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It Started with a Sketch: How We Built a Community of Young Eco-Illustrators
- Oana Duma
- Feb 9
- 4 min read
Written by: Oana Duma, February 2026
The idea of a kid-made field guide didn’t begin as a big project, but simply as part of the seasonal curriculum for our most popular program, Nature Explorers, in 2022.
Each participant chose a bird species to observe and journal about, following the format of traditional field guides. Kids spent time sketching, noting patterns, recording habitats, researching, and asking thoughtful questions. The focus wasn’t on perfection, but on noticing details and learning how scientists and naturalists document the wildlife around them. Using watercolor (a great medium to embrace imperfections and experiment with color and depth) the Explorers used their sketches, observations, and reference guides to create a scientific illustration of their bird of focus.
Toward the end of the session, one participant, Ramsey, wondered what it would be like if everyone put their work together into a field guide of their own. That simple question started something that became a staple in our Nature Explorers program.
Each Nature Explorers group worked together to compile their drawings and notes into a collective, kid-made field guide. Using their notes and observations, participants from the tri-county area also created fact sheets to accompany their illustrations, highlighting favorite identifiers and interesting facts. The first four guides became the start of one of the most anticipated projects in our program.
From there, the tradition grew. Each year, Nature Explorers created a new kid-made field guide, reflecting the ecosystems we were exploring together.
The field guide Snakes of Southeastern NC quickly found a special purpose. For our Forest Families sessions, our program for children ages 0-5 and their caregivers, facilitators chose to use the kid-made field guide as a learning tool. Snakes come along with a lot of fear and misunderstandings and can feel intimidating to young children and their caregivers. Seeing snakes through the eyes of kids helped make them feel empowered rather than scared. The unknown is often the scariest, and the more we learned and shared about snakes, the less we found folks feared them. Knowing where snakes rest, how they move, eat, and what habitats they prefer helped us avoid and live alongside these important members of the ecosystem! It was a powerful reminder that children often learn best from one another.
In 2025, that thread took flight. At Cape Fear Bird Observatory’s first Bird Bonanza event, a new idea began brewing: What if we created a community-wide, kid-made bird field guide?
Instead of a single class, we gathered artwork and observations from all of our Nature Explorers groups in the tri-county area. The result was a unique collection of bird illustrations and field notes that captured how children see birds in our region. This project led to the creation of the Young Eco-Illustrators Guild, with 32 artists ages 6-12 featured in the Birds of Southeastern NC Three Pines field guide.
With the support of Cape Fear Bird Observatory and Wild Bird and Garden, the guide became a community fundraiser and a celebration. In December 2025, Wild Bird and Garden hosted the official launch and welcomed the inaugural group of Young Eco-Illustrators to the Guild.
The field guide is now available at Wild Bird and Garden in Wilmington, NC, while supplies last. Proceeds support scholarships and free community events, helping ensure more families can participate in Three Pines Project programs regardless of financial barriers. In addition to supporting both the 3P Support Fund and Cape Fear Bird Observatory, the guide creates space for young naturalists to share their knowledge, inspire others, and encourage more people to notice and care for the outdoor world.
At its core, this project is guided by the same values it began with: curiosity, collaboration, and the belief that young naturalists have a voice. These field guides are records of learning, connection, and the beautiful ways children engage with science and nature when given time, trust, and space.
And sometimes, all it takes is one child asking, “What if?”
FAQs
How long does it take to make a field guide?
We spend several months working on our field guides, researching field indicators, looking for the species in the wild, creating an accurate scientific illustrations and finding fun facts. This fundraiser field guide was the compilation of many years with artists across all three counties and each of our sites.
Where can I find this field guide?
Wild Bird and Garden in Wilmington, NC
What does the $8 suggested donation per field guide go towards?
The proceeds are split between 3P's Support Fund and the Cape Fear Bird Observatory. More about these programs and ways to support to 3P and CFBO.
How do I make this field guide available at my business?
Email contact@threepinesproject.org to learn more.
Will there be another fundraiser field guide?
We would like to publish our second edition in 2028, interested artists (aged 6-16) can reach out to contact@threepinesproject.org to learn how to get involved in the Young Eco-Illustrators Guild.
How do I learn more about the Cape Fear Bird Observatory and their free events?
Visit their website and events section for free family nature walks and guided bird hikes!
Great program!!!
How amazing! Look at how proud and interested those kids are! I like all the pictures, but my favorites are the big group picture with their Certificates- and the two kids looking so intently at the "Bird Guide." I don't think those two even knew someone was taking their picture. Isn't Nature grand.