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Archive for the ‘Blog News’ Category

Made by Hand

Posted in Blog News, botanical art on December 1, 2013|

Made by Hand is the topic for December.

What do we create with our hands? What do they do for us?

We’ll begin this month by taking a look at the illustrations and documents created by centuries of botanists and artists. Plus we’ll revisit an ongoing project that is transforming a historic text into an illuminated manuscript.

And before I go…
Last month I announced that the publishing schedule for November and December would be light. I wanted to include this reminder, in case you’re wondering where I went. Hope you’ve enjoyed the Thanksgiving weekend.

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Botany for All

Posted in ArtPlantae Books, Blog News, botanical art, botany, Special Announcements on November 1, 2013|

The featured topic for November is Botany for All.

I know I spend a lot of time on botany resources for children. This month I am going to even it out some and bring attention to resources for teenagers, adults and families. We’ll begin the month with three wonderful resources that help children ages 3-8 learn about the life cycle of plants.

Also this month, you’ll notice a slight change to the publishing schedule. It will be lighter than normal and stay this way through December. I will continue to publish the teaching and learning column on Friday and will publish special features and other announcements when they are ready.

Thank you for being such dedicated readers, contributors and supporters of ArtPlantae.

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Drawing, Learning & Research Coming in September

Posted in ArtPlantae Books, Blog News, botanical art, Education, Teaching & Learning on August 30, 2013| 2 Comments »

Today I have announcements instead of the usual Friday column.

On Sunday, September 1, we’ll launch a month that will include much discussion about drawing, learning, and research. Watch your inbox for an email announcement or your Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn timelines if you follow through these channels.

During August, the focus was on classroom resources. As this month comes to a close, I want to make you aware of changes at the store. The Classroom category has been updated and resources are now organized by age groups. The subcategories Activity and Reference have also been added. I hope you find these new categories helpful and the reviews relevant to your teaching whether you teach in a traditional classroom, teach as an informal science educator or teach at home. The new categories are expanding quickly.

Enjoy the long holiday weekend.

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New Page Lists Upcoming Community Events

Posted in Blog News, botanical art, Education, Learning Opportunities on August 28, 2013|

Look to the upper right of your screen and you will see a new tab along the top of the page. The Events tab will take you to a page where you can view ArtPlantae’s event schedule at a glance. Here is what you’ll find on this page right now:

ArtPlantae is more than a website.

It is an independent small business and an educational organization managing various outreach activities. This page lists community events in which ArtPlantae will participate or host. See you offline!

August 2013

Habitat for Humanity Artist Showcase Auction

www.RiversideRestore.org/showcase

Learn More

Fruit: Sweet & Savory
Aurea Vista
Saturday, August 31
1:00 – 3:00 PM
Join fellow gardeners and plant lovers at the community table at Aurea Vista to learn about fruit, botanical illustration and to begin your own personalized guide to plants. Participants will go home with sketches and information about different fruit types. To register, please visit the Aurea Vista or call (951) 684-1500. Limit: 6.
Cost: $35, includes a Scripta Notes Sketchbook and fruit specimens.

September 2013

Botany Craft Bar

Aurea Vista

October 2013

Botany Craft Bar – Colorful Gourds

Aurea Vista

UC Riverside Botanic Gardens Celebrates 50 Years
http://gardens.ucr.edu
Sunday, October 6, 2013
10 AM – 4 PM
The University of California Riverside Botanic Garden (UCRBG) is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a family garden festival. Demonstrations, lectures, a marketplace, and children’s activities are planned for this special event. The Garden is excited to announce the UCRBG Children’s Fund. Visit the festival to learn more about this new fund and how the Garden will enter its next 50 years as a teaching and educational facility promoting environmental sustainability.

Riverside Long Night of Arts & Innovation
http://longnightriverside.com
Downtown Riverside
Thursday, October 10, 2013
4:00 PM – Midnight
The inaugural event last year was a huge success. Come to downtown to learn about the innovative projects occurring in Riverside, to discover all there is to do in this historic area and to support local merchants. More information will be posted in September.

Attention Event Coordinators:
ArtPlantae is always interested in learning about educational events related to its educational mission. Information about new events is always welcome.
Please send information (and vendor packets, when applicable) to:

education@artplantae.com

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ArtPlantae Books Expands, Offers Textbook Rentals

Posted in ArtPlantae Books, Blog News, Education, Learning Opportunities, Special Announcements, Special Events, Technology on August 9, 2013|

Rent textbooks from ArtPlantae Books

Think textbooks are too expensive? So do I.

So, new for this year, students can rent their textbooks through ArtPlantae’s new, state-of-the-art online textbook rental store found at http://artplantaebooks.bookrenterstore.com powered by BookRenter. Renting textbooks typically saves students an average of 75% off the price of the book, which can mean thousands of dollars over a college career, and renting from ArtPlantae Books helps to support ArtPlantae.

The store has access to more than 5,000,000 high-quality U.S. edition titles. It’s easy to use – once you search for and select your books, you simply choose a shipping option and enter your payment information, and your books will arrive at your door within a few days. Standard shipping is free both ways, and almost any book is available in 2 days using the Express Plus shipping option.

You can rent textbooks for any of 5 different time periods, and can always extend rentals or buy books outright at any time, and rental fees apply towards the purchase price of the book. This means you never pay more to rent than the purchase price of a book. You can also write or highlight in your rentals just as with purchased books (just don’t turn it into a work of art), and, like Netflix, returns are always easy and free.

ArtPlantae’s new bookstore powered by BookRenter also offers a 5-Star Satisfaction Guarantee. You can return books for any reason within 21 days, no questions asked. Every order is available for express shipping, and return shipping is always free. You are guaranteed that you will be happy with the quality of your books (or you’ll be shipped another at no cost). You can extend a rental at any time – at the same cheap daily rate. And, keeping a book will never cost more than the purchase price.

Over 500 college bookstores at schools like the University of Texas-Austin, University of Kansas, Arizona State University have also chosen BookRenter to power their textbook rental stores. Did I mention you can search for books by school and course?

To start saving on textbook rentals while also supporting ArtPlantae’s efforts to encourage an interest in plants, visit http://artplantaebooks.bookrenterstore.com.

Please share this exciting news with friends, students, and colleagues. Thank you!

About BookRenter
BookRenter launched in 2008 and is dedicated to making education more affordable by allowing students to rent textbooks for up to 75% off the retail price. BookRenter’s innovative pricing and operating systems provide students with the best price, highest quality books, and most flexible rental experience available today. Currently carrying over 5 million titles and serving thousands of students on over 5,000 U.S. campuses, BookRenter is one of the fastest growing startups in Silicon Valley, growing at over 400% each year. BookRenter, with offices in San Mateo, California, is a private company that is funded by prominent Silicon Valley venture capital firms.

About ArtPlantae Books
ArtPlantae Books complements the educational resource ArtPlantae.com. It serves a community of artists, naturalists, and educators pursuing interests in plant-based education, botanical art, environmental education, and STEM / STEAM education. ArtPlantae Books is a member of the American Booksellers Association.

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Classroom Resources About Plants, Science and Art

Posted in Blog News, Education, Learning Opportunities, Special Announcements, Special Events on August 1, 2013|

It’s Back-to-School time.

This month the focus will be on Classroom Resources. I have been reorganizing to get ready for a new school year and to make ArtPlantae a helpful resource for teachers preparing to take on the Common Core State Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards. While classroom resources will receive special attention this month, bringing such resources to you will be an on-going effort as I continue to encourage an interest in plants and continue to connect artists, naturalists and teachers.

Centered around home, school and community, the month of August begins with a special exhibition celebrating the importance of home and information about a resource that should be in every educator’s toolbox. Read about the Habitat for Humanity Artist Showcase in the next article. Come back tomorrow for the teaching and learning column to learn about a resource offering a year’s worth of thoughtful activities designed to connect students with nature.

As this month progresses, I hope you will take a moment to respond to
“Tips & Tools” inquiries and participate in conversation with fellow readers.

Let’s get ready for a new school year!

Spread the News, Create a Richer Resource, Learn Even More
Share articles, interviews, conversations with fellow readers and the carefully curated collection of resources at ArtPlantae Books with friends and colleagues by using the “Share This” buttons below.

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Publishing Break During Holiday Weekend

Posted in ArtPlantae Books, Blog News, botanical art, Special Announcements on May 23, 2013|

Only at Aurea Vista – Save an extra 5%!

There will be a publishing break during the holiday weekend. This will be the last post until next week.

Enjoy the holiday and if you’re in the area, stop by to visit ArtPlantae at Aurea Vista or stop by the booth at the Annual Wildflower and Art Festival at the Idyllwild Nature Center,
May 25-27 (9:00 – 4:30 PM). The Spring Sale will be going on at both locations.

When visiting Aurea Vista, save an extra 5% on sale prices when using the sale coupon. The coupon is available in ArtPlantae’s display areas. You must present the coupon at the register to receive the extra savings.

All proceeds help cover the costs associated with outreach activities such as this website and art supplies consumed at public venues. Thank you for thinking of ArtPlantae and ArtPlantae at Kobo when shopping for yourself or for others.

Have a good holiday.