The Black-throated Blue Warbler (Setophaga caerulescens) on an Eastern White Pine branch was done to gypsy music, GYPSY PASSION by Sergei Trafanov and GYPSY EYES by The Fancy Toys. The energy of the music was a good match for this neo-tropical warbler’s movements…a fitting finale! I sketched from a photo by John Van de Graaff.

My challenge was to intersperse writing with the pen/ ink/watercolor illustrations of neo-tropical warblers. This is the INTRODUCTION to the Bonding With The Landscape Series: Children learn when their senses are stimulated. This stimulation assists in their appreciation and understanding of the natural world and their relationship to it. Sensory journeys into diverse habitats create a natural bonding with the plants and animals that live there, reinforcing familiarity and fostering trust. The sounds, smells, colors, and nuances mingle inside the mind/body of the child and eventually become the grounding force that brings happiness, a sense of being, belonging, and longing. This series contributes to the critical discussion on the development of an ecological conscience and it ‘a relationship to an ecologically sound and responsible society. This critical resource is recommended for students, teachers, parents, grandparents, school guidance counselors, naturalists, and environmental educators.