High School Environmental Science and Photography students from Westport Central School go on one of several outings with science teacher, Mr. Fiegl, and naturalist, guide, and artist, Elizabeth Lee, to explore the landscape around them and to look for patterns in nature.

Science and Photography students are paired with one another to look for aesthetic and compositional elements (artistic) to capture for their photos as well as for elements of arrangement or relationship in their surrounding habitat (science).

Students work together, taking careful notes of the day and time photos were taken, lighting conditions and camera settings etc., while exploring areas by Lake Champlain, in a stream bed and in a field not far from the school. Together, the pairs will build a portfolio of 10 images to display of their findings of patterns for presentations to other students at Westport Central School and for the public at the Art Show in May. (Photos will be accompanied by explanations of physical and biological forces that the patterns illustrate.)

Throughout the process themes are beginning to emerge. One pair focuses on patterns in water, while another student decides on the use of angles to capture patterns as her theme.

During the outing Mr. Fiegl and Elizabeth are sure to point out a few findings - including a skull! - to the students and ask them to think about what kind of information can be gleaned from a pattern, a variation or object found in nature.