Downtown Art Place hosts outdoor class

BESSEMER - Participants of all ages came to Bluff Valley Park in Bessemer on Tuesday for an art and natural science class hosted by volunteers from the Downtown Art Place of Ironwood.

The class was led by Ian Shackleford, a botanist from Ottawa National Forest, and Polly Barbacovi, an artist with the DAP.

Shackleford guided participants on a nature walk and shared his knowledge about trees and plant life that can be found along the trail. He also said there were invasive plants at the park such as buckthorns, honeysuckles and barberries.

"I identified some flowers that are in bloom, I will teach some trees and then we're going to go halfway up the bluff to old entrance to the Bessemer Bluff Water Reservoir, a very cool spot that sparks the imagination," Shackleford said. "The bluff itself is an outstanding natural feature. Rock bluffs of that size are kind of uncommon in the Midwest. There are some interesting plants that grow up there."

Shackleford said his goals included providing conservation education, getting people outside, and engendering an appreciation for the natural resources around us.

While Shackleford led them on the walk, the participants mapped the trail using art supplies with instructions provided by Barbacovi.

Art and science are a natural combination, DAP board of directors secretary Susan Spaete said. She said that art projects help participants engage more actively with the scientific content.

The DAP is hosting additional classes at the DAP Art Park in Ironwood next week Monday through Thursday from 9 to 11 a.m. Registration is limited, and forms and other information are available at downtownartplace.com.

"The reason that we're doing them all outside is because then we don't have to be inside and don't have to worry about masks and social distancing," Spaete said.

The GCC Houghton campus will have an open house on Aug. 11 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. EDT.