Attendees at the ASU Annual Tempe Night of the Open Door on Saturday, February 25, got their hands dirty at the Center for Biodiversity Outcomes (CBO) booth. Guided by CBO Project Manager Amy Scoville-Weaver, NatureNet Fellow Kelly Gravuer and School of Sustainability graduate student Leigh-Ann Tower, kids of all ages participated in two fun, interactive activities designed to teach them about the natural world.

The first activity, under the careful supervision of soil expert Gravuer, gave kids the opportunity to pull plastic bugs out of a large bin of soil and win prizes for how many they “caught.” This activity was designed to teach children more about soil and the living things that support and depend on a healthy soil ecosystem. The second activity, a Living Landscapes game designed by Tower, asked children to determine which animals live in which landscape. Children were given the choice of a marine ecosystem in the Galapagos Islands and Yellowstone National Park. Prizes awarded included (fake) insects and snakes, as well as erasers and reptile-themed stickers.

“It is so wonderful seeing children learn about the wonders of the world not only surrounding them, but also the world beneath their feet,” said Scoville-Weaver. “We had over 500 prizes and we gave out just about all of them! They loved it.”

CBO looks forward to participating in Night of the Open Door in 2018.