by Deja Fischer
Staff Writer
On Dec. 21 Timber Creeks AP 2-D and 3-D art courses went on a field trip to Leu Gardens. The field trips intended educational gain was learning how to install an art piece into an environment. These environmental installations that were brought to Leu Gardens will be placed in the student’s portfolio that they will submit to the AP College Board near the end of the school year.
Upon arrival at Leu Gardens, students were met with tour guides. The tour guides brought the students through the garden. They pointed out many plants that were not native to Florida, and many other unique types of plants and shrubs. Leu Gardens’ location in Florida allows a wide array of plants to grow, including tropical and temperate plants. Regardless of the season, Leu Gardens is still tamed and kept.
Leu Gardens makes it easy to explore and learn about their plants, anyone with a camera phone or QR reader can easily scan QR images and collect information on the spot about a specific plant. “ A lot of the plant life looked familiar from a far view, but the tour guides brought us up close and showed us how the tiniest attributes of the plant completely makes it a different kind,” said senior Karina Pasarell about what she saw at Leu Gardens. The tour occupied the students for an hour, which was not nearly enough time to explore the entire Leu Gardens property.
After the tour, students grabbed their sculptures and art pieces to photograph them in the environment. Students could place their artwork anywhere they chose to as long as they did not harm the plant life. Some students even climbed a large stool to place their sculptures high in trees. “I had no idea where to place my installation because everywhere I looked was beautiful, so I took multiple pictures in different areas,” said senior Kevin Rabinowitz.
The field trip was a success; all the students were able to see most of what Leu Gardens had to offer and were able to create their environmental installation in the well-groomed gardens.