FROM LEFT: Artist-in-Residence Cynthia Robinson of Plymouth works with first-graders Maggie Gross, Sophia Swett and Simon Chervek to help build a butterfly garden in front of Harold Martin School in Hopkinton on Thursday, May 31, 2018. All of the school’s students, from pre-K to third grade, are working with Robinson, a teaching eco-artist, to contribute to the outdoor learning space. (ELIZABETH FRANTZ / Monitor staff)
FROM LEFT: Artist-in-Residence Cynthia Robinson of Plymouth works with first-graders Maggie Gross, Sophia Swett and Simon Chervek to help build a butterfly garden in front of Harold Martin School in Hopkinton on Thursday, May 31, 2018. All of the school’s students, from pre-K to third grade, are working with Robinson, a teaching eco-artist, to contribute to the outdoor learning space. (ELIZABETH FRANTZ / Monitor staff) Credit: Elizabeth Frantz—Monitor staff

At Hopkinton elementary schools this year, eco-artist Cynthia Robinson of Plymouth is integrating visual arts with nature as part of an Artist-in-Residence program. Her goals include highlighting the importance of nature and encouraging the students to “slow down and notice and appreciate the natural world around them.”

At Harold Martin School last week, students helped design and build a butterfly garden that can be used as an outdoor learning space. This week, students at Maple Street School will use digital photography, drawing, college and painting to explore the outdoor spaces already present at the school.