Beeswax candles, natural inks and dyes at center of Aug. 4 Arts & Crafts program at Montour Preserve

On Sunday, ​Aug. 4, at 2 p.m., the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association and Vernal School Environmental Education Partnership will be hosting a Natural Arts and Crafts workshop utilizing materials found in nature. This event will take place at the Montour Preserve auditorium at 374 Preserve Road, Danville.

There will be three stations, each with a different activity to participate in.

Bees may be well known for making honey, but they also produce wax in their pollination process. At our first station, we will be creating beeswax candles out of recycled cans, jars and mugs. We encourage you to bring your own containers (nothing too large as we need enough wax for everyone), but if you are unable to, we can provide you with a small jar.

Infused with natural essential oils, after this craft you will be able to bring home your own beeswax scented candle creation that Is sure to brighten up the whole house!

At our second station, we will be utilizing an ancient Japanese art form, Suminigashi, to create beautiful imprints of our natural waterways. Through this process, we will drop environmentally friendly ink into the water, where it will then float on the surface of the water. Then, with the ink trapped in place by a wooden frame, we will lower a piece of paper onto the water, allowing the ink to transfer over your creation.

At our final station, we will have a water coloring workshop for our visitors to attend. However, this isn’t just your run of the mill average water coloring class. Instead, we will be using pigments and dyes from plants found around the Montour Preserve!

This includes the use of Sumac, Goldenrod, Red Mulberry, Stinging Nettle, and many more! 

The event is being organized by summer interns Sarah Joy and Theadora Duane.

If you'd like to make a donation to help cover some of the costs of this program, you can do so online at https://donorbox.org/vernal-school

Pre-registration for this special program is required as seating is limited. Please fill out the form below to secure your spot.

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