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Article for: The Davis Enterprise
Date: April 23, 2004
Author: Sharon Navarro

UPCOMING SATURDAY PROGRAMS

Transport yourself to a tropical rain forest tomorrow with your kids during Explorit Science Center's "Animals of the Tropics" program from 1:00-4:00 p.m. Admission is free.

Start the adventure by picking up "passports" that kids can fill with animal stickers after completing various hands-on activities. Listen to sounds of African animals and the rainforest as you learn about toucans, gorillas, chimpanzees, crocodiles and snakes. Embark on an outdoor scavenger hunt and participate in a variety of crafts including puppet-making.

The program will be presented at Explorit by the Westfield 4-H club - young scientists from Davis and surrounding areas who are planning a trip to Guatemala to volunteer at a wildlife rehabilitation facility and elementary schools. They are previewing the arts and crafts sessions that will be offered to Guatemalan school children.

There will be much more to explore in the coming months at Explorit as a variety of exciting, hands-on programs unfold on Saturdays, many of them free of charge.

"Explorit is increasing the frequency of special weekend programs to offer dynamic, stimulating science experiences for all ages," said Mackenzie Tysell, Explorit's program director. "Having weekend programs more often helps build the community through shared learning experiences," she added.

Upcoming programs include:

• Insides Out! Saturday, May 1, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. What uses almost a quarter of your body's energy but weighs just a little over three pounds? If you can't guess, maybe you need to exercise it more: your brain! The human body is an amazing "machine" filled with incredible parts. Learn what these parts do and how they work together. How do you keep your balance? Do you know where your blind spot is? Members of the UC Davis Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior club will demonstrate how the brain and body work through a variety of interactive games and activities.

• Planets in Our Solar System, Saturday May 1, 7:00 p.m. Later on Saturday, shift your focus from the inner-you to outer-space. Attend the Dennis Smith Family Astronomy Program and view planets in the night sky through telescopes, investigate differences between planets and participate in a variety of hands-on activities including making solar system models and your own space rocket. The event is free.

• Monkeying Around in Science, Saturday, May 22, 1:00-4:00 p.m. Monkeys have rocketed to outer space, but they have also helped scientists investigate such diseases as asthma and Alzheimer's. Explore monkey communication, make monkey masks, and study primate X-rays at this program presented by the UC Davis Primate Center, currently home to more than 4,000 primates. Learn more about the Primate Center and its cutting-edge medical and behavioral research that aims to improve human health. Admission is free.

• Our Six-Legged Neighbors, Saturday, May 29, 1:00-3:00 p.m. By late May, backyard barbecues and twilight little league games may have us feeling we've mingled enough with our six-legged neighbors. But how well do we really know them? Did you know that California has a state butterfly? Ever met a beetle that's half a foot long and weighs about as much as two large eggs? Meet live insects and preserved specimens from California and the world at a UC Davis Entomology Club and Bohart Museum presentation. Observe and learn about the dogface butterfly (the state butterfly) and the six-inch, four-ounce Goliath Beetle, as well as numerous other beneficial insects such as ladybugs, giant silk moths and the brilliant blue morpho butterfly.

Visitors to Explorit's Saturday programs experience the buzz of enthusiasm as children and adults are all engrossed in doing science. And you have a great reason to begin the adventure tomorrow by discovering the world of tropical wildlife: admission is free.

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Explorit Science Center is at 3141 5th Street in East Davis. The current exhibition "Networks in Nature: The Original World Wide Web" runs through June 6. Public hours are Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Tuesday through Friday from 2 to 4:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.explorit.org or call Explorit at (530) 756-0191.