Ocean Institute presents Family Science Night series, implores community to get involved
Through the Ocean Institute’s summertime Family Science Night series, attendees will explore their natural habitat, get hands-on science experience and get involved in citizen-based science programs right in their own backyard. Photo: Andrea Papagianis
By Steve Sohonaki
It’s not hard to find something for the whole family to partake in this summer if you live in Dana Point. For those looking for something fun and educational, the Ocean Institute will once again present its family-oriented science nights.
Each night of the four-part series will include a presentation by a distinguished scientist and hands-on activities for attendees.
“These events are designed to bring families together,” said Nathan Taxel, outdoor education director for the Ocean Institute.
The institute’s Family Science Nights will take place on Tuesdays, July 8 and 22, and August 5 and 19. All events run from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Cost is $7 per person or $25 per family and events are geared toward attendees ages 4 and up.
The first event, titled “Magic or Molecules,” will explore science behind magic.
Guest lecturer, Sama Wareh, a community outreach coordinator from the Environmental Nature Center in Newport, will demonstrate the sticky qualities of water and show how magician manipulations create “magical” illusions. Wareh and the audience will also discover the science behind Hollywood movie explosions and maybe witness an explosion or two.
On July 22, guests can join Richard Smart from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County in learning about becoming part of a long-term biodiversity study. The museum has embarked on a community-based study to document the area’s natural habitat and wildlife.
In order to catalog plants and animals in Los Angeles and Southern California, NHM educators and researchers are asking for the community’s help in submitting findings from their own outings and neighborhoods. Learn more about the citizen-science program at www.nhm.org.
The third presentation, “What’s the Big Deal about Plankton,” will be presented by Peter Bryant, a professor at the UC Irvine who is part on an international research project attempting to catalog every living organism on the planet.
Bryant will discuss his lengthy research on zooplankton, microscopic organisms that are an important food source for various marine species that very well could keep our oceans clean. He will also show families how they can contribute to the study by gathering plankton in their own backyard—right at the Dana Point Harbor.
The final science night will be held August 19. Delivering the presentation will be Trude Hurd, the director of education at The Sea and Sage Audubon Center. In Hurd’s lecture, attendees will learn about the diverse community of birds residing in Orange County and will have the opportunity to get involved in projects that keep their habitat safe.
Find out more about Ocean Institute offerings by visiting www.ocean-institute.org.