Birds on the Move: The Art of Migration

During the fall season millions of bird species around the world take to the night skies to begin an annual trek over water and land, sometimes for days non-stop, to get from one place on the globe to another. But why? Students from across New England joined natural science illustrator, and avid birder, Sandy McDermott during Massachusetts STEM week on October 18 and 19, 2022 for Whitehead Institute and BioNook's popular online workshop, Birds on the Move: The Art of Migration, to help answer this very question. The two-part series designed for middle and high school students explored the ecological significance of bird migration and how the art of nature illustration and observation is used as a tool to relay scientific information.

The workshop integrated science, writing, and drawing with the goal of helping students to observe and connect with the natural world immediately around them. The intention was for students to continue to explore the connection between science and art as part of their regular curricula and daily lives as learners and to build connections to their local environments. 

The FREE workshop was open to students in grades 7-12.