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looking around in your own backyard: iNaturalist and the City Nature Challenge
When we’re in the parks, one of our simple but favorite activities is just poking around in the dirt, grass, and trees to see what lives there. Maybe this looks like just a way to divert kids’ attentions and keep them occupied, but it is actually an essential part of doing science. Starting tomorrow (April…
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looking up and beyond
As the weather gets nicer, it’s not only great for going out in the day, but also for going outside at night. There’s a lot of great science happening both during light and dark hours. In fact, observing dark skies is a scientific study all by itself! Sometimes we take it for granted, but the…
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Earthquakes and phonebooks #randomactofscience
Sometimes you get to try a science experiment at home by collecting different household items, putting them together in unique ways and watching science happen (Check out the hot chocolate experiment for more details). Sometimes science takes you by surprise, all you have to do is sit there and watch it happen. This morning the…
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introducing the hot chocolate effect and #randomactofscience
These are weird, difficult times in all ways. People are stuck at home, schools’ doors are closed, and our summer is uncertain. For Science in the Parks, we’re trying to figure out what the immediate future holds and how we can support playful, authentic science in our community. We’ll post updates here about what our 2020…
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graduates
We’ve wound down another summer tour, and as things are being scrubbed, parked, and shelved, I’m reminded that this isn’t only about the kids who come to the program. It’s also about the people who work and volunteer here. Many of the people who host science each summer are working on degrees, and many of…