Wild Science at Jackson Eco-Fair

On Saturday May 14, Jackson held its 13th annual Eco-Fair, a celebration of everything earth-friendly open to members of the public. The event was a great success with a range of people turning up to soak up the sun, music and booths.  The event took place nestled at the base of Snow King in the ball field and began at noon. Over 50 non-profit businesses and government agencies came together each showcasing their own booths, sustainability efforts and eco-wares.
 
We had our very own booth and staffed it under the guise of a pair of Wild Scientists. Along with us were a pair of frogs and some deadly Cyanobacteria. The frogs in question are whites tree frogs and belong to our Community Programs Coordinator Sarika Khanwilkar. ‘Albero’ and ‘Burrito’ were largely decorative on the day, preferring to snooze in their triennium rather than join in the festivities.

Albero the White's tree frog

With their helpful presence we were able to explain some of the differences between frog and human hands and invited people to experience ‘frog fingers’ using sticky tape to pick up pennies. This sparked off some friendly competition as to who could pick up the most, particularly between young siblings. However some seemed slightly disappointed they weren’t able to keep the pennies they picked up!

Our Development Associate Mel uses an bicycle-powered blender

Our other more dangerous guests the Cyanobacteria were provided to us by our friends at The Institute for EthnoMedicine. Those who attended our stall were able to get up close and look at the bacteria under a microscope. Cyanobacteria are an ancient and ubiquitous form of bacteria, also known as blue-green algae and form huge blooms in bodies of water across the world. They are a key part of the institute for EthnoMedicines research, it is believed that there is a link between some types of Cyanobacteria and neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS. Their upcoming documentary feature film “The Hunt for the Hidden Killer” chronicles Paul Cox's journeys across the world and pioneering research in this critical area of study. If you want to see the film and a talk by Paul Cox we are hosting a free screening at the Center for the arts on June 28!

A full list of our upcoming events can be found on our Facebook!