NatureNauts STEM Day

Join us from 9 AM until 1 PM for NatureNauts STEM Day, a fun-filled day of hands-on learning and outdoor exploration for the whole family! Explore interactive STEM exhibits, educational activities, and exciting wildlife experiences from organizations across the Gulf Coast.

Participating vendors and organizations are listed below.

• Historic Blakeley State Park’s Delta Explorer River Cruises – For additional
  ticketing, tours of the Fowl River will be offered at 9:30 am, 10:30 am, 11:30 am, & 12:30 pm; children 4 and under must bring their own life preservers. Plan to arrive at our River Pavilion at least 10 minutes before its departure.
• The Reptile Bus with Outdoors with Jay – Reptile trailer with a variety of snakes, lizards, turtles, and an opportunity for participants to touch a snake; a snake safety/reptile presentation at 10:45 am
• AWF Delta and Bay Conservation Center – Reptile and amphibian ambassadors, a variety of mammal pelts and skull replicas, including a presentation discussing keystone and indicator species and how they influence and reflect their environment, offered at 9:15 am, 10:15 am, 11:15, and 12:15 pm.
• Bellingrath Gardens & Home NatureNauts™ – Hands-on activity relating to nature and the Gardens
• Evonik – Chemistry-focused hands-on activity
• Sea Scouts – Static Display, Video, Ocean Habitat Mini Reef, Offshore Safety Gear
• Rebuilding Together of South Alabama – Demonstration on a rain barrel. It will be a walk through on how to install on and the environmental benefits. Also, participants will be encouraged to get involved and volunteer installing rain barrels throughout the community.
• Mobile Bay National Estuary Program – We will provide water quality monitoring activities and education to complement the sign and WQM station on the dock.
• Mobile Public Library – Bookmobile on location; organizing some STEM activities
• Dauphin Island Sea Lab’s Marine Mammal Research Program – We will have interactive organ games where children & families can put the internal organs of dolphins and manatees in the correct spots. We will also provide take-home materials such as infographics and educational coloring sheets.
• Lynn Meadows Discovery Center – A child-appropriate activity focused on STEM, most likely relating to nature/the gardens to fit your space
• Hargrove Engineers –Their team will put together a Homopolar Motor, and participants will have the opportunity to put a kit together.
• Alabama Audubon – How to use binoculars. Build a bird.
• USCG Auxiliary – Table with info and examples of how to keep our waterways clean & how to stay safe in the water
• Honey of the Hill Apiary – Live observation honeybee hive. Honey tasting. Native pollinators education.
• National Weather Service Mobile – Interactive weather experiments & weather information
• Alabama Coastal Foundation –  Share the Beach turtle conservation activity
• Alabama Marine Resources – Activity books, swag, and handouts
• Mobile Urban Growers – Seed starting; display of garden curriculum; free seeds
• University of South Alabama/Dauphin Island Sea Lab – A hands-on introduction to submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV)—the “grasses” and other plants that grow completely underwater in our coastal waters. 
• Mobile County Public School System (MCPSS) – Participate in the Wildlife Crossing Engineering Challenge to create a wildlife crossing or bridge that could help animals safely move across a waterway or wetland habitat.
• Discovery Crew – To Be Announced
• Bishop State Community College – Computer simulations, preserved bio specimens, chemicals, flyers
• Mobile Local Section of the American Chemical Society – Chemical demos
• Food Trucks – Shaved Ice Paradise, Shux Y’all, Not Your Average Joe, Frank and Lola’s

And much more! From surprise activities to hands-on nature fun, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Cruise tickets are available while supplies last. Mark your calendar for a day of science, nature, and family fun.

Plan Your Visit

Don’t miss this opportunity to also stop by the Fall Plant Market and shop a vibrant selection of plants and garden-themed merchandise.

• Date: September 19th
• Time: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
• Location: Bellingrath Gardens & Home
• Purchase Tickets