Festival will look to future with symposium and fair
Climate scientists, educators and students of all ages will
meet April 26 at the University of Iowa Museum of Natural History for a day of discussion
and hands-on educational activities at the Iowa Climate Festival.The day begins with the Iowa Climate Symposium geared to the general audience from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Local climate experts will present the basics of climate science and what changing climate means for Iowa’s agriculture, public health and water sustainability.
The Hygienic Laboratory’s Wanda Reiter-Kintz, Ph.D., emergency preparedness coordinator, is one of six symposium speakers. Other speakers are Prof. Vicki Grassian, UI Department of Chemistry; Prof. Charles Stanier, UI Chemical and Biochemical Engineering; Marnie Stein, Iowa Department of Natural Resources; Jerry Hatfield, Ph.D., United States Department of Agriculture; and Prof. Jerry Schnoor, UI Civil and Environmental Engineering.
The Climate Science Fair begins at 1:30 p.m. with a series of programs designed for elementary-age students, including what makes a gas a greenhouse gas, how clouds form, how particles in the air cool the earth and what your carbon footprint means for the ocean. Students can explore prehistoric climates with Don Johnson, known as “The Fossil Guy,” from 2 to 3 p.m., ask questions of local climate researchers and learn how to reduce their environmental impact. The day will wrap up with an ice cream social.
The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. More information is available online at Iowa Climate Festival.
