Get your children excited about science and nature at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Open House on May 14, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
This year’s theme is “Conserving Ecosystems: Where Do You Fit In?” and SERC researchers will lead a day of exploring and learning about the Chesapeake Bay. Cruise down the Rhode River, explore the Muddy Creek stream restoration, climb the weather tower, search for crabs and oysters on the docks, and wade into the river with a seine net. Visitors can also go behind the scenes of the sustainable Mathias Lab.
Kids can take part in ecology-themed crafts and other hands-on activities while their parents chat with ecologists about the latest research on the Chesapeake Bay.
Live entertainment will be provided by The Lyric Response Team, Caribbean Nights and the SERC Band.
Families can also participate in an environmental scavenger hunt and possibly win a $50 gift certificate to Pirates Cove or the Killarney House. Two wooden crabs will be hidden somewhere on the SERC campus, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Check the SERC Facebook page for photo clues.
The event is free. Register online for free parking which will be $10 per car if not registered. Cruises on the Rhode River are $5 per person and free for children younger than 4. For details visit the SERC website, serc.si.edu.
