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April 19, 2017UAlbany to Host 5th Annual Family Earth Day on Saturday
A sense of fun combined with a message about the importance of understanding our planet will be on display this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in University Hall.
Helping educate students about such fields of study as ecology, climate change, and geology.The University’s 5th Annual UAlbany Family Earth Day, open to children/students from K-12 and their families, will seek to instruct youth about the various earth sciences and, through fun and engaging hands-on activities, see the value in taking care of the Earth. According to Pamela Eck, a graduate teaching assistant in Atmospheric & Environmental Science, the goals more specifically consist of:
- Emphasizing the importance of keeping the Earth clean and healthy.
- Sparking an interest and encouraging students to pursue careers in STEM.
Why is Family Earth Day so important? “Earth sciences are the study of the world we live in and how our lives impact that world every single day,” said Eck. “My hope is that this event will provide a fun and exciting way to remind students of just how important these fields of study are and how interesting the relationship between people and the Earth really is.”
The day will include numerous activities and presentations to demonstrate a range of earth sciences. Demos include cloud art, cloud in a bottle, can crushing, the planting of a marigold, and a solar oven. In addition to these activities there will be three featured demos: forming ice crystals from ice nuclei, a weather balloon launch and a rotating tank experiment.
This year the organizers are also very excited to announce that for the first time ever Weather Friends, friendly superheroes who engage with the students to make a science experience more memorable, will be participating. They will be handing out trading cards, signing autographs, and teaching kids about the hazards of severe weather and the steps that young people can take to keep themselves and their families safe.
