At-risk youth embark on nature photography program

The National Park Service (NPS) is the recipient of a 2010 America’s Best Idea grant from the National Park Foundation for “In a New Light: Connecting At-Risk Teens to the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway through nature photography,” the Superior Telegram reports.

The partnership project between the Riverway, Northwest Passage, and local arts and educational organizations will immerse at-risk teens in the beauty of the Riverway for a photographic journey. Professional nature photographers will help participants, and a production company will enable the teens to document their artistic and emotional journeys.

Creating good photos requires the kids learn to open themselves to nature so they can feel and express its subtle beauty. It’s a process that can be profoundly healing for kids who need it the most, says Ben Thwaits, Northwest Passage teacher and project leader.

“Photography is teaching me to see things I never saw before,” says one teen participant.

A travelling photo exhibit will open at the St. Croix River Visitor Center in St. Croix Falls, Wis., Sept. 25. The project also will include a video chronicle, Web site and blog.

Other project partners include Black Iris Gallery and Custom Framing, Spooner, Wis., owned by Jo Ann Martin — a member of the Professional Picture Framers Association (PPFA) — and Northern Lights Camera Club, Black Ice Outdoor Productions, Cable Natural History Museum, UW-Marathon County, and the Wisconsin Arts Board.

The project is part of the NPS America’s Best Idea grants, a nationwide program under way in 33 national parks and inspired by the epic documentary “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea,” by Ken Burns.