The annual BioBlitz is an Earth-day related event that lets us share our science with the public. This year's was held at the UA Arboretum. It provided a beautiful setting for plant walks, bug walks, bird walks, and butterfly catching. We also had tables where people could learn how to mount an herbarium specimen, look at bugs under a microscope, and have artwork created by black soldier fly maggots. I think my maggots did a great job! 

Today was Science Olympiad! I volunteered for the Herpetology event, and learned a bit more about lizards and snakes than I knew before. The competitors ranged from 6th to 12th grade, and performed incredibly well. The exam required them to identify specimens, answer questions, and use binders that they had prepared themselves. 

It's always enjoyable to participate in this event, where scientific knowledge is celebrated among a group of peers and their parents. And some teams came in hilarious t-shirts: my favorites were "Reaching Our Potential" with a picture of an action potential graph, a picture of chemicals labelled "We have all the solutions," and "Fe-Man". 

Every year the University of Alabama Natural History Museum puts on "Night at the Museum," a chance for us to share our love of science with the local community. Each year has a theme, and the biology department lucked out with this year's: Ocean Explorers. 


Biology's room had jumping fish, a matching game of sea creatures and depth, an algae themed table with seaweed samples to try, a station where children could write their name with a squid pen in squid ink, and live sea urchins to hold!


​Many thanks to all the student graduate volunteers who helped make our room great!
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Other departments had face painting, a build-your-own-jellyfish, and even a Darwin Selfie Station! 

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Over 1000 children made their way through the different rooms, along with enthusiastic parents. I'm pretty sure we met a few future scientists!