory birds. Observe and learn from one of the Bay Areas most informed bird experts, John (Jack) Muir Laws. While observing, you will be taught how to sketch these fascinating birds. You’ll learn the basic shapes and methods for capturing the form and movement of birds. Gain an understanding of which critical details to check when you see a bird and master the one-minute gesture sketch while enjoying the beauty and tranquility of Filoli’s nature preserve. 9:30 am – 3:30 pm
Fee: $30 members; $40 non-members
