#BeCurious at the Third Annual @PhilaScienceFestival!

Say it Rah-shay By Mar 17, 2013 No Comments

On Monday, March 11th I was invited to a press reception at The Franklin Institute to get a preview of what was in store for the upcoming Philadelphia Science Festival. At the reception there was a sampling of exhibitors present to get us in the mood.

I am so excited for April!

The Philadelphia Beekeeping Guild was there with yummy local honeys to taste. I thought all honey was the same and boy was I wrong! Pure honey has health benefits that can be affected with how it is packaged.



To learn more about Beekeeping check out the following events: Sweet and Savory Science: Hives and Honey

6-8 PM | Continental Old City: 138 Market Street
Join the Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild for a night of cocktails, appetizers and those tiny creatures responsible for making honey. Learn about these incredible insects and the delicious nectars they produce.
Experience honey’s complex flavor varieties and check out observation hives to see these little workers in action.

Discovery Day: Urban Farming
11-3 PM | Bartram’s Garden: 54th Street and Lindbergh Boulevard
Growing your own plants or vegetables in the city? Learn how to test your soil, grow food locally, and even how to raise and care for farm animals. Spend the day in the garden with agricultural experts doing taste tests, gardening demonstrations, beekeeping basics and more.

What’s a visit to The Franklin Institute without stalking talking to chief Astronomer Derrick Pitts?
He was so kind as we chatted about astronomy nights, the stars, the universe and steel mills.

The Astronomy Nights will be held at locations throughout the city on Friday, April 26 from 6-9:30 PM. Last year the family and I headed to the Astronomy Night at John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge and had a ball doing a nature walk, looking at Venus and gazing at the stars.

This year why don’t you grab a blanket and tour the cosmos. Professional and amateur astronomers will bring out their telescopes to show locals the wonders of the night sky. More than 20 venues in and around Philadelphia — from universities to community centers, wildlife refuges to cemeteries — will host star parties. The festivities start at 6:00 this year, giving families the chance to do some sun gazing.

Other exhibitors:

The Wagner Free Institute.
And yes.
That woman has a bird on her head.

Taxidermy is not something that I really ever think about. I know of its existence but cannot say that I consider it on a regular basis. After speaking with author Rachel Poliquin I was ready to learn a bit more.
She got her start by taking pity on dead birds she would find and then started thinking of the birds not just as dead things but as art.

Skinned, Stuffed and Mounted: The History, Culture and How-to of Taxidermy
2:00 – 5:30 PM | the Wagner Free Institute of Science: 1700 West Montgomery Avenue
With over 100,000 specimens, many of which are skinned, stuffed and mounted, the Wagner Free Institute of Science is no stranger to taxidermy. Join Rachel Poliquin, author of the book “The Breathless Zoo,” and
Beth Beverly, a local artist and rogue taxidermist, for history, discussion, and demonstration. While not for the faint-of-heart, this fascinating display is not to be missed!

For the food lovers, there was a demonstration for how to enjoy chocolate. My chocolate experience has not been the same! A representative from Mars Inc was on hand to give us tips for savoring chocolate.



I also got to see and TASTE a cocoa bean. The bean is wrapped in a fruity skin that is tart and tangy. The bean itself is so bitter and sharp that it’s hard to believe such a wonderfully creamy substance comes from the bean!  We go from this…

…to this…

…to this!

There are so many great events to enjoy during the ten days festival! The Center for Forensic Science Research and Education was on hand to allow me to play out my inner CSI dreams. There was an opportunity to dust for fingerprints, observe blood spatters and to review a “crime scene.”FYI: I have a whorl but I didn’t do it! It was the butler.

You can have your own experience as a Philadelphia Crime Scene Investigator during one of the discovery days:

Discovery Day: Be the Detective! 11-2 PM | Philadelphia Center for Arts & Technology: 2111 Eastburn Avenue You be the detective! Use your sleuthing skills to gather evidence and discover how science can help solve crimes. Practice with simulated forensic clues and become a crime scene investigator. Dust for fingerprints, learn how DNA solves crimes, and discover how serology connects your body goo, to you!

For a complete listing of events, activities and more, check out the Philadelphia Science Festival website: http://www.philasciencefestival.org/or give them some social media love:

facebookFan them on Facebook: PHLScienceFest

 
 
 
 
twitter 
Folow them on Twitter: @PHLScienceFest

 

The third annual Philadelphia Science Festival returns April 18 -28, 2013 with more than 100 thought-provoking events!
At which one will I see you?
-r

r’s note: I was invited to a free preview of the Philadelphia Science Festival. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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I am mom, daughter, sister, yarn lover, word lover, crazy cat lady and library chick. Find me with book or with hook and a hot cuppa.

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