The Greensboro Science Center (GCS) always has something new, and Saturday, Oct. 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. it will be kicking off ecoEXPLORE, a science program created specifically for children.
GSC Is partnering with the North Carolina Arboretum in this program to encourage children in grades K-8 to get involved in science.
The kickoff celebration will be held outside the GSC and is free. However, admission to the GSC is not, although participants in the kickoff will receive a coupon good for a discounted general admission to the GSC on Saturday.
ecoEXPLORE combines science exploration with kid-friendly technology to create a fun learning experience while encouraging children to explore the outdoors and participate in citizen science.
The program is divided into four parts: entomology (bugs), ornithology (birds), herpetology (amphibians and reptiles including snakes) and botany (plants). The focus of the kickoff celebration will be entomology. Participants will begin their journey by learning about and meeting a few insects, exploring three different insect habitats and searching for bugs around the GSC grounds.
After signing up online at ecoexplore.net, explorers are encouraged to outside in their own backyards or at designated hotspots to find wildlife, including plants, reptiles, amphibians, insects and birds. By taking pictures and submitting the information to their online account, participants can help scientists around the world.
Data collected ecoEXPLORE participants can help professional scientists understand changes in our environment and see how these changes effect plants, animals and other natural resources
