I couldn't make it to the opening of the new Exploring Trees exhibit at the California Science Center, so I sent, as my representative, 14-year-old Andria, who has been job-shadowing me this year for an 8th grade project. Here's her report:
The 2,500 square foot traveling exhibit, Exploring Trees Inside and Out really does show a tree inside and out. A big tree is the first thing you see when you enter the exhibit. Children two to seven can climb up in the tree and slide down a sliding board.
Visitors experience a tree's texture, scent and even sounds. The scent station features many kinds of trees and each smells different. Apples, maple syrup and other foods and spices are matched up with the trees they come from.
Most of the activities are really for younger children, but older kids also enjoy the workshops where you can build a birdhouse or create a wooden sculpture with puzzle-like wooden pieces.
The highlight of the exhibit is a blue screen, where children can dress up as animals and see themselves on television in the animals' natural habitat - the forest.
The environmentally-conscious exhibit, sponsored by Doubletree Hotels and the Arbor Day Foundation, is packed into a single semi truck every three months and moves into a new location. Since 2006, the exhibit has catered to more than 750,000 visitors across the country.
When: May 28 - Sept 26, 2010
Where: Ecosystems Gallery, California Science Center, 700 Exposition Park Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90037
Cost: Free
Parking: $8
Info: www.californiasciencecenter.org
Check out my Visitors Guide to the California Science Center.
Story and photos by Andria, used with permission.