More research, etc

So I've finished the story and now I'm working out the illustrations, in pencil for now. Then I'm going to buy some heavy paper and do the final illustrations in ink and paint. First though, I felt like I needed a bit more visual research.

I found some pictures of voles, mushrooms, hawks and great sandhill cranes. I sketched them a bit and created the different scenes in the story. There were a few things missing, like detailed images of specific points in the bog. Since I want kids to actually go to the bog and experience the places in the book, it has to be specific.

So that's what I did today. I went back to the bog and took pictures of the tractor stuck out of the mud and other areas. As I was walking, I realized that instead of placing markers into the bog myself, I could use something that is already there - the benches that line the boardwalk throughout the trails. I'm still thinking it through, but why don't I use the benches as "benchmarks" (hah) for the story. In the map I want to create, I could show the places of all of the benches, colour code them, maybe paint the benches or a part of the benches and have kids stop at each one to observe something or do something.

I feel like my idea for kids to go to the bog and experience it is why my project is unique, but I can't forget to put time into the story and book, or else it will fall flat. That's why, although I'd love to start working on the map and the markers, etc. I feel the need to finish the book and illustrations first. I hope that that's ok at this stage. (The markers are there to support the book. The book isn't there to support the markers.)