If you were one of the many hundreds of kids and families at the ASPB booth during the USA Science & Engineering Festival in Washington, DC (April 25-27) then you got the chance to dig in to the roots & shoots of plant biology.
Booth visitors could:
- Dissect big seeds (lima beans) to find the ‘baby plant’ inside
- Create mini garden cup necklaces with tiny carrot or lettuce seeds
- Plant ‘Kalanchoe’ seedlings – which reproduce without seeds
- Acquire temporary tattoos to show off their love of plant biology
- Test to see what nutrients seeds use before they can photosynthesize
- Take selfies at the ‘Plants Make/Are/Do Hot Stuff’ photo op station
- Collect the My Life as a Plant Activity Book & 12 Principles of Plant Biology bookmarks
- Grow a graph showing their strongest trait for becoming a plant scientist
- Stamp their Evolution Thought Trail passport after exploring plant traits & variations
- Chat with ASPB scientists and educators about the many cool things plants do for themselves and to improve our daily lives.
In the words of one ASPB volunteer,
“The kids absolutely loved it!”
Feeling the need for more on seeds? Check out: It’s a little on the Seedy Side; the ‘Doomsday’ Arctic Seed Vault; or the seeds of plant biology research in Why Study Plants?