Explorit turning kitchen space into a Wet Lab

Safety goggles and splattered lab coats are the uniform of a busy laboratory scientist because, as every experimenter knows, science can get messy. Visitors to the Explorit Science Center will soon be able to have a similarly splattered scientific experience at the new Rumsey Community Fund Wet Lab.

The first group of wet lab activities will correspond with the spring exhibition, “Looking Up: The World Above Us” (opening March 17) and include rainbow-making activities and fun with air pressure. Future wet lab activities could include everything from pond water microbe examinations to chemistry experiments.

“Science isn’t always dry and clean. It’s getting in there, rolling your sleeves up and discovering what’s out there,” says Anna Grace, Explorit’s exhibits coordinator. “The wet lab will be a safe and fun way for young scientists to try experiments that would otherwise be too messy for the exhibit hall.”

When Explorit moved to 2801 Second St. in September, it acquired the old Davis Indoor Sports Center café kitchen, which will be transformed into the wet lab facility, complete with stainless steel lab tables and sinks.

“We wanted to create a space where visitors could get a bit messy while doing science,” Executive Director Suzanne Ullensvang said. “Fortunately, the former kitchen area provided the perfect blank slate for designing the wet lab. The infrastructure is already there, so with only a few adjustments, the room is being transformed for use by public visitors and school groups.”

These adjustments include the demolition of a section of wall, which will provide better access to the space. The majority of the work is planned for the week of March 12-16, when Explorit is closed to the public as staff and volunteers work around the clock changing exhibits.

“A number of skilled volunteers from the community, including contractor Brian Barbier, are helping to make this transformation possible,” Ullensvang said. “We thank them for their generous support.”

An Animal Alcove will be an exciting component of the wet lab, providing a home for some of the facility’s animals, including Madagascan hissing cockroaches and Vietnamese walking sticks. Explorit's menagerie has until now lived at the science center's Mace Park Branch.

Blizzard the blue-tongued skink and Connie the ball python will have a temporary home in the Animal Alcove when one or the other visits the Second Street site on Wednesdays and Sundays.
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There are nine days left to visit Explorit’s winter exhibit, “From Codes to Crystals: Patterns All Around,” which examines the patterns in nature, human bodies, numbers and more. It closes on March 11. The spring exhibit, “Looking Up: The World Above Us,” will run March 17-June 10 and explore things seen when looking skyward, including weather, flying objects and stars.

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Explorit Science Center, located at 2801 Second St., is open Tuesday-Friday from 2:00-4:30, and weekends from 11:00-4:30; general admission is $4 and children 3 and under are free. For more information: (530) 756-0191 or www.explorit.org.