MBL Employees Lend a Helping Hand to Create Science Playground
Members of the MBL community showed up in full force to help build the Village Science Playground at Mullen Hall School in Falmouth earlier this spring. The state-of-the-art, science themed, handicapped accessible playground was constructed over a one-week period from March 27 to April 1. Thanks to the enthusiasm of more than 2,000 volunteers from throughout the Falmouth community, including more than 40 members of the MBL staff and MBL Associates, the ambitious, $150,000 project came off without a hitch and was completed on time and on budget.
Ecosystems Center senior scientist Anne Giblin was a member of the playground committee. She assisted with fundraising for the project, including soliciting donations from the science community, both non-profit and for-profit. “The science community was very generous and some of the groups we approached also gave as individuals or provided in-kind services,” she says. According to Anne, all playground funds were raised from grants, including Falmouth Community Preservation Act funds, by donations from individuals and businesses, or from fundraising events.
The MBL helped jump start the project last year with the donation of the playground’s DNA Climber (above), which offers kids an opportunity to learn about the double helix in a fun way by giving them the experience of climbing on one. “The hope is that when they hear about it in school it will make more sense,” says Anne.
Anne’s other major responsibility was as “design and special features coordinator,” in which she worked to incorporate science features such as nature cubbies, the DNA climber, and a topo-bathymetric map of Cape Cod into the playground. “It turned out that this job also included coordinating the art work, something for which I have no background at all,” says Anne. “Luckily some other folks came to the rescue.”
Ecosystems Center senior scientist Ed Rastetter teamed up with John Crusius and Seth Ackerman of the U.S. Geological Society to design the map of Cape Cod and the surrounding waters. Ed did the actual cutting of the map, which is made from a thin PVC material. BioCurrents Research Center staff Tamara Clark and Tiffany Van Mooy, along with local artist Jan Hull, created the playground’s nature cubbies. “Both of these teams put several full weekends into their art work,” says Anne.
Seems like even Mother Nature played a part in making the playground dream a reality. It rained until about 6:00 AM on the first morning of the build and then stopped, Anne recalls. And then it was clear and fairly warm for the rest of the week until about two hours after the playground was completed. Then it started to rain again. “If you look at the weather for the weeks before and after the build we had the absolutely best period of weather in either March or April,” says Anne.
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MBL Helps Local Students Make the Grade
Last winter the MBL awarded scholarships to two local students for their outstanding science fair projects. Falmouth High School student Anna Trowbridge received the Arnold Clark Scholarship for her project titled “The Affects of Frequent Alcohol Exposure in Fruit Flies” and Max Mann of Falmouth Academy was the recipient of the MBL Scholarship for his project, “Breakdown of Dissolved Organic Carbon by Marine Microbes.” Students are entitled to use the scholarships, each valued at $1,000, for secondary school or college education.
In addition, the following MBL employees volunteered their time at the following local science fairs:
Lawrence School Science Fair Mentors*
Michele Bahr, Bay Paul Center
Benjamin Felzer, Ecosystems Center
Grant Harris, Laboratory of Rudolf Oldenbourg
Leisa Stenberg, Furie Laboratory
J.C. Weber, Ecosystems Center
*Mentors meet with 7th and 8th grade students to help them design and refine their science projects.
Falmouth Public Schools Judges
Michele Bahr, Bay Paul Center
Sarah Biber, Bay Paul Center
Sarah Bordenstein, Bay Paul Center
Mark Brown, Furie Laboratory
Alan Kuzirian, Marine Resources
Christina Maki, Ecosystems Center
Hilary Morrison, Bay Paul Center
Marshall Otter, Ecosystems Center
Mindy Richlen, BUMP
Roxanna Smolowitz, Marine Resources
Laura Wittman, Ecosystems Center
Falmouth Academy Judges
Michele Bahr, Bay Paul Center
Gary Borisy, Director and CEO
Jennifer Culbertson, BUMP
Benjamin Felzer, Ecosystems Center
Hap Garritt, Ecosystems Center
Kristin Gribble, Bay Paul Center
Harlyn Halvorson, MBL Director Emeritus
Chuck Hopkinson, Ecosystems Center
Louis Kerr, Education Office
Alan Kuzirian, Marine Resources
John Valois, Retired MBL employee
Falmouth Academy Science Fair Mentors
Jennifer Culbertson, BUMP
Gabi Gerlach, Marine Resources
Alan Kuzirian, Marine Resources
Ivan Valiela, BUMP
Destination ImagiNation—An international science fair “alternative” for kids emphasizing creativity, problem solving, and teamwork.
Team Manager: Hilary Morrison, Bay Paul Center
Judges: Michele Bahr, Sarah Bordenstein,
Phyllis Doheny, Joanna Green, and Seth Kauppinen
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