Happy Holidays! Happy Holidays! Jennifer and Jeff are on vacation, but don’t miss our BEST of Science in Your Backyard compilation with snippets of episodes with some of our favorite “backyard” scientists Dr. Loree Griffin Burns How Do You Meet the Moths in Your Neighborhood? Dr. Colleen Kelley How… Continue Reading Episode 84: The BEST of Science in Your Backyard!
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Meet the Expert: Madison Matson, Chemical Engineer Madison is a 2020 graduate with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Arizona. Madison had an internship at a Tucson firm and then went to work as an engineer at Proctor and Gamble in Pennsylvania where she helps with the production of paper products such… Continue Reading Episode 82: How Do You Make Toilet Paper Soft?
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Meet the Expert: Dr. Amy Apprill, Marine Microbial Ecologist Dr. Amy Apprill is a marine microbial ecologist and Associate Scientist in the Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry department. Apprill’s research focuses on the ecology of microbial communities (or ‘microbiomes’) residing in association with sensitive animal hosts and ecosystems of the ocean. She studies the factors driving… Continue Reading Episode 81: Do Whales Have Germs?
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Meet the Expert: Travis Land, Herptology Curator My name is Travis Land, and I am currently working as a Ranger Tech for the City of Newport News Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Department. I am committed to helping its mission of enhancing the quality of our community and its citizens by assisting its wildlife rehabilitation efforts, educational… Continue Reading Episode 79: How Do You Work With Snakes… Safely?
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Meet the Expert: Laurie Orth, Music Teacher and STEAM education pioneer STEAM education pioneer Laurie Orth brings together the two contrasting disciplines of space exploration and music. Creating a pipeline for young people into STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Math) educational programs through music is important to her. With over two decades teaching… Continue Reading Episode 78: How Can Music Help Us Learn About Space?
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Meet the Expert: Dr. Padma Venkatraman, oceanographer and author Dr. Padma Venkatraman is the author of BORN BEHIND BARS (Nancy Paulsen Books, Penguin Random House) as well as THE BRIDGE HOME, A TIME TO DANCE, ISLAND’S END and CLIMBING THE STAIRS. She is the winner of a WNDB Walter Dean Myers Award, Golden Kite Award, Crystal Kite Award,… Continue Reading Episode 76: How Can We Study Pollution in the Ocean?
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Meet the Expert: Kirsten W. Larson, Former NASA Public Affairs Officer, now Children’s Author Kirsten used to work with rocket scientists at NASA. Now she writes books for curious kids. Kirsten is the author of WOOD, WIRE, WINGS: EMMA LILIAN TODD INVENTS AN AIRPLANE, illustrated by Tracy Subisak (Calkins Creek, 2020), A TRUE WONDER: The Comic Book Hero Who… Continue Reading Episode 75: How Does NASA Help People on the Ground?
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Slender Tower Challenge: You need 10 sheets of paper, scissors, and a roll of tape. Your challenge is to build the tallest tower you can with the smallest base (or footprint). Share your observations– or your picture– with us by LEAVING A COMMENT BELOW about your experience of designing an exhibit or share with us… Continue Reading Episode 74: How Do Structures Stand Up?
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Meet the Expert: Danielle Schroeder, Civil Engineer Danielle Schroeder is a Bridge Engineer in Pennsylvania. She graduated from Drexel University in 2017 with both her bachelor’s and master’s in Civil Engineering and is the first engineer in her family. As an advocate for STEM outreach, she frequently leads and volunteers at outreach events focused on… Continue Reading Episode 74: How Do Structures Stand Up?
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Challenge: How would you design an exhibit for two animals. One of the animals that you might not like, and one for an animal that you do like. Share your observations with us by LEAVING A COMMENT BELOW about your experience of designing an exhibit or share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page and… Continue Reading Episode 73: How Do You Keep Zoo Animals Happy?
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Meet the Expert: Susan Summers, Zookeeper and Wildlife Biologist Susan has had a career as a zookeeper, wildlife biologist, and environmental educator. Science and nature have always been part of her life. She worked as a zookeeper for the Ecotarium (formerly known as the Worcester Science Center), the Franklin Park Zoo, and the Virginia Living… Continue Reading Episode 73: How Do You Keep Zoo Animals Happy?
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Challenge: Get and apple and a pencil. Give the apple 2 or 3 stabs with the pencil. Let the apple sit on the counter for a couple of days. Watch and see what happens. (Hint: the apple decaying is like your teeth decaying.) Explore this by making holes of different sizes and maybe even having… Continue Reading Episode 71: Why Do Teeth Decay?
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