Learning

The Instagram app, without a doubt, has been the driving force behind the revival of photography over the past 5 years. Sure, there’s the rise of the smartphone camera giving us the ability to take photos at any moment—nowadays, everyone has a camera in their pocket—but the inspiration among today’s masses to take more pictures and have people actually see them, comes from Instagram, or “IG” for short. There’s something going on inside the walls of Instagram that you just can’t find on Facebook or Twitter. Perhaps it’s the simple interface, along with the near non-existence of sharp everyday scrutiny, …

“Folk music is not so much a body of art as it is a process, an attitude and a way of life; its distinguishing features lie not within the songs themselves, but in the relations of those songs to a folk culture.” – Sam Hinton In his storied career as a folk artist and naturalist, Sam Hinton innately understood the intimate connection between the music he played and its relationship to the culture it served. History is transferred through the storytelling element that is an integral link to folk music. As a student and teacher of natural history, Hinton contributed …

BY SHANNON BLANKINSHIP, Outreach Director for the St. Johns Riverkeeper Earth Day is about more than changing light bulbs and following outdoor water restrictions. Those are things we should all be doing every day. Earth Day is a reminder that on April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans mobilized for the protection of our planet. This outpouring of widespread support resulted in the bi-partisan creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts. In years to come, we would regulate hazardous waste, demand toxic cleanups, and removed lead from gasoline. The Earth Day movement …

Tree Hill Nature Center has been offering Jacksonville the quintessential spring celebration with the Joseph A. Strasser Butterfly Festival since 2002. This year the festival will take place on Saturday, April 30th from 10am-4pm, allowing visitors plenty of time to shop, walk the trails, and see all of the exhibits as well as have lunch and a sweet treat. Tree Hill uses all of the funds from the event to implement their educational programs and to care for their animals. Tree Hill works with Duval County’s public, charter, and private schools as well as schools from neighboring counties to teach …

Event: Wings ’n’ Wheels Location: Craig Airport, 855 St. Johns Bluff Road N. Date: April 23, 10am-4pm Tickets: Free Contact: www.wingsnwheels2016.com/ or [email protected] Jax Ex is soaring to new heights with its signature event showcasing various elements in transportation from the street to the sky. is held from 10am to 4pm April 23 at . The event features static aircraft displays, classic car show, live entertainment, a kid’s zone, plane rides, and airport tours. Aircraft displays include everything from the larger business jets to turbo props and vintage aircraft. Admission and parking are free. Jax Ex Manager says the open …

A new voice academy with an emphasis on building confidence as well as vocal technique is opening a second location in Ponte Vedra Beach. The Lisa Kelly Voice Academy is owned and operated by Irish singing sensation and former Celtic Woman, Lisa Kelly. Kelly co-owns the academy with her husband and former Celtic Woman CEO Scott Porter. They opened the first location in Peachtree City, Ga. in January 2013 and she says Ponte Vedra Beach was the perfect fit for their second location. “Since the very beginning of my career I have always had a passion for teaching and sharing …

Mark your calendars for March 19, 2016, because GastroFest is back and better than ever! Taking place in at from 11am to 7pm, with GastroFest After Dark happening from 7-10:30pm on Laura St.  This year GastroFest will be a cash based festival – so please make sure to bring CASH! Each vendor is required to have sample sizes available for $1- $3 throughout the festival. We have encouraged Taste Vendors to have options for carnivores and vegans alike! GastroFest 2016 Program Click through the interactive GastroFest 2016 Program above for full map of vendors and events, complete with links and schedules.     …

  Tree Hill Nature Center is one of Jacksonville’s greatest hideaways. The 50+ acres of land, the Florida natural history museum and the annual Joseph A. Strasser Butterfly Festival ensures a unique experience for all visitors, any time of the year. Since its inception in 1971, Tree Hill Nature Center has provided science and outdoor education to hundreds of thousands of children.  This would not be possible without the support of its members. Become a member!  For only $40, a family of six can visit anytime they wish, are offered free admission to the Joseph A. Strasser Butterfly Festival and …

  The First Coast has one of the most robust park systems you’ll find in the country. Because our weather is excellent year round, there’s always an outdoor activity within a drive of an hour or less. This month, we encourage you to Get Outside at the Guana Tolomato Matanzas Natural Estuarine Research Reserve. The GTM Research Reserve encompasses two aquatic preserves, a national park, two county parks, two state parks, two state forests, three conservation areas and a wildlife management area, on 73,000 acres from Ponte Vedra to Palm Coast. Habitats include coastal scrub, beaches, mangrove estuary, freshwater marsh, …

The is celebrating 21 years of bringing a wee bit o’Scotland to Northeast Florida February 27 at the Clay County Fairgrounds. EU Jacksonville talked with one of the festival’s founders about growing pains, Scottish games, and the acquired taste of haggis. A Mass Band Opening Ceremony kicks off the festival at noon, a spectacular event that organizer says is not to be missed. “All the competing bands come together and march into the arena where we have our opening ceremonies and we introduce our honored clan. We have anywhere from 40 to 50 clans. It’s quite an awesome sight really,” …