Explorit kicks into high gear during spring months

The beginning of March ushers in Explorit Science Center’s busiest season. Children on school field trips swarm both of our sites every weekday. During spring break, we’ll host daily family workshops that delve into the connection between science and art. Two Saturdays a month, we have exciting special programs arranged for the public, plus a Science Café and a free public lecture. And we’re busy laying plans for our popular Summer Science Camps.

On top of that, next Friday we’ll open our first long-term exhibit, “Move It! Science in Action.” It will fill our first-floor exhibit hall at Explorit’s main facility, 2801 Second St. Upstairs, we’ll continue to host exhibitions that change several times a year; the current offering is “Go With the Flow: From Delta to Sea.” With two exhibitions plus a Wet Lab, Discovery Room, Microscope Nook and Challenge Center, there’s plenty to explore on an afternoon visit to Explorit.

Here’s a rundown on what’s planned. For more information about any program, visit www.explorit.org or call (530) 756-0191.

• March 7: The “Move It” exhibition opens at Explorit’s main site. Visitors will be able to explore the laws of motion at interactive learning stations ranging from a gear wall to a wind tunnel.
• March 8: In “Marvelous Machines,” a Family Exploration program, visitors can examine a collection of wooden machines such as a rack and pinion. Learn how simple machines can be combined to create more complex machines. 1-4 p.m. at Explorit’s main site; free with paid admission to the museum. (Note: Segway Day, previously publicized for this date, has been postponed; a new date will be announced soon.)
• March 15: Explorit will join other nonprofit providers of summer youth programs at the Children’s Summer Activities Faire, sponsored by the City of Davis and UC Davis Department of Campus Recreation from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Central Park, adjacent to the Farmers Market. Stop by to learn about our summer science camps; camp brochures with registration forms will be available.
• March 17: Summer Science Camp registration begins. Mail or deliver your
registration forms to Explorit by 4:30 p.m. April 14 for random-drawing placement in camps.
• March 18: We’ll host a free Science Café titled “Flying Cars and the Future of Travel.” Enjoy coffee and cookies, then hear inventor Paul Moller give and update on his Skycar. This event will take place at 7:30 p.m. at Explorit’s neighbor in east Davis, the Davis Musical Theatre Company, 607 Peña Drive.
• March 23: Free Admission Sunday at our main site, 2801 Second St.
(bullet) March 24-28: On weekdays during spring break, Explorit is open from 1-4:30 p.m. Each afternoon, we’ll hold workshops for families to explore the science-art connection. Daily themes: Monday, “Color My World;” Tuesday, “Textures All Around;” Wednesday, ““Pitter-Patter Patterns;” Thursday, ““The Illusions of Science;” Friday, “Be a Chemist.” The drop-in workshops run from 1:30-4 p.m.; admission is $1 after museum admission.
• March 29: Jeff Smith, also known as “Rocklin’s Bug Man,” will present a Family Exploration program called “Here Come the Bugs.” Visitors can talk to him about the lives of insects and check out dramatic displays, including big, colorful insects from the tropics. Also, Explorit’s popular Madagascan Hissing Cockroaches and Vietnamese Walking Sticks will be on hand for visitors to inspect. 1-4 p.m. at Explorit’s main site. Free with paid admission to the museum.
• April 12: Dr. Carl Winter, director of the FoodSafe program at UC Davis, will present informative, interactive concerts on food safety beginning at 2 p.m. and 2:45 p.m. at Explorit’s main site. He’ll entertain visitors of all ages with lyrics about food-borne illness, safe food-handling techniques and nutrition. Related activities will run from 1-2 p.m. and 3:15 to 4 p.m. during this Family Exploration. It’s free with paid admission to the museum.
• April 15: “What Made Us Human? Comparing the Human and Chimp Genome” is the topic of a free public lecture by Dr. Katherine S. Pollard, Assistant Professor, UC Davis Department of Statistics and UCD Genome Center. She says that the sequencing of the genome of our closest relative on the tree of life, the common chimpanzee, has allowed us for the first time to know what elements of our genome are distinctly human. Her free talk, part of Explorit’s Science Café and Lecture Series, will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Davis public library, 315 E 14th St.
• April 14: Explorit’s Summer Science Camp registration deadline is 4:30 p.m. Forms will be opened randomly beginning at this time and campers placed in their selections until the camps are full. After they’re all processed, open registration will begin.
• April 26: Come check out a collection of Whymcycles, creative bicycles and tricycles made by Davis inventor and mechanical wizard Peter Wagner. Take a spin on one and investigate how these incredible creations work. This Family Exploration program will run from 1-4 p.m. at Explorit’s main site. Admission is free with paid admission to the museum.
• April 27: Free Admission Sunday
(bullet) May 1: Open registration begins for our Summer Science Camps. Available slots will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
• May 10: Join us as the UC Davis Marine Ecology Department brings some of its invertebrate animals in touch tanks for Explorit visitors to observe and touch. This Family Exploration runs from 1-4 p.m. at Explorit’s main site. Free with paid admission to the museum.
• May 17: Plans are in the works for a Family Exploration featuring hands-on activities for children and adults to enjoy together. They’ll happen from 1-4 p.m. at Explorit’s main site. Free with paid admission to the museum.
• May 25: Free Admission Sunday
• May 28: Explorit will hold a training session for individuals ages 12 or older who want to volunteer at our Summer Science Camps. Registration is required; email Volunteer Coordinator Kristin Sizemore, kristin@explorit.org. The two-hour training starts at 4:30 p.m. at Explorit’s Mace Park Branch, 3141 Fifth St.

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Explorit is open from 2-4:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 11a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Admission is $4 general, free for teachers and ages 3 and under. Explorit is at 2801 Second Street, Davis. For more information: (530) 756-0191 or www.explorit.org