Making & then taking down the solargraph pinhole cameras at the Orchard Garden

Some photos about the 'making of' the six-month solargraphs:

Pinhole camera 1 (the black cylinder on the pole)

The view from camera 1

Camera 2

View from camera 2

Camera 3

The view from camera 3

Camera 4

Camera 4 again

View from camera 4

Ceremonial taking-down of the pinhole cameras at Winter Solstice 2014

R-L: Latika, Kwesi, and Latika's husband

L-R Laura and Phil

L-R: Susan, Latika, Laura

 Back in July: Meeting of the Orchard Garden team with George Hart and Nick Sayers to plan the math art in the garden projects.

L-R: George, Julia, Roz, Scott

L-R: Brendan, Claire, Galen

L-R: Toni, George, Julia

L-R: Claire, Galen, Nick

L-R: Scott, Brendan, Claire, Galen

Sample solargraphs that Nick made in Brighton, UK

Nick Sayers & UBC Orchard Garden six-month pinhole solargraphs!

When UK mathematical artist Nick Sayers did a residency at the Orchard Garden in July 2014, he taught PME conference participants and UBC Orchard Garden people how to make 6-month pinhole cameras from a pop can, to record the path of the sun from the summer solstice to the winter solstice. We put four of these cameras up in the garden in July (close to the summer solstice), and took them down on Dec. 22, 2014 (at the winter solstice). Here are the absolutely beautiful results! I think that the two that sustained some water damage are actually the most beautiful --- an example of wabi sabi. What do you think?

A Portland, Oregon school garden at Sunnyside Environmental School

Dilafruz Williams of Portland State University also sent us to see the beautiful gardens at Sunnyside Environmental Elementary School in NE Portland, which she was involved in founding. Here are some photos -- you can see their poetry board, native grasses and grains project, colonial-style garden, rain water catchment, moss graffiti,  chicken coop, wild bird conservation area, rain shelter, and much more. In the typical small front and side lawns of an elementary school, the students, teachers and parents at Sunnyside have developed many beautiful, distinct places and projects for teaching and learning.

Dilafruz Williams and a visit to Portland State University's Learning Gardens

Pramod Parajuli, Dilafruz Williams and Karl Logan, co-founders of Portland's Learning Gardens

We took the train to Portland, Oregon with our bikes for a short trip recently (a mixed mode of transportation I highly recommend!) and, while there, got in touch with fellow garden-based education activist Dilafruz Williams of Portland State University.

Dilafruz couldn't come out to the gardens because of a knee injury, but she sent us instructions, and Phil and I had the chance to visit the wonderful Learning Gardens that Dilafruz and colleagues established off-campus near Lane Middle School in 2004, a year before the original UBC Orchard Garden was founded.

We took lots of pictures (see below) and got lots of great ideas that we could think about trying out at the Orchard Garden too -- for example, a human sundial, scent garden labyrinth, keyhole garden design, and lots of ideas for artwork, rain shelters, etc. If you are going to Portland, you should visit!

Phil and PSU graduate student Dani in the Learning Garden

Outdoor meeting space and trellis

Scent garden labyrinth

Keyhole garden design

Sundial -- wide view

Sundial with Dani as gnomon

Sundial months of the year stepping stones

Sundial -- months and hour markers

My shadow tells the time: 3:15 PM

Learning Gardens Lab painted peace post

Family garden plots for school kids' families

Three bin compost system

Large greenhouse space for meetings, drying herbs and vegetables, artwork, and starting seedlings