Summer
Science!!
Summer is
a great time to go and DO science. Here are some starter ideas for you.
- The
Woodland Park Zoo, the Pacific Science Center and the Aquarium…. They have
outstanding summer activities, workshops, day camps. Give them a call and ask
for the brochures. Below are the ones that quickly came to mind, and there
are many, many others!
- Another
thing to do is go to various places that give tours. The Ballard locks is
one, and the summer runs of salmon will be going thru the fish ladder. And
the Renton waste water treatment plant does some outstanding tours. A bit
stinky, but really informative.
- Rent a
kayak at Northwest Outdoor Center (south end of Lake Union), or put in your
own canoe or kayak, and paddle over to the arboretum. We haven't done it yet,
but that's one thing that's on OUR list for sure.
http://www.nwoc.com/rental/index.htm
- There
are also various docent talks at assorted parks. I think the different cities
put them on. Here’s a link for Discovery Park in Seattle – there are many
others!
http://www.cityofseattle.net/parks/Environment/discovparkevents.htm
- Also,
there is Carkeek Park in North Seattle—they have a wonderful beach (great for
tide pools at low tide) and a new Environmental Center opening in July. The
address is:
www.cityofseattle.net/parks/parkspaces/carkeek.htm
- Take an
easy day hike? Try:
http://www.localhikes.com/MSA/MSA_7602.asp
- Rock
hounding?
http://www.washington-state-rockhounding.info/rockhounds-index.htm
-
Visitors to the Seattle area? Try the City Search:
http://seattle.citysearch.com/
- Parent
Map for Seattle and the Eastside:
http://www.cmiregistration.com/user/directory/index.jxp?letter=R&org=114
-
Ellensburg CWU Primate Center
http://www.cwu.edu/~cwuchci/
- Summer
is also a great time to start a collection – pressed wild flowers,
butterflies, etc.
- Or
perhaps a new hobby – rock tumblers are pretty cheap and it sure is fun to
collect a bunch of stones from a family trip and then polish them up in the
tumbler. Can you identify any of them?
- There
are lots of books out now on the geology of the land as you drive through it.
The Roadside Geology series has books on Washington, Oregon, Idaho and
Montana that are easy to follow and understand. (I know – I own all four.
I’m a total geology nerd!)
- Grand
Coulee Dam has a wonderful exhibit on how hydroelectric power is created, and
their laser show every night at dusk is fantastic! The Rocky Reach Dam, just
north of Wenatchee, also has great tourist activities.
- The
University of Washington has a fine observatory and telescope that is open
every Thursday evening. There will be graduate students staffing it and
willing and able to answer any questions. List of Washington astronomical
observatories:
http://www.seattleastro.org/washsites.html
If you
have any other ideas, please let me know! I’d love to add to my list.