TAHOE/TRUCKEE, Calif. and#8212; A Trails and Vistas field trip for school children Friday, Sept. 16 at Sand Harbor will include five to seven art venues with stories of the land by poets, musicians, storytellers, dancers and visual artists. One of the sites will include an education station about the local environment and culture with Sierra Watershed Education Partnerships (SWEP).

One sites will include The Rhythm Child Network. Formed in 2003, The Rhythm Child Network uses drums and movement to stimulate and foster creativity. By creating an environment that uses the drum as a vehicle for building confidence, communicating positive messages and encouraging group dynamics, Rhythm Child helps children and people of all ages connect with their own inner rhythms.

Award-Winning Children’s Artist and Drum Circle Facilitator Norman Jones will perform to encourage creative expression and cultural exploration through interactive drum circles. The Los Angeles Times wrote, and#8220;A Rhythm Child performance is more than just a concert. It’s a happening. Founder, lead vocalist and lead percussionist Norm Jones, a professional musician for 26 years, knows how to bring an audience together.

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and#8220;I take many instruments to every show so that everyone can interact with us,and#8221; said Jones. and#8220;We provide an opportunity not just to listen to or watch music, but to really have involvement in its creation.and#8221;

The pilot program will begin with six groups of third grade classes from two schools in the Truckee Tahoe Unified School District and one group of Custom Learning Academy middles schoolers. Students will interact with educational stations facilitated by professional artists and environmental specialists, and lead by volunteers from High School Ambassadors from Sierra Watershed Educational Partnerships.

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SWEP incorporates the element of service into their programs, where students plan and implement action projects in the community based on their place based learning investigations. SWEP works with classrooms and schools to create place-based service learning projects which directly enhance academic performance while meeting real community priorities for improving the natural and human environment.

Trails and Vistas art hike, slated for Sept. 17 and 18, pauses at performances and other artistic creations along a gentle guided two and a half mile hike. Experience art in nature with sculpture, music, dance and poetry in a completely new and inspiring way during the 2011 hike at Spooner Lake. Call 530-448-3440 or visit http://www.trailsandvistas.org for tickets.