MU Faculty Participate in Wellsboro Science Festival

MANSFIELD, PA—Mansfield University science faculty teamed up with the United States Geological Survey (USGS), Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Bureau of Forestry, Tioga County Conservation District, and other local organizations to promote science at the first annual Hometown Science Festival on the Wellsboro Green on August 12.

The event featured engaging, hands-on educational activities for both children and adults that showcased local science resources and knowledge. There were 25 stations at the event featuring local researchers, resource managers, health care professionals, and educators. Local artists and music were also on display, with a science-themed exhibit at the Gmeiner Art and Cultural Center in Wellsboro.

Assistant Professor of Biology Greg Moyer, Assistant Professor of Geosciences Linda Kennedy, Associate professor of Geosciences Lee Stocks and Assistant Professor of Physics Elaine Farkas were among the MU participants.

Moyer’s booth featured scientific identification and collection of local fishes.  For viewing pleasure, he had two aquaria filled with fishes collected from the local stream running through downtown Wellsboro.  Hands-on demonstrations for adults and kids included the use of scientific fish identification keys and discussions of MU’s electrofishing boat, which uses high voltage to temporarily stun fish so they can be collected for research efforts. 

At Stocks’ and Kennedy’s booth, information on the Institute of Science and the Environment (ISE) and the Department of Geosciences at MU was made available. Festival attendees were informed of local soil processes and fertility for agricultural use. For the interactive component, samples were collected from around the county to highlight the differences between soils of various land uses. Kids were encouraged to perform nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium testing on the samples to determine relative amounts of fertility. Results of the geochemical tests led to discussion on causes and solutions for soil degradation.

Farkas’ booth was a collaborative effort with the PA DCNR, featuring a solar telescope generously loaned by Tim Morey of the DCNR, as well as a comet-building demonstration so attendees could learn the difference between comets and asteroids. Both activities related to astronomical events taking place in August, 2017.

The Perseids meteor shower, which peaked that very weekend, is due to the Earth’s passing through the debris field left by the Swift-Tuttle comet in its 133-year orbit about the sun. The solar telescope allowed viewers to see solar prominences and filaments on the surface of the sun, and promoted discussions on safely viewing the solar eclipse on August 21.

The Hometown Science Series & Festival is part of the Hometown Science Series events, which take place throughout the year on Friday evenings at the Deane Center in Wellsboro. The regular series events involve speakers, films, panel discussions on locally relevant topics in science, and was developed by researchers from the Northern Appalachian Research Lab in Asaph and the Tioga County Conservation District.

The festival was organized by Barbara St. John-White, a local biologist at the USGS Northern Appalachian Research Lab in Asaph, and by Elizabeth Costanzo, a Watershed Specialist at the Tioga County Conservation District. Plans call for the festival to be an annual event with the next one scheduled for the fall of 2018!

For more information on the Hometown Science series, visit their Facebook page at  facebook.com/hometownscience/