Students learn nature through photography Part of Special Eyes on Environment program. Sunday, May 28, 2006 • By ANDREA EILENBERGER • The Express-Times HOLLAND TWP. | Carolyn Zonca knelt on one knee, leaned in close and snapped a picture of a small, light-pink flower. She liked the way the flower's circular shape corresponded with the circular bed where it grew and wanted to convey that beauty through her photo. "Just being out here and listening to the birds -- it's like meditating," Zonca said. Zonca, 14, and four other Stepping Stone School students spent Thursday morning intently photographing natural scenes in the Riegel Ridge Community Center as part of the Special Eyes on the Environment program. The Stepping Stone School is a nonprofit, kindergarten through 12th grade special education school in Bloomsbury. Schools in eight New Jersey counties, including Hunterdon and Warren, participate in the 13-year-old program. Students study environmental issues, learn the basics of photography then head outside to capture what they see in black and white film. Matt Stark, 14, said the experience has showed him children can "stop playing video games and get out there -- there's a world out there we haven't explored yet." The program empowers children and lets their "visions make a difference in the world," program president Ross Lewis said. It allows them to indulge their creative side, explore nature and teach others about its beauty. Their work will be displayed in several exhibits in the fall. Regional politicians and the state Department of Environmental Protection support the program, which promotes environmental awareness, he said. Lewis is a professional photographer whose clients have included the National Football League, national corporations and magazines. While no student excels in every subject area, Executive Director Melanie North knows everyone who participated in the program earned a sense of pride and accomplishment. "They're not falling short in this," she said. It helped "bolster them, make them more verbal and more thoughtful," she said. Lewis instructed the students not to speak, but to focus on their subject and photos. At the end of the shoot, they talked of the intricate bark patterns and leaf veins they probably wouldn't have noticed otherwise. They told Lewis the day made them feel happy, relaxed and peaceful. "What is real is how you feel now," Lewis said. Reporter Andrea Eilenberger can be reached at 610-258-7171 or by e-mail at aeilenberger@express-times.com. © 2006 The Express-Times. Used with permission.