From the river to the sea and it's free

News

Staff Writer

Two special things are happening Saturday at the Museum of Science & History on the Southbank.

One is the annual “Water Education Festival” where visitors can learn about the wet world that Northeast Florida residents live in every day. The other is there’s no admission charge from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., as the festival is a partnership between MOSH, the City of Jacksonville and the St. Johns River Water Management District.

The centerpiece of the event is MOSH’s new “A-Mazing Sea” exhibit. The installation has been on tour since it debuted in 2004 and has also made stops at the Milwaukee Public Museum, the Maritime Aquarium in Connecticut and the Orlando Science Center.

The event will also feature booths set up by more than 30 local agencies and organizations that have as their missions the preservation of our natural aquatic resources.

The exhibit is exactly what its name implies: a maze based on answering questions correctly to discover the direction to turn to advance in the puzzle. Answer incorrectly and you reach a dead and and get a second chance to proceed.

Along the way there are interactive activities like reaching into an octopus cave to grab what the eight-armed cephalopods might enjoy for dinner. At another station, adults and children can climb into life-size sea turtle shells to gain a perspective on a marine reptile’s world. At another checkpoint, attendees can discover the differences between sea lions and seals.

While on the virtual trip below the sea, guests solve hands-on puzzles and flip-door quizzes that are educational for all age groups.

“We have found that kids in particular really enjoy simple things,” said Kristi Taylor, MOSH development manager. “We had a camp here last Friday and the chaperones said they had to pull the kids out of the exhibit.”

Taylor said several of the museum’s permanent displays also have an aquatic theme, making the festival a complete experience from the ground floor to the top.

While “A-Mazing Sea” is focused on the planet’s oceans, the booths focus on local issues. This year’s exhibitors include the St. Johns Riverkeeper, the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, The North Florida Land Trust, Watershed Action Volunteers and the Amelia Island Plantation Nature Center.

St. Johns Riverkeeper Neil Armingeon has been involved with the annual festival for the past seven years. He said it’s one of the things that gives him hope for the river’s future.

“The festival is a great way for people to learn not only about the river, but about many environmental issues,” he said. “People make decisions that affect the St. Johns River every day. We hope they realize they can do simple things to change how they live and protect our river.”

Christi Valeta, program administrator for the City’s Environmental Protection Board, agreed. In addition to providing hands-on activities and water-related crafts the EPB also collects a sample of water from the river near the museum and demonstrates how the City analyzes its quality.

“We have so much fun,” she said. “We hope everyone takes something away from their day at MOSH about what they can do to protect the quality of Jacksonville’s water.”

If you can’t be there Saturday, “A-Mazing Seas” will be exhibited until March 2. In its place will be the return of the animated dinosaurs that will take over MOSH for the summer.