I had a request for my formula for papercrete so thought I'd post a copy here just in case it might be of help to someone. Cement and Paper Fiber Sculpting Materials Portland Cement (NOT a concrete mix just the cement powder) Paper Fibre (I buy the paper insultation you can get from Lowes. It is already shredded. You can take newspaper and shred it, soak it, mush it more but this saves a lot of work). Bucket of joint compound Mixture You have to experiment here to get it to the point it feels like clay. Off hand I'd say 2 parts paper fiber to 2 parts paper cement. I then just put in a handful of joint compound, add water and mix by hand. If it doesn't feel like clay I add more cement and more joint compound. You can do 3 parts paper to 1 part cement if you just want bulk and are not concerned about strength. The higher the paper fibre the longer it will take to dry. I just do this in a bucket. I've not tried a large scale mixing because a) you can get tired out pretty easily and then you are wasting the rest and b) I don't know if it would dry out too quickly. IMPORTANT!: Wear a mask and rubber gloves. Cement dust easily goes into the air and it is not a good idea to breathe it. Also, I wear thin rubber gloves. I much prefer no gloves as I like to feel my subject but the reality is that cement will suck all the moisture out of your hands. I've been asked if one can add sand. I've only tried this once. It makes the mixture a lot less claylike and takes longer to dry and will slump easier, but you can do it. The plus side is likely added strength. Armature I try to avoid anything that will rust as an armature because I just don't know if the paper fibres will wick water all the way through the sculpture. If it does it could cause rust on the armature thus splitting the sculpture. This may not happen at all. I would say though if using an iron armature to make sure to seal it with paint BEFORE applying the cement. This is probably a good idea with any type of cement mixture in any case. My armatures are made from styrofoam, pvc piping and aluminum piping. If it is a "sqaut" figure, meaning triangular or a column type figure I just use styrofoam but it won't have the stength necessary for limbs. So for my Greenman figure I used pvc piping. My gargoyles though have all just been styrofoam, including the one with wings. The wings were just the blue styrofoam sheeting you get for siding. The papercrete adds amazing strength. The Process BUILD A GOOD ARMATURE! Make sure that it is to the proportions you want before applying cement. I've had to do some chiseling because I didn't take into account the extra width added by the cement and threw a piece out of proportion. I know it's common sense but I don't always have common sense so thought I'd give the warning in case there is someone else like me out there. I coat the armature from the bottom up, when it is completely covered with one layer I let it set for a day IF it has things like "legs", such as with the greenman. I needed the strength there in the legs before I could build up the "musculature" with more cement. This technique worked great! Once you can start adding "muscles", and bulking up the figure you pretty quickly learn if you are adding too much at once so it slumps. Be patient. My experience with papercrete is that you can add additional layers after a piece is dry and it holds nicely. I've even gone back months later and done more work on a piece. I know this isn't conventional wisdom but it works for me. Make sure and cover the bottom of the armature as well with cement. You don't want bugs getting up inside your armature. It is said that carpenter ants love styrofoam. How long does it last? Short answer. I don't know. Papercrete houses have mostly been built in arid areas. And they advise not sealing the surface of a house too much so it can breathe... BUT you don't have to worry about that for a sculpture so SEAL AWAY. I use paint and polyurethane. I have one sculpture that has sat unsealed for at least one winter. He has minor surface crackling but no stuctural damage. I think that my sculptures will last my lifetime, but I don't know. Still, do any of us know how long our art will last outdoors anyway? When I sculpt a piece I do try to think about how water might pool on it and try to make it so water will run off as much as possible. Ice in crevices can be deadly to cement pieces. But paper fibres give a lot of strength to a piece. I am always amazed how I can coat a piece of styrofoam with this mixture and once it is dry I can stand on it with no damage. Painting For my Greenman piece I used a sponge to paint with. This makes sure the figure gets well covered. I did an enamel base and then added acrylics for highlights. I used spray polyurethane but want to try the kind from a can sometime. You don't have to paint of course but I still think sealing is a good idea with polyurethane or something else. Here is a link that might be useful: Jonathan's Sculpture Page

Lynn, Yes Bullfrogs are now part of AZ's wildlife, however that does not mean we should perpetuate the problem by transporting them to locations where they don't exist (e.g. from the river to your pond) in spite of how neat it is to see a frog in your backyard. Many people are working hard to remove Bullfrogs from various locations. ItÂs a shame to hear that their work is unknowingly becoming undone. Bullfrogs are an environmental disaster that is costing all of us in one way or another- that includes financially. Who do you think pays for the recovery of listed species like Leopard Frogs? You do, I do, we all do. Your comment "To each his own" is really inappropriate here. I certainly understand and appreciate the enjoyment that comes from your pond and creating your own mini-ecosystem. However I think we should all do so in a responsible manner. I also believe it is now illegal to transport Bullfrogs. Not only do Bullfrogs eat anything they can fit into their mouth, but they are also one of the most prolifically reproductive animals in the world. They are also amazingly mobile. A friend of mine who studied Bullfrogs has told me that in a single summer they can move up to 8 miles!! These three traits make bullfrogs a nearly indestructible predator. Please do think twice about bringing them home. I, and IÂm sure many others would dearly love to be able to visit places like the Salt River and see native aquatic species again. Today that just isnÂt possible. Sincerely, Tlaconete

Hats off to you, Ladybarber! I'll just confirm the previous posts: START SMALL. Our school developed an extremely large habitat for wildlife, complete with native plants for butterflies and birds. While it's worth every smile on a child's face, it's a huge time commitment to keep more aggressive plants from running amok, weeding, watering, etc. I will second that you'll be surprised at the grants and donations that are available. I donated several native plants from my garden, including all the milkweed, so you may want to tap into the parents. You may also want to see if any scout troops are willing to take on the garden for a service project. Our school even ventured into seed starting. I still help with our habitat, even though my kids are now in highschool. One teacher takes the kids into the garden to help. Wow! That's a lot of energy. While some plants may get smashed or mistakenly pulled to see their excitement and interest is well worth the effort. Three last things. 1. Our teacher created an observation book so that visitors or children can write about their visit and what they saw. There are some priceless notes about worms. 2. We sold stone paver kits to raise money. The kids/family could then make the stone with their own decorations to be used for a memory path in the school garden. 3. Our school also built a shed to house all of the tools, etc. with a combination lock. Good luck! Cathy in SWPA

Good morning, PHANTOM, and welcome to the forum. You're in for lots of fun. Some of us have taken the mesh/concrete workshop from Wouterina deRaad. She taught us to use the diamond lathe mesh - found at Lowes/Home Depot. The important thing about her method is the double layers. You make your sculpture, then you put a second layer over it all. This is "stitched" together w/19-guage wire - no need for welding. Just make sure your "stitches" are hidden as well as possible. Lineman pliers pull the stitches through your structure. Make a stitch about six inches long w/a hook at one end for pushing through, then back through and twisting a couple times and clip off as close to your structure as possible. I use 17-guage wire from the fencing section at Lowes - comes on a huge roll and is easy to use. Then she taught us to make the concrete mixture from three parts sand to one part Portland cement. Cement is what holds concrete together. She also taught us we can use the ready-to-use mortar mix. That's what I prefer. It's so much easier to work with, cuz the Portland comes in bags of 93 lbs. When your sculpture is complete, mix the mortar, and w/gloved hand push the mortar between the two layers and smooth it as best you can. This is what makes her sculptures so lightweight and portable. It's just a thin layer of concrete. If you look at my thread "Fountain Surround" - first part, you w/see my mesh structure. I used rebar to help the structure stand. Any more questions, please ask, and show us your WIPs. We love new members.