Youth-LINC 2012 - Day Four

Its rained 10 inches since we started on Monday. The rain still couldn't wash the smiles away. While another 5 inches was coming down this morning at Stephen F. Austin State Park, Youth-LINC spent time inside connecting to nature through a very human obsession: art.

Lisa Reznicek, Bachelors in Sculpture 2004 from University of Houston and Texas Parks and Wildlife Interpreter at Stephen F. Austin State Park, gave us a succinct lesson on drawing wildlife. By focusing on 4 simple aspects, thick outlines, soft shapes, composition, and details, all the campers found their drawing instantly improved. She challenged to draw a picture of animals from old magazines in 20 minutes, then in 5 minutes, then 1.5 minutes.

Lisa Reznicek of TPWD teaching us how to draw, and how to draw well.

Drawing nature is one way to express your land-ethic; some creators use trash to fabricate their visions, as we saw at the Waste Management Single Stream Recycling Center on Gasmer Rd in Houston, Texas. Laura Stein, Director of Education for Waste Management, took us to their unique Education Room. We marveled at how we all wanted a room like this, adorned in everything we threw away (see below and on our Facebook page).The Youth asked dozens of questions of Laura about how their works and what Waste Management does for the community (one of their contributions is funding Keep America Beautiful, and based on our discussion with Laura, FNFGT funding is a possibility).

The lambent and lavished Education Room at  Waste Managment's Single Stream Recycling Center

The boundless energy of youth was finally released at Iron Sports in Houston. Campers learned how to climb on the walls, how to belay, and most of all how to depend on each other. With one camper on the ground holding the rope in the rope lock and the other 15 feet in the air attached to that same rope, learning how be reliable and how to trust was inevitable. While some were frightened, or didn't think they could do it, they overcame their fear, through encouraging each other and being there for them.

Andre takes it to a whole other level!

Iron Sports employee ensuring Blanca Garcia has a safe climb.

Tomorrow, the strength of that teamwork will be shown, when they are given one of the greatest opportunities of the week.