The Delaware State Fair starts this week and it’s gonna be HOT. We’ve got the skinny on a way to get cool while you’re at the fair!
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control invites you to DNREC’s Fun House of Science. All visitors will be given a Game Book that engages visitors in science activities and experiments; visit the stations and use the game book can collect an environmental prize.
New this year: take a break in the air-conditioned DNREC On Stage theater for short demonstrations on various topics, including live animal shows from the Brandywine Zoo, Scales and Tails, and DNREC’s Aquatic Resources Education Center. Delaware State Park’s display will highlight the exciting things to do and see at a Delaware State Park. Other presentations feature: Civil War and World War II-era costumed interpreters; Inland Bays ecology and maritime history; nature photography; primitive skills; “Tropo,” Delaware’s air quality mascot; and “please touch” taxidermy, among others.
Stations in the Fun House:
- Discover Delaware’s Wild Side, the Delaware Bayshore and the diverse habitats that make this an area of ecological significance.
- Water Cycle exhibit that demonstrates the continuous movement of water on, above and below the surface of the earth and learn how water is stored in underground aquifers. Discover Delaware’s prehistoric past through fossils in marine sediments deposited over millions of years, and take your picture inside the jaws of a model Megalodon shark, an extinct creature that lived more than 2 million years ago.
- Sneak by DNREC’s Trashstoppers’ hidden camera and learn how this nationally-recognized program operates to thwart illegal dumping and do away with roadside dump sites in the state. Find out how you can become a Trashstopper and help in halting illegal trash dumping.
- Stop by the Recycling exhibit and learn what’s acceptable to recycle. Find out how recycling is saving landfill space and creating new products from garbage, and how to compost in your own backyard to create nutrient rich soil that’s good for your lawn and garden.
- Learn about Filter Feeders – oysters, clams and fresh water mussels – that filter water naturally as they feed. Find out how they effectively filter algae, sediment and pollutants from salt and fresh water, improving water quality.
- Test your energy IQ – light bulbs and air leaks – and learn why you should care about either. Visit the Energy exhibit – see the lights and feel the leaks that may be costing you lots of money. Learn what you could be doing through small changes to convert wasted cash and energy to savings.
- Observe how Delaware’s valuable wetland soils are filtering sediment and pollutants and protecting our coasts and shorelines from flooding and sea level rise. Find out what scientists are doing to protect and restore wetlands and take your photo with “Swampy,” the cypress tree that thrives in a healthy wetland.
- Spin the wheel and test your knowledge of the Air Quality Index, the color-coded rating scale that makes it easy for people to understand Delaware’s daily air quality forecast. Learn about DNREC’s air monitoring network and what you can do to lessen your exposure to ground-level ozone and help improve air quality.
- Discover the rules of the road that are protecting our environment. Learn about efforts underway along roadways to reduce trash and animal wastes and create natural borders that help to sustain endangered pollinators and beautify the landscape.
- Vote for your favorite painted rain barrel among the finalists in Delaware’s Youth Rain Barrel Painting Contest. This year’s winner will be announced by Governor Markell at the Governor’s Environmental Awards Ceremony at 1 p.m., Thursday, July 30.
- Get information about how you can volunteer to help protect and conserve the state’s natural resources, including the 2015 Delaware Coastal Cleanup held in September, part of the world’s largest annual clearing of trash from coastlines and lakes by volunteers.
The Fun House of Science is located in DNREC’s Education Building on East Rider Road within the Fairgrounds. It’s FREE and open to the public from 10am to 8pm every day during the fair.
