On Saturday, August 23rd, The Nature Trust of New Brunswick officially opened the Green Island Nature Preserve in Florenceville-Bristol. About 50 paddlers made their way onto the island along with NTNB staff who interpreted the ecology of the site. There were two trips to the island (morning and afternoon) with most participants traveling in large 10-person canoes. I visited the island with the morning group since I would be offering a printmaking art workshop in the afternoon. This was my first visit on the island and this event was a great opportunity to share that experience with many others. We combed the beach in search of the elusive cobblestone tiger beetle -- a rare and endangered species. Although we were unsuccessful in the morning, the afternoon group found one!
After some celebratory speeches and a delicious barbecue (with McCain cakes for dessert!), about 15 participants of all ages joined me at the village gazebo for an afternoon printmaking art workshop. I introduced the group to relief and collagraph printmaking using a variety of found materials. The theme of the prints was insects in honour of the cobblestone tiger beetle on Green Island. The participants made some beautiful prints! Thank you Andrew and Laura McCain Art Gallery for partnering with us on this event!