By Sara Sparling — Students and families gathered on Saturday, October 25th at The Conservatory on Miami’s Hamilton campus for a spooky celebration hosted by Dr. Deidra Jacobsen. She said it’s the beginning of her third year at Miami and she really loves Halloween, so this event fit in nicely with the Outreach Grant through the Women’s Giving Circle and the Ohio EPA. The grant was focused mainly around carnivorous plants and bogs.
Various stations were set up for participants to enjoy such as pumpkin and sun catcher painting, coloring, and paper jack o’lantern decorating. Costumes were also welcomed and encouraged.
The pumpkins provided for painting were grown by Miami’s Conservatory. There were three different kinds to choose from: traditional orange, white, and green.
A unique activity consisted of coloring, almost like water colors. Artists colored their pumpkins using markers and then used water to make the ink bleed, to create an effect like water color paint.
More coloring variations were available for artists to try, one of which was leaf rubbing. Participants used a leaf and placed a piece of paper on top, then used a crayon to color on the paper. The raised leaf underneath allows for crayon marks to capture intricate designs.
Activities weren’t the only highlight of the day. Displays and various plants were scattered around The Conservatory, showcasing strange yet unique plants that really tied in with the Halloween theme.
Thank you to Dr. Jacobsen for hosting such a fun, creative event. Keep an eye out for more events hosted by The Conservatory. Visit their website or visit them in person to learn more.