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Connect with Nature at MODS

Connect with Nature at MODS
After donning a pair of butterfly wings, children can take part in a hands-on crafting experience where they can create their own butterfly wings from materials found in nature. (Photo courtesy of Museum of Discovery and Science)
After donning a pair of butterfly wings, children can take part in a hands-on crafting experience where they can create their own butterfly wings from materials found in nature. (Photo courtesy of Museum of Discovery and Science)

A new exhibit at the Museum of Discovery and Science encourages kids and their families to get their hands dirty while also getting in touch with nature. The Nature Explore: Outdoor Exhibit is the museum’s newest permanent exhibit and boasts a dual experience with two outdoor hands-on exhibits located at MODS and Flamingo Gardens.

 

“This is one of the most interesting exhibits we’ve worked on, and it was an exciting opportunity for us to collaborate with Flamingo Gardens, said Joe Cox, president and CEO of MODS. “Our aim was really to create this living dual hands-on learning landscape where guests of all ages, especially young children and their caregivers, can dig, build, explore, connect, and really learn about Florida’s native ecosystems in a truly immersive way.”

 

Nature Explore offers kids of all ages a chance to learn more about Broward County’s diverse wildlife and ecosystems while also aiming to inspire a love of nature in future generations through explorative outdoor activities, says Cox. With six different interactive and hands-on stations, kids can experience firsthand what makes Florida’s natural environment so incredible.

 

Guests and their families can participate in such activities as digging like a gopher tortoise, building a coyote den, and creating butterfly wings from materials found in nature, like leaves, seeds, and bark inspired by Florida’s native species. It’s through these experiences that MODS hopes to highlight the importance of protecting and conserving Florida’s diverse ecosystem, said Cox.

 

“When we’re talking about climate education and the impact these changes have on our world, you have to start by inviting children to get their hands dirty. Then once they’re engaged by this wonder and curiosity, those deeper themes become much more accessible. So, with this exhibit, we’re really focused on giving children the tools to be able to act and be part of the solution,” he says.

 

Guests can explore the companion experience – the Everglades Outdoor Classroom – at Flamingo Gardens, where they will learn about the Everglades, its native wildlife, wetland habitats, and the important role conservation plays in protecting these environmental landscapes. Together, the two exhibits present a dual look at the natural world around us, with MODS’ Nature Explore focusing on urban wildlife and habitats, and Flamingo Gardens immersing guests in the natural beauty of the Everglades and showcasing the incredible biodiversity of Florida’s wildlife.

 

But creating exhibits like these is ultimately about raising a generation that cares about the world around them, said Cox. “We’ve found that eco anxiety is a significant contributor to the mental health issues faced by many children. So, if we can help children build empathy for the natural world through discovery and play, we can reimagine climate education to focus on hope, action, and connection, instead of on fear,” says Cox.

 

In fact, MODS plans to add a third component to the exhibit next year at Hugh Taylor Birch State Park to continue its goal of supporting the efforts of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation by raising awareness about protecting and connecting with critical natural habitats in Florida.

 

IF YOU GO

WHAT: MODS Nature Explore: Outdoor Exhibit

 

WHERE: Museum of Discovery and Science, 401 SW 2nd St., Fort Lauderdale

 

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m., Sunday.

 

TICKETS: $28, adult; $26, senior 65-plus; $25, military; $23, children ages one through 12; free, children under 12 months. Members of the Museum of Discovery and Science are also admitted free. (Exhibit included with museum admission.)

 

INFORMATION: (954) 467-6637 or mods.org

 

At the Wildlife Corridor, guests can see up close how different plants grow at different rates and what’s going on below the surface in this earthy display. (Photo courtesy of Museum of Discovery and Science)
At the Wildlife Corridor, guests can see up close how different plants grow at different rates and what’s going on below the surface in this earthy display. (Photo courtesy of Museum of Discovery and Science)
As for those who want to get their hands dirty, the Dig Like a Tortoise experience also gives guests a chance to do just that and replicate a tortoise’s burrowing patterns at their own dig station. (Photo courtesy of Museum of Discovery and Science)
As for those who want to get their hands dirty, the Dig Like a Tortoise experience also gives guests a chance to do just that and replicate a tortoise’s burrowing patterns at their own dig station. (Photo courtesy of Museum of Discovery and Science)
At the Dig like a Tortoise experience, guests can learn about gopher tortoises’ burrowing habits and how their burrows benefit a lot of other animal species. (Photo courtesy of Museum of Discovery and Science)
At the Dig like a Tortoise experience, guests can learn about gopher tortoises’ burrowing habits and how their burrows benefit a lot of other animal species. (Photo courtesy of Museum of Discovery and Science)
As a part of the Clever Coyotes experience at the Nature Explore: Outdoor Exhibit, children and their families can see firsthand an example of what a coyote den looks like up close. (Photo courtesy of Museum of Discovery and Science)
As a part of the Clever Coyotes experience at the Nature Explore: Outdoor Exhibit, children and their families can see firsthand an example of what a coyote den looks like up close. (Photo courtesy of Museum of Discovery and Science)
Florida Butterflies encourages guests to flip through an informational guidebook to learn about the local butterfly population while also grabbing a pair of wings to become butterflies themselves. (Photo courtesy of Museum of Discovery and Science)
Florida Butterflies encourages guests to flip through an informational guidebook to learn about the local butterfly population while also grabbing a pair of wings to become butterflies themselves. (Photo courtesy of Museum of Discovery and Science)
Another interactive element of the Resident Birds experience allows guests to “sing like a bird” as well as learn about four different native birds and their distinctive vocalizations. (Photo courtesy of Museum of Discovery and Science)
Another interactive element of the Resident Birds experience allows guests to “sing like a bird” as well as learn about four different native birds and their distinctive vocalizations. (Photo courtesy of Museum of Discovery and Science)
The Resident Birds experience offers guests a chance to learn about Florida’s diverse bird population and how the state’s urban areas provide habitats for a variety of bird species. (Photo courtesy of Museum of Discovery and Science)
The Resident Birds experience offers guests a chance to learn about Florida’s diverse bird population and how the state’s urban areas provide habitats for a variety of bird species. (Photo courtesy of Museum of Discovery and Science)


This story was produced by Broward Arts Journalism Alliance (BAJA), an independent journalism program of the Broward County Cultural Division. Visit ArtsCalendar.com for more stories about the arts in South Florida.

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