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April Activities: Science Saturday, Pop-Ups, Shad and More!

NauticalMapSCIENCE SATURDAYS: April 19 and 26 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. starting every half hour.

SOUND NAVIGATION
Humans have been traversing waterways for thousands of years, and safe navigation has always been of the utmost concern. We now have the ability to precisely map the ocean floor and riverbeds using sonar.

Using this sonar we can make Nautical Charts, understand habitat and the effects of sedimentation due to land erosion.

Meet Rosalind Echols, NOAA Teacher at Sea, and hear about her adventures mapping the ocean floor. Learn the physics behind the process in our Water Lab and participate in hands-on activities.

POP-UP ACTIVITY FOR APRIL!
Saturday, April 19 and 26 from 10:00 a.m. to noon.
Smelling Your Way Home

Every Spring we celebrate the return of the American Shad to our fresh waterways to spawn. Living their adult life in the salty ocean, it is impressive how these fish can find their way back to the same fresh water location in which they were hatched. Learn how fish detect “chemical signatures” like our human sense of smell to find their way home.

SHAD FEST ACTIVITIES AT THE WATER WORKS! Saturday April 26
Heart to Hearth: Learn about the Native Americans who called the Schuylkill River home and how they used the river!

Pop-Up Family Activities:
“Fishin’ Around”
-Studying fish populations in the Schuylkill River can tell us about the health of a river. Take a peek into the underwater world just like aquatic biologists and make a creation to take home!

“Rainbow Fish” – Enjoy the classic tale of Rainbow Fish and make your very own fictional sparkling fish to take home after learning about the real fish found in the Schuylkill River.

Fishway Tour: Families can enjoy a special tour of the Fairmount Dam Fishway to learn more about the history, science, and engineering behind this unique structure. This program is intended for visitors over the age of nine.

Cooking with Shad: Enjoy a taste of delicious shad!

Sunday April 27: Explorer Days
Shad Fest at the Philadelphia Science Festival

Heart to Hearth: Learn about the Native Americans who called the Schuylkill River home and how they used the river!

SHAD – Smell your Way home. This program in our Water Lab celebrates the returning Shad, a native fish, to our waterways. The resurgence of these pollution sensitive, anadromous fish is an indicator of the successes in environmental management over the past 40 years.

Monday April 28: Neighborhood Science After School
Falls of Schuylkill Library Branch “Do we drink the river?”

Wednesday April 30: Teacher Workshop
Teacher Workshop in Partnership with Eco Express/Green Treks at the FWW “Understanding the Urban Watershed”

Saturday, May 3: Carnival on the Parkway
The Water Works presents “How much science is there in this glass of water?”