"Is that Real Scat?": Questions from the Nature Exchange
The Nature Exchange feels like the Crossroads of Kidspace. As groups first arrive in the morning, there is great energy and excitement as some head down the steps to crawl through the ant hole, while other kids dip a hand in the Erosion Table matrix, then graze against the Jeep and Ant Climber netting, literally getting in touch with the Museum before slipping into the dark room and a visit filled with fun. Most days it takes awhile for guests to make it into the Nature Exchange.
My desk sometimes feels like a traffic circle on a thoroughfare between The Roberts Pavilion and the doors opening to the Trike Tracks, Kirby’s Kids Corner, Stone Hollow Amphitheater and Gardens. The two most frequent questions I answer are: “Where is the restroom?” and “Are these (scat models) real?” “Out the door and to the left,” is the easy response; the second question gets a little trickier. The Nature Exchange is about allowing guests to discover their world for themselves, so usually I will ask a question and begin the process of finding out that it is a model made from real-life scat, or poop, that looks real, but feels and smells like rubber, or play dough or plastic. I teach our exploring guests that herbivores make pellets; dogs have twisty ends on their scat, while cats leave clumps and the biggest one is from a black bear. The scat is like a speed bump or yield sign, slowing travelers through the crossroads, just a bit. Many zoom on to their intended destination, but a few stay and proffer another frequent query, “So, what does ‘Items for Trade’ mean?”
And then my desk starts to feel like Wall Drug, a place meant for a brief stopover that has become a destination. While, the Nature Exchange lacks a giant jackalope, there is an assortment of natural items to produce wonder and amazement. From the rainbow spiral of Haitian tree snails to otherworldly Moqui marbles, the items for trade are meant to inspire wonder and exploration of our natural world. And it is working, not just for members and regular guests, but for visitors from around the country and across the globe. In the last few weeks we have had traders from Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, Minnesota, Florida, and New York. Our recent international traders were visiting from France, Israel, Russia, India, and South Korea. On their return home these visitors packed an assortment of rocks, minerals fossils and shells, but more importantly they also have new tools for seeing the world around them and, we hope, a deeper appreciation for what is observed.
The next time you are thinking about coming to the museum, encourage your kids to go outside, maybe they can gather some nature to trade. Or print out a Nature Journal sheet from our website and help your child start looking at our natural world a little more closely. Then on your visit to Kidspace, make the Nature Exchange an important destination, an exciting place to explore and discover before continuing on, back out to Nature.
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Blog Entry by:
Gerard Gonzales, Nature Exchange Specialist, began at Kidspace in 2009 and enjoys sharing nature with children and watching their sense of wonder blossom.