Sixth Annual Science Expo at Lake Tahoe coming in March

The UC Davis’s Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) in partnership with the Tahoe Expedition Academy (TEA) will host the sixth annual Science Expo on March 16.

The fair features interactive experiments and demonstrations for children from the third to sixth grade, ages 8 to 12 and their families. The event is free and will run from 4 – 6 p.m. at the Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences in Incline Village. Ice cream will be provided by Susie Scoops of Incline Village and UC Davis TERC.

The 2011 Science Expo will showcase 20 hands-on investigations that explore Earth Science concepts such as:

— Erosion
— Atmospheric Processes
— Fossilization
— Astronomy
— The Properties of Rocks and Minerals
— 3-D Geographic Visualizations – Bathometry and Topography

Interest in the event has grown tremendously. Last year, nearly 700 people, both students and parents, participated in the Science Expo. The event is hosted annually and operates according to a three year cycle; thematic emphases include Earth Science (2011), Life Science (2012), and Physical Science (2013).

This year, students from Tahoe City, Kings Beach, Incline Village and South Lake Tahoe will be attending during the school days of March 16, 17, and 18. High school students participating in the Youth Science Institute will facilitate science investigations with the younger students in the community.

Lake Tahoe School middle school students and parents in the community will also participate. UC Davis Americorps volunteers and docents will also be staffing some of the activity stations, however, additional volunteers are still needed.

If you or someone you know is interested in volunteering at this event, please contact volunteer coordinator Mary Danahey at 650-743-2309 or email marydanahey@gmail.com. All volunteers will be provided training and activity materials to prepare them for their 2 – 3 hour shift. A science background is not necessary and you might even learn something new while sharing science with our local youth.

“The Science Expo provides a great opportunity to increase student excitement and interest in science,” said Heather Segale, education and outreach director for the UC Davis TERC. “We are working with science teacher DC Larrabee to develop new activities this year.”

“The Science Expo is fun for the entire family and a great educational experience for kids. We invite the entire community to turn out for the event,” said volunteer coordinator Mary Danahey, one of the event’s original organizers. “Come learn with your child!”

The Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences is located at 291 Country Club Drive in Incline Village (between Tahoe Boulevard/SR 28 and Lakeshore) on the campus of Sierra Nevada College. For more information or directions call 775-881-7566, or visit http://terc.ucdavis.edu/calendar/.

About the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center

The UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center presents monthly lectures on science topics and organizes various educational programs including the Youth Science Institute, Science Expo, and Children’s Environmental Science Day. The Tahoe Environmental Research Center is dedicated to research, education and public outreach on lakes and their surrounding watersheds and airsheds. Lake ecosystems include the physical, biogeochemical and human environments, and the interactions among them. The center is committed to providing objective scientific information for restoration and sustainable use of the Lake Tahoe Basin.

Story provided by: Heather Segale, UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center, (775) 881-7562
hmsegale@ucdavis.edu

Other Upcoming Events:
— March 1, 2011: A Scientist’s View of Changes at the Bottom of Lake Tahoe, with Annie Caires, University of Nevada Reno
— March 16 - 18, 2011: Science Expo (Public Open House on Wednesday, March 16 from 4 - 6 p.m.)
— March 19, 2011: Trout in the Classroom Training
— April 13, 2011: Using Light-based Technologies to Save Lives, with Dr. Marco Molinaro, UC Davis Center for Biophotonics Science and Technology
— April 19, 2011: Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival
— May 31, 2011: John Steinbeck at Tahoe: Hatching His First Novel, with Author Scott Lankford (to be held at Tahoe City Field Station)
— June 1, 2011: Tahoe Beneath the Surface, with Author Scott Lankford
— June 16, 2011: Science of Winemaking Lecture, with Winemaker Stephen Tebb, Robert Craig Winery
— July 21, 2011: Science of Beer Lecture, with Charles Bamforth, UC Davis Department of Food Science and Technology
— August 11, 2011: Science of Cheese Lecture, with Moshe Rosenberg, UC Davis Department of Food Science and Technology
— August 13, 2011: Children's Environmental Science Day

Visit http://terc.ucdavis.edu/calendar/ for additional information.