Experience the sounds and sensations of Scotland’s secret haven of habitats, from sea to summit at the latest summer sessions for kids organised by the University of Aberdeen Natural History Centre.
The free sessions called Doorstep Diversity kick off on Monday (July 26) at the Natural History Centre in Tillydrone Avenue and take place every day until Friday (July 30) between 10am and 4pm.
This will be the third week of events organised by the Centre. The first two weeks have taken place at the Duthie Park David Welch Winter Gardens.
Each day of the week will feature different activities and crafts relating to the variety of life in the North East.
Marie Fish, Education Officer at the Centre said: “There will be plenty of displays in the Natural History Centre and our visitors will be able to enjoy the sight and sounds of our local wildlife thanks to soundscapes evoking nature that have been composed and recorded especially for this event by the University of Aberdeen’s Music department.
“We will also have awildlife trail in the Cruickshank Botanic Garden and a trail detailing Scotland’s missing animals through the University Zoology Museum.
“The Museum will also feature an exhibition of local secondary children’s art work and there will be craft activities daily featuring different places, plants and animals.
“It should be a lot of fun and our sessions are aimed at school children of all ages - both primary and secondary.”
Guest workshops are also being staged at the Natural History Centre next week:
On Monday between 2pm and 4pm visitors can find out about the animals of the deep sea and how they have adapted to survive in that environment with Jess Craig from Oceanlab. There will be an opportunity to design and build your own deep sea creature.
On Tuesday between 2pm and 4pm visitors can discoverhow to track wildlife using satellite sensors with dot.rural- the University institute which conducts research into the way digital technologies could transform rural communities, society and business. In this interactive treasure hunt the aim is to find as many ‘hidden’ deer as possible, discovering why scientists tag groups of deer and how you can do this using new technology.
There will also be flood risk management activity with the dot.rural centre which will use sensor technology and computer programs to give an insight to flood risk management.
On Wednesday between 2pm and 4pm visitors can discover the weird and wonderful life of the sea, dissect a fish, learn what makes it tick and then print their own place mat with Lyndsay McPherson from Oceanlab. These sessions must be booked on the day with staff at the Natural History Centre
And on Thursday between 1pm and 4pm you can discover how to record our native wildlife and contribute to a wildlife database during our biodiversity recording workshops with Glenn Roberts from the North East Scotland Biological Records Centre. Please note these sessions are suitable for children age 13+ and must be booked on the day with staff at the Natural History Centre.
Contact the Natural History Centre on 01224 275454.