Join us to celebrate the importance of pollinators! From bats to butterflies and bugs, you'll have a chance to help tell a visual story of some of our most important ecological allies.

Willow Bend Environmental Education Center is bringing art and ecology together through Nature Tales: Puppets and Pollinators, a creative collaboration with Red Herring Puppets and Momentum Aerial. This project blends storytelling, large-scale puppetry, and hands-on community experiences to celebrate the essential role of pollinators in our ecosystems. Artist Lisa Aimee Sturz, Owner and Artistic Director of Red Herring Puppets, has designed and fabricated six large-scale pollinator puppets ranging from two to four feet tall and developed pollinator-inspired mask activities using recycled cardboard and mixed media.

The project now moves into its community phase. On March 7 from 1 to 5 PM, Willow Bend will host a Community Puppet Building and Finishing Workshop where participants will help paint and assemble the pollinator puppets alongside Red Herring Puppets and Willow Bend staff. Because of the detailed crafting involved, this workshop is best suited for older teens and adults, though youth are welcome with adult supervision. Space is limited, and advance registration is required.

Thanks to generous funding from Creative Flagstaff’s ArtX: Art and Ideas Experience grant, we are pleased to offer this workshop free of charge to the community.