John Muir Laws, artist, author and naturalist extraordinaire, paid a visit to all three elementary schools in Piedmont during the last week of September. 

Laws shared drawings and stories with 4th and 5th grade students, and spent time with teachers describing techniques for integrating sketching and journaling into the development of deep observational skills. 

As the author and illustrator of the very popular "Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada", for which he drew over 2,700 illustrations, Laws’ professed goal is to develop nature stewardship through science, education, and art.   

Students sat riveted as he took them on a circular tour through a natural system starting and ending with tiny caterpillars living in the needles of Lodgepole pines. 

Along the way they met disco dancing spiders, acid spraying ants, moths who mimic bees and blood sucking mites—all acted out in Laws' inimitable style.   

As they circled back to the pine tree, students clearly got his point, a paraphrase from famous naturalist John Muir, “When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.”   

Between school assemblies, Laws spent time in classrooms, demonstrating his sketching techniques, and guiding students in observations. Upon completion of a class exercise one student concluded, “The drawing and notes help, but only if the details are really specific.” What teacher would argue with that? 

By the end of the day, inspired students were lined up at the school libraries clamoring to check out copies of his book. 

This successful visit was arranged by the new Tri-School Science Enrichment Team, formed to support the collaboration and sharing of science resources between elementary schools. 

— Terry Smith