2008 Seasonal Events
Regional Science Center Buffalo River Site
May 2, Friday
Planets on Parade, 9-11 pm
The planets march across the sky, performing a masterful celestial ballet. Mercury is one of the planets that is most difficult to observe, not because it is faint, but because it always appears close to the Sun. But it will be very easy to see on May 2nd as it appears next to the Pleiades star cluster. Mars and Saturn are also striding across the May sky. There will be a short presentation on planets and then we will set up telescopes to view the planets, star clusters and galaxies. If the weather is cloudy, we will only have a short program in the Interpretive Center at 9 p.m.
June 1, Sunday
Interpretive Center Open House 2-4pm with a guided hike at 2:30 pm.
Help us celebrate the summer season as we join with our neighbor, Buffalo River State Park, to introduce you to our shared front yard, the Tallgrass Prairie. This open house program coincides with Minnesota State Park's Sunday open house. Tour our interpretive center's exhibits to learn more about a local natural resource, the prairie. A guided trail hike to Buffalo River State Park's picnic area begins at 2:30pm.
July 26, Saturday
Bird Banding Open House from 8-10am.
Wake up early, grab your mosquito spray and check out our bird banding program. The Science Center's participation in the Mapping Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) bird banding program is in its 9th year. We will start with a tour of our Interpretive Center's Bird Observatory, an introduction to MAPS and then it's off to observe our citizen scientists at work as captured birds are identified, aged, sexed, banded and released.
August 8, Friday
Star Party on the Prairie, 9-11 pm
We're having a star party on the prairie and you are invited. Come and have the beautiful summer sky interpreted for you. Learn how to find the constellations. See the Milky Way, nebulae and star clusters through our telescopes. Perhaps we will see some meteors. Bring your own binoculars or telescope, if you wish, and enjoy the prairie at night. If it is cloudy we will have a short indoor presentation at 9 p.m.
August 10, Sunday
Interpretive Center Open House 2-4pm with a guided prairie hike at 3pm.
Join us for an open house at the Regional Science Center's Buffalo River Site. Tour the prairie displays in the interpretive center before you venture onto the prairie to view the "Cluster of Grasses" art sculpture and visit a prairie pothole. You will learn about the center's efforts to improve the "prairie-ness" of the grasslands of the Buffalo River Site.
September 21, Sunday
Interpretive Center Open House 2-4pm with prairie seed collecting at 3pm.
Come to Regional Science Center's Buffalo River Site for some hands-on learning about Minnesota's native prairie grasses and wildflowers. Enjoy a peaceful hour picking seed for the center's prairie restoration program. You'll learn why the prairie ecosystem is important and help to improve the center's prairie landscape. Be prepared to walk over uneven ground.
October 3, Friday
Our Moon, 7-9 pm
A beautiful crescent Moon will be visible in the southwestern sky as we set up telescopes to view our closest celestial neighbor. Brilliant Venus and mighty Jupiter will also grace the evening sky and will make excellent telescopic targets. A little later in the evening we may get to see some globular clusters and other deep sky objects. If it is cloudy, a short indoor program will be presented at 7 p.m.