Instructor Kristin Fuller (standing) admires the work of young artists during an American River Parkway Foundation painting event in Rancho Cordova. The class was part of the Foundation’s  ‘Adventure Days’ series for children.

SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) - Young artists brushed up their entomology during a recent paint-out. The activity was part of the American River Parkway Foundation’s ‘Adventure days’ series.

The experience included a nature walk on trails surrounding the Outdoor Education Center in River Bend Park (Rancho Cordova). Children learned about native butterflies then painted the insects in their habitat. Artistic instruction came from Heart Craft Studios of Rancho Cordova.

For most of the group, painting in plein air was a new experience. 

Young painters, instructors and American River Parkway Foundation staffers show their work after a plein-air art session in River Bend Park. The class was part of the Foundation’s July ‘Adventure Days’ series for children.

“I liked being outside, seeing the river and the trees as we painted them,” said a 12-year-old. “It’s interesting learning how many colors there are in a river.”

Pausing feet from the American River, program organizer Julia Cassill asked the children to close their eyes and describe what they heard. 

“They mainly heard birds,” said Cassill. “They also heard squirrels and the breeze rustling. Nobody talked about traffic or the busy city life that was only a couple of miles away. It’s great that we can be out in nature like this, a just few miles from our homes. This is what our beautiful parkway brings to our lives.”

Kristin Fuller (standing, left) instructs young artists during the American River Parkway Foundation paint-out in Rancho Cordova. The class was part of the Foundation’s July ‘Adventure Days’ series for children.

The foundation’s Adventure Days series offered a month of educational experiences for 9- to 12-year-olds. These included gold-panning at Sailor Bar in Fair Oaks and fishing at William B. Pond Park in Carmichael.

Activities ended with archery activities at Discovery Park in Sacramento.  

The series was inspired by Parkway CONNECT, an American River Parkway Foundation program that partners with nonprofit groups to make outdoor experiences accessible to youth.

For more information about American River Parkway Foundation, visit www.ARPF.org.