Summer 2012
The Del Tingo al Tango camp returned for year two! Like the first year, the program focused on the world around us and offered new experiences to participants through hands-on activities such as field trips, games, songs, and art. Classes ran from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Cabot House.
The four week program capitalized on the artistic and musical atmosphere of this colonial town, nominated a World Heritage Site. Alamos residents and visitors are passionate about nature; Del Tingo al Tango ignited such passion among the youth, strengthening an appreciation for bird life through science and art projects.
The name, Del Tingo al Tango extends an invitation to kids to travel “from here to there,” while becoming immersed in the unique natural landscape of the Sierra de Alamos. Participants were not kept inside memorizing from books; instead they were motivated to observe, reflect and have fun outdoors. Every day acted as a reminder that they are part of nature and to enjoy childhood as the stage in life of promise. They promised to take a stand about the environment and learned that their beliefs and actions can make a difference.
Pronatura Noroeste A.C. joined forces with local groups to pioneer this outreach effort as the beginning of a yearly program. All agencies aimed to enhance environmental education using non-traditional curricula comprised of three key elements: an intimate relation with nature, critical thinking about regional cultural attitudes, and a sense of wonder. The five elements of Del Tingo al Tango that linked activities to bird appreciation were landscape, childhood memories, discovery, patterns, and senses.
Week 1 (Flying over Alamos):
Landscape is now a word understood by all the children attending the program. Participants explored “landscapes” as a sense of place in their lives, synonymous with everything from every day acquaintances to survival. Children were eager to describe their favorite places and create landscapes made from sound, smell, sight and touch.
Week 2 (Bird watching trip: Child encounter of a bird kind):
Children hiked hills full of leafless trees, gaining a tactile lesson on deciduous flora and learning firsthand how to tolerate the heat and dryness which permeate the ecosystem. They also began to understand the diverse roles of birds and their interactions with more than 730 species of tropical and desert wildlife. A focus group attended a half-day workshop entitled “King of Birds.” Participants created a collection of postcards, capturing the beauty of birds, evident in everything from ecology to myths.
Week 3 (An epic promise to ourselves: An unforgettable child memory):
Kids worked together to form artistic expressions of their dreams, fears, questions, beliefs, and favorite things. Everyone was astonished by the art of pollination and the mystery involved in flowers names.
Week 4 (Tunes, melodies and rhythms we can follow):
A piano recital and art exhibit concluded the program. Displays included reflections on wildlife preservation, artistic expressions rooted from deep convictions. Guests experienced each artist’s search for the meaning and connectivity of patterns; as patterns are the only constant in nature.
The name, Del Tingo al Tango extends an invitation to kids to travel “from here to there,” while becoming immersed in the unique natural landscape of the Sierra de Alamos. Participants were not kept inside memorizing from books; instead they were motivated to observe, reflect and have fun outdoors. Every day acted as a reminder that they are part of nature and to enjoy childhood as the stage in life of promise. They promised to take a stand about the environment and learned that their beliefs and actions can make a difference.
Pronatura Noroeste A.C. joined forces with local groups to pioneer this outreach effort as the beginning of a yearly program. All agencies aimed to enhance environmental education using non-traditional curricula comprised of three key elements: an intimate relation with nature, critical thinking about regional cultural attitudes, and a sense of wonder. The five elements of Del Tingo al Tango that linked activities to bird appreciation were landscape, childhood memories, discovery, patterns, and senses.
Week 1 (Flying over Alamos):
Landscape is now a word understood by all the children attending the program. Participants explored “landscapes” as a sense of place in their lives, synonymous with everything from every day acquaintances to survival. Children were eager to describe their favorite places and create landscapes made from sound, smell, sight and touch.
Week 2 (Bird watching trip: Child encounter of a bird kind):
Children hiked hills full of leafless trees, gaining a tactile lesson on deciduous flora and learning firsthand how to tolerate the heat and dryness which permeate the ecosystem. They also began to understand the diverse roles of birds and their interactions with more than 730 species of tropical and desert wildlife. A focus group attended a half-day workshop entitled “King of Birds.” Participants created a collection of postcards, capturing the beauty of birds, evident in everything from ecology to myths.
Week 3 (An epic promise to ourselves: An unforgettable child memory):
Kids worked together to form artistic expressions of their dreams, fears, questions, beliefs, and favorite things. Everyone was astonished by the art of pollination and the mystery involved in flowers names.
Week 4 (Tunes, melodies and rhythms we can follow):
A piano recital and art exhibit concluded the program. Displays included reflections on wildlife preservation, artistic expressions rooted from deep convictions. Guests experienced each artist’s search for the meaning and connectivity of patterns; as patterns are the only constant in nature.