Parents your kids are going to LOVE this new exhibit at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History, so get ready to start talking POOP!
While most of us never feel comfortable talking to others - even our own kids - about "poop", the Fernbank's "The Scoop on Poop" is going to change all of that!
From dung to poop to scat to malarkey - no matter what you call it, this is a really interesting and educational exhibit that shouldn't be missed this summer!
The Scoop on Poop, on view from now through September 3, 2012, is a hands-on, humorous approach to learning the science of studying animals based on the clues they leave behind. The exhibition sprung from the pages of the popular The Scoop on Poop children’s book by Dr. Wayne Lynch as a tactful blend of good science and fun.
The exhibit features three live animal displays that include hissing cockroaches, live mice and a box turtle. It's interactive and uses a sense of humor to investigate a subject people often find difficult to talk about with a straight face.
Our mini Macaroni who is three didn't find it hard to discuss. She really got a kick out of this exhibit because she got to say "poop" over and over and over again. But it gave me a chance to try to discuss how animals have different "poop". It's a subject I honestly would not ever have thought about discussing, but when you think about it it's an important study of science.
The Scoop on Poop leads visitors on an investigation of what poop is and how animals and humans use it. Fish do it, frogs do it, pythons, eagles and elephants do it, too. But it can have many uses that scientists use to uncover important information.
Take your kids on an educational adventure while school's out this summer and they'll learn just how animals use poop to build homes, hide from enemies, attract mates, send messages, and cool off. Did you know some people even eat it?
The interactive components were lots of fun. My husband and I enjoyed competing against one another in a dung beetle race (don't ask!). My daughter (OK, I did too I admit) had fun trying to figure out which animals left which scat in a matching picture game. We also all got on the scale to find out - based on how much we each weigh - how long it would take for an elephant to "poop" our body weight.
The Fernbank will also be offering live animal encounters this summer as part of the exhibit. Although I'm told the animals may change daily, while we were there, we got up close to a lizard, a snake and a turtle. All of the kids there really enjoyed this a lot as they all asked a lot of questions!After the seeing these animals, visitors will have the opportunity to touch an animal. My brave husband touched the snake.
Here are just some of the Scoop on Poop Exhibition Highlights:
1. Poop Has Many Names- Visitors are invited to select locations on world map to learn the language of poop in countries around the world.
2. Outhouse - This old-fashioned replica of an outhouse gives visitors a chance for an unusual photo opportunity.
3. Worth Your Weight In... African elephants are the biggest poopers of all land animals. Step on the scale to see how many hours (or minutes!) it takes an elephant to poop your body weight.
4. Dung Boots - Watch a rhinoceros kick and stomp its dung so he can mark his territory with a trail of smelly footprints.
5. Ins & Outs- Listen in on a grizzly bear’s digestive tract and learn how food becomes poop.
6. Dung Beetle Race - See whose beetle is the fastest. Turn a rubber dung ball to move your beetle to the finish line.
7. Who Dung It? - Animal scat is a great way to learn about the wild animals in your area. Learn to be a scat tracker by matching dung samples with the animals that made them.
8. Diagnostic Doo - Check out the close-up world of dung through a veterinarian’s microscope. Can you see anything unusual?
9. Dangerous Droppings – This live animal exhibit offers a behind the scenes look through the wall of a house to show how mice enter our homes and live in our food cupboards.
10. Buffalo Chip Courtship - Activate a video recording of sarus cranes performing a bizarre mating ritual. The male throws buffalo dung around to impress the female.
The Scoop on Poop is included with Museum admission, which is $17.50 for adults, $16.50 for students/seniors, $15.50 for children ages 3-12, and free for children ages 2 and younger. The exhibition is free for Museum members.
Fernbank Museum of Natural History is located at 767 Clifton Road NE in Atlanta. For tickets and more information visit www.fernbank.org.
