This summer children have a unique opportunity to attend a camp offered by the Rancho Santa Fe Photography and Nature Center. Photographer Jennifer Nelson and Nanz Zekela, wildlife biology scientist, have joined forces to share their interest for nature and photography with young students at the Ranch-based center.
Nelson grew up in Rancho Santa Fe, has been a staff photographer for Ranch & Coast Magazine and the Rancho Santa Fe Review, and has a 30-year history of family photography. Zekela, also a native Californian, studied endangered species in the wild during a 30-year career at the San Diego Zoo. Among her favorites are her studies of the mountain gorillas in Rwanda and the giant pandas in China. A UC Berkeley graduate, she is well-traveled and has many tales to tell about nature.
The Photography and Nature Camp will provide students with professional instruction in photography. Nelson will teach the importance of composition, lighting, center of interest, close-up techniques, and portrait photography. Students will then explore nature with their cameras, visiting Nelson’s organic vegetable garden and composting, cultivating worms, and using organic fertilizers (provided by Nelson’s chickens). Also at the center, the world of butterflies, bees, and bats and their vital role as pollinators will be investigated. Butterfly home gardening kits will be available.
The Rancho Santa Fe Center has many animals available for viewing, including resident red-tailed hawks and a family of barn owls. Nelson and Zekela will share important information on the role these species play in keeping the rodent population in check. Also on the ranch are tortoises, a rooster, and hens. Campers will examine the local American Indian culture, the Kumeyaay, their interaction with the land, how they lived here, and what they ate. Looking to the future, campers will be shown new technologies such as solar power, how it works, and its importance. To end the week at camp, students will put together a scrapbook of photos from their experience. (858/756-1830, 619/993-9140) JANE SHIOMI
