“The tree is too deep in, you need to be in the mossy part.”

We have used drills in relation to our work with Sheila Pepe. They were a way to help us attach metal objects to our wall, anchoring our installation.  We are now exploring this tool in a new way, to investigate the collected natural items in our studio.  Is it possible to drill holes in acorn caps, bark, seed pods or possibly pine cones? 

This week we brought the drills outdoors, to practice our skills and to compare our efforts to those of the creatures in the woods!  Before heading out, we wondered together by looking a photograph…  

Maybe woodpeckers or squirrels! Sophie

Caterpillars aren’t the best.  They eat holes in plants.  Callen

And chipmunks, of course.  That’s a triple hole right there.  Sophie

No, there are four!  Charlotte

Maybe four of the same animal live in there.  Or maybe get food like caterpillars eat leaves by drilling holes in them.  Sofia

Woodpeckers drill holes for food.  Parker

Some squirrels dig their nuts up so they hide food.  Mark 

With drills and collection bags, we headed out to the woods! 

A felled tree, which had been recently sectioned, provided a great environment for drilling and exploring the habitats of some of our smallest creatures.

“I’ll try and drill through an acorn body too!”  SOPHIE

“I haven’t hit anything yet.”  PARKER

“The tree is too deep in.  You need to be in the mossy part.” PARKER

You only know if it has an animal if it has a hole.  Charlotte

My drill is stuck!  I can’t loosen it.  Eleanor

You have to go reverse.  Reverse means you go like this.  Callen

When I bang the turkey tail off there, the root holds it.  Eleanor

Isn’t it cool, Marky?  Callen

Why do roots look like sticks?  Charlotte

Cuz they are sticks.  Callen

I don’t think the roly-poly likes the shaking.  Eleanor

We saw a centipede! 

That bug goes soooo fast!  Mark

That makes me get deeper quicker.  Parker

There’s dirt and poop (on the drill bit).  Cuz of the color, see?  Avia

Guys, do it harder cuz we gotta help the school!  We’re building a new school.  Sofia

Our school is broken.  Our teacher is almost here.  Sofia

This is bad, it’s almost noon.  Sophie

Oh no, our school is disappearing!  Sofia

“I can see a hole.  How deep will you drill?  Until I found a home!”  NICO

“Don’t drill in the dirt!  Cuz the critters live underground!”  SOPHIE

“It’s not moving.  It could be a very slow one (worm).  PARKER

The act of drilling encouraged us to slow down and give pause.  We paused to look closely at the shavings created; we wondered what was inside the hole we drilled; we thought about depth; we pondered cause and affect; we narrated stories; and we investigated the world of insects and trees.

As Sophie stated, “We’re learning right?!”