North-east youngsters will go batty, creep with spiders, hoot with owls, and grab lunch with fire salamanders at the University of Aberdeen later this week.
It is all part of a special day to launch the new-look University of Aberdeen Natural History Centre on Thursday (October 23).
Around 20 youngsters will be made VIP guests of the Centre for the day which presents the University's impressive natural history collections as a fascinating educational experience.
The children will make lanterns to take home for halloween, look at bats and spiders and colour in big versions of the Centre's new logo before enjoying a dino-size lunch including BBQ Pterodactyl wings (chicken wings) and Flintstone Rollers (sausage rolls).
Mandy Tulloch, Centre's Development Co-ordinator said: "We run hands-on natural history activities from toddlers to primary school children of all ages. We try and make everything fun and interesting to help them to understand and explore our amazing living world up close.
"During a typical day at the Centre they can see everything from a mounted bengal tiger, to a croc skeleton to live salamanders and plant and pond life at our fantastic Cruickshank Botanic Garden.
"We have given the Centre a refreshing new look with a new logo and publicity material to help us spread the word of the Centre among children and adults," she said.
Around 60 adult guests will also be invited to lunchtime reception on Thursday to hear more about the Centre from two of its directors, Vice Principal Dominic Houlihan (Research and Commercialisation) and Professor Ian Alexander, Regius Chair of Botany.
Professor Houlihan said: "I think it is great. The Centre performs an important educational role as part of the national drive to get more school age children interested in the environment and the world of science.
"Business talks a lot about sustainability and the environment. Everyone is looking for new ideas and new ways of creating a more environmentally friendly society. This has to start with our children who will grow up to be the opinion formers of tomorrow."
The Centre has welcomed more than 60,000 visitors since it was opened in 1995 with support from the oil company ConocoPhillips (U.K.) Limited.
PHOTO OPPORTUNITY:
Thursday, October 23 between 1.15 and 2.00pm, at the University of Aberdeen Natural History Centre, Zoology Building, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen.
You are invited to send a photographer / camera crew / reporter to cover the lunchtime activity session where around 20 primary schoolchildren will be making halloween lanterns and colouring in a huge version of the Centre's new logo (a butterfly, fossil and paw print sitting on top of a tree trunk).
Mandy Tulloch, Professor Dominic Houlihan and Professor Ian Alexander will be also available for interview/photograph at the event.
For further information contact:
Angela Ferguson, Communications, Office of External Affairs, University of Aberdeen, Tel: (01224) 272960 or email: a.ferguson@abdn.ac.uk
Date: 22 October, 2003