Cambridge Wildlife
Puppetry Project:
Our History
The Cambridge Wildlife Puppetry Project (CWPP) connects people of all ages to the urban wildlife and habitats of Cambridge, Mass. through participatory experiences in parades, puppetry and other visual and performing arts. Our artistic collaborators have included the Puppeteer’s Cooperative, Cambridge sculptor Michelle Lougee, Puppeteer Deborah Costine, Puppet Showplace Theater, and the Beautiful Stuff Project. Community partners have included the Cambridge Center for Families, the Martin Luther King Jr. Community School, Tobin Community School, Cambridge Camping Association, Magazine Beach Partners and the Pathways for Family Success program. We have received three Cambridge Arts Council/Massachusetts Cultural Council grants.
Sign up here to get news about roamabouts, parades, workshops, and other events, or to hear about volunteer opportunities.
Sign up here to get news about roamabouts, parades, workshops, and other events, or to hear about volunteer opportunities.
2019
NOVEMBER
Environmental artist Michelle Lougee was a special visitor at our fall after-school class at Amigos Community School, showing some of her work and demonstrating how she makes "plarn" from plastic bags for the class unit on "Webs, Cocoons, and Nests." Kids wove the plarn they themselves made onto real tree branches.
We were also invited to the O'Neill Branch of the Cambridge Public Library for a family STEAM story time, where kids made caterpillar and cocoon models, finger puppets, and collectively built a giant cocoon model to learn about the proteins in moth silk that form the basis of their cocoons.
Environmental artist Michelle Lougee was a special visitor at our fall after-school class at Amigos Community School, showing some of her work and demonstrating how she makes "plarn" from plastic bags for the class unit on "Webs, Cocoons, and Nests." Kids wove the plarn they themselves made onto real tree branches.
We were also invited to the O'Neill Branch of the Cambridge Public Library for a family STEAM story time, where kids made caterpillar and cocoon models, finger puppets, and collectively built a giant cocoon model to learn about the proteins in moth silk that form the basis of their cocoons.
OCTOBER
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Above right: our Honk! invitation to the community. Above left: Our group marching on Beech Street toward Harvard Square. We brought out our purple echinacea and native sunflower hats this year for the first time in a while, marking the sunny weather for Honk! that he hadn't had the last several years of marching.
In 2019 we returned to our roots! It was Cambridge Wildlife's seventh time joining community groups and marching bands from all over the U.S. and the globe but our giant Snapping Turtle 's second visit to the Honk! Parade. Kids and families were, as usual, invited to join us. (Video of the parade taken by an onlooker—18:18 to 19:16 shows the Right Care Alliance, the Environmental Encroachment Band from Chicago, and Cambridge Wildlife, in that order).
Earlier in the month of October, at Fresh Pond Reservation, in collaboration with Ranger Jean and Ranger Tim, we led a workshop for adults and kids to make Mourning Cloak Butterfly flags and a giant parade banner of a Mourning Cloak. We combined the activity with education about this local species.
This month, for the second year in a row, we were invited to the City of Cambridge STEAM Initiative's Family STEAM Night, held at the Cambridge Street Upper School/King Open School. We involved kids in hands-on making of models of Promethea Moth Caterpillars and their cocoons.
SEPTEMBER
We launched a fall collaboration with the Amigos Community School and Neighborhood Council, a program of the city's department of human service programs. One of our early September 2019 workshops at the community school, which provides after-school programs for kids in junior Kindergarten through Grade 5, was a bird mask-making workshop.
In 2019 we returned to our roots! It was Cambridge Wildlife's seventh time joining community groups and marching bands from all over the U.S. and the globe but our giant Snapping Turtle 's second visit to the Honk! Parade. Kids and families were, as usual, invited to join us. (Video of the parade taken by an onlooker—18:18 to 19:16 shows the Right Care Alliance, the Environmental Encroachment Band from Chicago, and Cambridge Wildlife, in that order).
Earlier in the month of October, at Fresh Pond Reservation, in collaboration with Ranger Jean and Ranger Tim, we led a workshop for adults and kids to make Mourning Cloak Butterfly flags and a giant parade banner of a Mourning Cloak. We combined the activity with education about this local species.
This month, for the second year in a row, we were invited to the City of Cambridge STEAM Initiative's Family STEAM Night, held at the Cambridge Street Upper School/King Open School. We involved kids in hands-on making of models of Promethea Moth Caterpillars and their cocoons.
SEPTEMBER
We launched a fall collaboration with the Amigos Community School and Neighborhood Council, a program of the city's department of human service programs. One of our early September 2019 workshops at the community school, which provides after-school programs for kids in junior Kindergarten through Grade 5, was a bird mask-making workshop.
JULY
Our Fourth Annual Fly, Buzz, and Honk! Festival was held at Alewife Linear Park, in collaboration with the Cambridge Camping Association's Cambridge Adventure Day Camp. We included Latin dancing by MetaMovements Dance Company as well as a parade led by our beloved music-making force of nature, the School of Honk!
Our Fourth Annual Fly, Buzz, and Honk! Festival was held at Alewife Linear Park, in collaboration with the Cambridge Camping Association's Cambridge Adventure Day Camp. We included Latin dancing by MetaMovements Dance Company as well as a parade led by our beloved music-making force of nature, the School of Honk!
JUNE
We made American Bullfrog costumes and with the help of high school and community volunteers, paraded them, along with our other urban wetland creatures, in the Mermaid Promenade at the Cambridge River Festival. (See us briefly from 5:34-5:54 in this linked video). We invited kids to make wildlife trading cards at this festival as well.
We brought some of our giant puppets once again to the Fresh Pond Day Children's Animal Parade.
We made American Bullfrog costumes and with the help of high school and community volunteers, paraded them, along with our other urban wetland creatures, in the Mermaid Promenade at the Cambridge River Festival. (See us briefly from 5:34-5:54 in this linked video). We invited kids to make wildlife trading cards at this festival as well.
We brought some of our giant puppets once again to the Fresh Pond Day Children's Animal Parade.
MAY
Many of our puppets and original works of art that we commissioned for our trading card series were on exhibit at the Chandler Gallery, Maud Morgan Arts, as well as Greater Boston mural art depicting local species and other works by local artists.
Many of our puppets and original works of art that we commissioned for our trading card series were on exhibit at the Chandler Gallery, Maud Morgan Arts, as well as Greater Boston mural art depicting local species and other works by local artists.
APRIL
Once again we distributed our now-extensive variety of local city wildlife trading cards to children at the Cambridge Science Festival’s Carnival, while our friends at OneBrick Boston served as puppeteers. High school volunteers from Cambridge Rindge and Latin School staffed our table.
Once again we distributed our now-extensive variety of local city wildlife trading cards to children at the Cambridge Science Festival’s Carnival, while our friends at OneBrick Boston served as puppeteers. High school volunteers from Cambridge Rindge and Latin School staffed our table.
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Also in April, children in the neighborhood made beetle models (Photos, below) at Clement Morgan Park in the Port during the Boston Area City Nature Challenge. During this annual global citizen science event, we also involved them in identifying species of plants and animals in the park. Right: slideshow of some of the observations as we reported them on the iNaturalist citizen science site.
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2018
NOVEMBER
In early November, our last event of the year was a professional development workshop for OST (out-of-school time) staff who work directly with kids in the Department of Human Service Program community schools as well as other organizations. The participants began by making masks and puppets representing local species of wildlife in Cambridge in the same manner as kids do in the Cambridge Wildlife Puppetry Project's events, followed by reflections on that experience brainstorming session for integrating local-species art activities into their programs with kids and youth. We were invited to give the workshop by the Agenda for Children's OST Initiative whose symposium is offered annually for OST staff, in addition to their ongoing communities of practice. Our co-presenter for this workshop was Chief Ranger Jean Rogers of Fresh Pond Reservation, who in her 25 years in that role had a great deal of expertise to offer about human-nature connections in our city as well as about the species of wildlife that inhabit the reservation.
In early November, our last event of the year was a professional development workshop for OST (out-of-school time) staff who work directly with kids in the Department of Human Service Program community schools as well as other organizations. The participants began by making masks and puppets representing local species of wildlife in Cambridge in the same manner as kids do in the Cambridge Wildlife Puppetry Project's events, followed by reflections on that experience brainstorming session for integrating local-species art activities into their programs with kids and youth. We were invited to give the workshop by the Agenda for Children's OST Initiative whose symposium is offered annually for OST staff, in addition to their ongoing communities of practice. Our co-presenter for this workshop was Chief Ranger Jean Rogers of Fresh Pond Reservation, who in her 25 years in that role had a great deal of expertise to offer about human-nature connections in our city as well as about the species of wildlife that inhabit the reservation.
OCTOBER
Our October activities included a Nocturnal Animal Art Buffet co-sponsored with the Friends of Fresh Pond Reservation (in photo below, volunteers from Rapid7 in Cambridge help us get materials ready for animal mask-making) and a follow-up pop-up mask-making on October 31 at the Pearl Street (Central Square) branch of the Cambridge Public Library, children's room (Photo, above).
Our October activities included a Nocturnal Animal Art Buffet co-sponsored with the Friends of Fresh Pond Reservation (in photo below, volunteers from Rapid7 in Cambridge help us get materials ready for animal mask-making) and a follow-up pop-up mask-making on October 31 at the Pearl Street (Central Square) branch of the Cambridge Public Library, children's room (Photo, above).
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER
In August we welcomed kids at families to Hurley St. Neighborhood Farm for box-puppet fun that also illustrated some food webs in our city. This month, we also offered pop-up, hands-on art at the Central Square Business Association's Mural Project unveiling at Ideo. In September, kids made their own wildlife trading cards at Danehy Park Family Day with us, while our giant Cardinal Puppet roamed the fields.
In August we welcomed kids at families to Hurley St. Neighborhood Farm for box-puppet fun that also illustrated some food webs in our city. This month, we also offered pop-up, hands-on art at the Central Square Business Association's Mural Project unveiling at Ideo. In September, kids made their own wildlife trading cards at Danehy Park Family Day with us, while our giant Cardinal Puppet roamed the fields.
JULY
On July 27, we staged our Third Annual Fly, Buzz, and Honk! Festival, this year at Magazine Beach Park, capped off with a solo oud performance by Ghassan Sawalhi.
Earlier in the month, we announced our merger with Green Cambridge at the Green Cambridge annual meeting at the Hurley Street farm.
JUNE
Fresh Pond Day (June 9th in 2018) is one of our favorite days of the year because we meet so many local kids from all over the city face to face (beak to nose?).
This year was extra special because we were able to include in the parade our new alewife giant puppet, our new butterflies (two Orange Sulphurs and a Spicebush Swallowtail) moths (a Bent-Line Carpet Moth and a Wavy-Lined Emerald Moth), a new pug moth caterpillar, and our new Cardinal puppet. The new creatures were made by families who attended the April Kids, Bugs, Art events.
Thanks to Fresh Pond Reservation for hosting our local species puppets again!
On July 27, we staged our Third Annual Fly, Buzz, and Honk! Festival, this year at Magazine Beach Park, capped off with a solo oud performance by Ghassan Sawalhi.
Earlier in the month, we announced our merger with Green Cambridge at the Green Cambridge annual meeting at the Hurley Street farm.
JUNE
Fresh Pond Day (June 9th in 2018) is one of our favorite days of the year because we meet so many local kids from all over the city face to face (beak to nose?).
This year was extra special because we were able to include in the parade our new alewife giant puppet, our new butterflies (two Orange Sulphurs and a Spicebush Swallowtail) moths (a Bent-Line Carpet Moth and a Wavy-Lined Emerald Moth), a new pug moth caterpillar, and our new Cardinal puppet. The new creatures were made by families who attended the April Kids, Bugs, Art events.
Thanks to Fresh Pond Reservation for hosting our local species puppets again!
Also, in June, we joined the Fresh Pond rangers at the River Festival and offered kids a chance to place critters where they thought they should go. Can you spot a woodpecker?
FEBRUARY THROUGH MAY
Second-grade students at Haggerty School made some awesome local bird masks with us in the school library in February and we returned to that school for Family STEAM Night in May.
Second-grade students at Haggerty School made some awesome local bird masks with us in the school library in February and we returned to that school for Family STEAM Night in May.
We opened the spring season with our usual roamabout at the Cambridge Science Carnival on April 14. Then we ran three Kids, Bugs, Art events, combining citizen science for families and art for children, all in Cambridge outdoor locations, during the Boston Area City Nature Challenge, April 27–29! See our gallery from this multi-day event below. Read more.
JANUARY
In January 2018 we received funding for our Animal Celebrities campaign from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the Cambridge Arts Council.
We collaborated with the Visual and Performing Arts department of Cambridge Rindge and Latin School that very month to provide an animal movement workshop after school to high schoolers, in the dance studio (photo).
In January 2018 we received funding for our Animal Celebrities campaign from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the Cambridge Arts Council.
We collaborated with the Visual and Performing Arts department of Cambridge Rindge and Latin School that very month to provide an animal movement workshop after school to high schoolers, in the dance studio (photo).
2017
Photo Copyright XueYing Zhao.
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2016 Our giant butterflies rode the MBTA train to Cambridge Carnival.
In 2016 our puppets and puppeteers participated in the Cambridge Science Carnival, Fresh Pond Day, and the Cambridge Carnival.
We also ran our first Fly, Buzz, and Honk! event, focused on flying creatures. This first Fly, Buzz, and Honk! was held at the Maynard Ecology Center at Fresh Pond Reservation. We made bat costumes and heard from a bat expert and quite a few bird masks were made. We marched in the Honk! Festival, in significant rain, with just a few waterproof costumes and puppets. 
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2015 Pathways Program families made butterflies at our outdoor workshop in Clement Morgan Park in the summer of 2015.
Families of the Center for Families made this giant monarch caterpillar puppet, seen here in the 2015 Fresh Pond Day wildlife parade.
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2014In 2014 we added Red-Winged Blackbirds to our squad at the Honk! Parade.
Red-winged Blackbird photographed at Fresh Pond Reservation by Richard Lee Gardner. Copyright Richard Lee Gardner.
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2013
2012
Our humble beginnings: a ragtag bunch of kids, parents, grandparents, and cardboard creatures in 2012 at the Honk! Parade. Photo to come out of our archive soon!