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Article for: The Davis Enterprise
Date: October 3, 2003
Author: Vanessa Gregory
Contact: Tom Wickersham

GET DOWN AND DIRTY AT OPENING OF NEW EXHIBIT

Tomorrow Explorit Science Center celebrates the opening of its fall exhibition, "Earth Elements: Discovering Natural Resources." The exhibit explores the cornerstones of all life on earth: water, soil, air, and sunlight.

Tomorrow's visitors will be the first to experience the new exhibit activities and will have a chance to participate in a special series of family friendly workshops focused on examining soil.

At the "Earth Elements" exhibit through hands-on activities, visitors can explore the resources of water, soil, air and sunlight. Soil as a resource is featured in various activities, including art.

Several Native American tribes, including the Navajo, create beautiful paintings made of ground pigments for use in religious ceremonies. Kids can use different colors of sand to make their own version, then move on to learn about how humans harness natural resources for energy, and why it's important to conserve these resources. The exhibition will run through Dec. 7, but Saturday will be the only day to also enjoy the "Exploring Soil!" family activities.

"Not everyone instantly thinks of soil as a natural resource," says Tara Barbier, Explorit's Family Explorations coordinator. "But soil's much more than just dirt. Anyone who gardens knows that. The activities I've planned for Saturday put soil in the spotlight. They're fun and practical too," Barbier said.

The exhibit opens at 11:00 a.m. and the "Exploring Soil!" workshops begin at 1:00 pm. Visitors will have the chance to become "Soil Chefs" by mixing just the right ingredients to make nutrient rich soil perfect for growing crops. Participants can take the resulting mixture home to add to their own gardens or worm bins.

For those yet to discover the wonder of worm bins, there will be an opportunity to explore vermicomposting - the process through which red worms decompose organic matter to make nutrient rich humus - and take home a worm bin (limited materials are available for this project; visitors are asked to please bring a quart-sized jar with lid).

>From 1:00-3:00, Explorit welcomes back popular artist Sam Tubiolo. Tubiolo creates natural, captivating art from the earth using clay to make tiles. Visitors will help Tubiolo create public art for the Mace Ranch Community Park by designing and decorating tiles. These tiles will be incorporated into Tubiolo's sculptures and pathways.

So whether it's turning soil into art or exploring the latest ways technology is helping people harness energy from the wind and sun, Explorit is the place to learn about natural resources this Saturday and throughout the fall.

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Explorit Science Center is at 3141 5th Street in East Davis. The current exhibition is "Earth Elements: Discovering Natural Resources," which continues through Dec. 7. 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.