2016 Flag Fest of Science

More than 100 activities

• Flagstaff Star Party • Science in the Park • Research Innovation Series • SCI Talks • Landscape Discovery Expo • Field Trips • Archaeological Sites • ALL FREE

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT Dear Festival Goers, Science Enthusiasts and Lifelong Learners!

Welcome to the 2016 Flagstaff Festival of Science! What we call the “Best 10 Days of the Year” kicks off again with the Flagstaff Star Party at Buffalo Park on Thursday, Sept. 22 (a pre-festival bonus), and continues through Saturday, Sept. 24, featuring Brian Klimowski a variety of programs, interactive presentations, and fun activities focused around our 2016 theme “The Science of Change.”

In this year’s season of science, you’ll have the opportunity to explore the polar regions, experience the wonders of the cosmos, dive into the science of climate change and engage with fascinating speakers in our “SCITalks.”

As always, there are plenty of opportunities to explore the outdoors; for example, guided hikes and tours of archaeological sites are offered during the National Park Service’s centennial year. Also, the Babbitt Ranches Landscape Discovery Expo will celebrate 130 years of science on the Coconino Plateau with a festival within a festival at the Arizona Nordic Village on Highway 180 on Saturday, Oct. 1.

Our feedback has taught us that science learning is particularly impactful when students and scientists can meet one-on-one. That’s why we believe Flagstaff is so lucky to have local researchers who want to bring their world to the classroom and the next generation of discoverers during our In-School Presentations program.

How fortunate we are to have such a tremendous team of local scientists helping us every year bring the fun and wonder of science to the community of Flagstaff and Northern Arizona! I’d like to also acknowledge the efforts of our incredible Board of Directors to make this Festival possible and FREE for all!

It’s going to be another great year for the Flagstaff Festival of Science, and we can’t wait to see you out and enjoying it with us!

Sincerely,

Brian Klimowski Brian A. Klimowski, Ph.D. Board President 2

On the Edge In all his expeditions, just like rock climbing, Steger says he pushes himself to the edge of his ability.

“I have to be at my very best physically, mentally and spiritually.

If not, I won’t succeed or return.

And that’s where I get my greatest growth. It’s what separates me from most people. As the human race, we’re on the edge right now. We really have to start working together to solve this problem (climate change caused by human impacts).

It’s a very serious problem.

I can’t believe this has all happened in my life.”

Steger uses the Internet and his adventures to connect with school children – he’s interacted with millions – to bring attention to the changing environment.

At age 71, he is embarking on yet another journey with the Steger Wilderness Center. Set in a pristine boreal forest wilderness ecosystem, it’s a place for small groups to discuss impacts from climate change and chart a path to a future of clean energy and a low-carbon or no-carbon economy that will employ millions of people.

“The timing for the center is right on.

It will be in full steam in another two-to-three years. We won’t change the entire world, but I think there’s a big need to go to the wilderness in this type of a setting to solve some of these problems.”

Steger will bring his dramatic talk, “My Life as an Explorer,” along with his message of hope and empowerment to Flagstaff as the 2016 Festival’s Shoemaker Keynote Presenter.

He will share his extraordinary observations, compelling data and stunning photography at 7 p.m., Friday, Sept. 23, in Northern Arizona University’s Ardrey Auditorium.

Exploring by Dogsled, Kayak, Kite Skis Legendary polar adventurer brings changing environment to the classroom By Bonnie Stevens They call it sustainability now, but that’s just the way he wanted to live. From his off-the-grid cabin in far Minnesota near the Canadian border to his more than 50 years of wilderness expeditions, polar explorer Will Steger’s life journey has followed three main paths: a deep concern for the environment, a tireless expedition spirit, and a passion for educating others about human impacts on the planet.

“I’ve always had a good clean vision of where I was going,” he said. “I never had to question my focus; never found myself at a dead-end.”

A Call to Action But there was at least one major revelatory moment. “I crossed the Larsen Ice Shelf in 1989 (the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula). It took us 30 days to cross. I thought it was permanent. Then I was reading the newspaper in May 2002, somewhere on the 8th or 9th page, there was the headline, ‘Larsen Ice Shelf Disintegrates.’ That was my call to action. I left my home in the wilderness and started the Steger Foundation.”

The foundation, now known as Climate Generation, is designed to educate and encourage people to engage in climate change solutions. It also empowers emerging youth leaders to work toward a sustainable future. The

foundation was responsible for moving Minnesota into a clean energy economy that created jobs to support it.

“I’ve been on the ice when it was breaking up in the Arctic Ocean.

In Greenland in 2008, in the early summer ice was thawing at 7,000 feet, which is unbelievable. I’ve seen it (climate change) at the very beginning and all the runs in the polar areas you can’t do anymore, the ice isn’t there, which is pretty shocking. I feel I have a really intuitive perspective of what’s happening. I took my eyewitness account, shared the stories, and it captured people’s attention.”

Inspired by Huck Finn Steger grew up in a family of 10 children. He credits his parents for the freedom that he and his siblings enjoyed to follow their interests. He was captivated by National Geographic magazine and inspired by The Adventures of Huck Finn, his first book. At age 15, Steger recruited his 17-year-old brother to take a motor boat down the Mississippi River. “Our parents were really something to let us go!”

Steger started rock climbing at age 16 and kayaking at 17. “Nobody in Minnesota was kayaking. I was the only one out there and I did some very long expeditions at 17 – paddling the inside passage of Alaska, crossing the continental

Previous Page: Polar explorer Will Steger connects with students through the Internet and uses his expeditions to bring attention to the changing environment. “Science is nature, it’s fascinating,” he says. “Anybody who has an interest in STEM can make a career of it. That’s where the jobs are. My advice is to follow your dreams, listen to what’s in your heart.” Courtesy photo

Will Steger’s life journey has followed three main paths: a deep concern for the environment, a tireless expedition spirit, and a passion for educating others about human impacts on the planet. divide and into the headwaters to the Yukon and Arctic Circle.”

At age 19, he embarked on a 3,000-mile journey in the Arctic and by age 20, he had completed three “first descents” above 20,000 feet in the Andes.

He says he stayed in the city long enough to earn a college education, a bachelor’s degree in geology, and gain teaching experience. After three years as an educator in the public school system, he moved out to the remote community of Heley, Minnesota and started his own wilderness school. For 25 years, there were no roads leading in or out of his small town. Getting home required three miles by dogsled.

“I lived on $12,000 a year, cleared land, made gardens, used kerosene lights and did everything by hand,” he said.

Historic Expeditions Steger has traveled tens of thousands of miles on some of the most significant polar expeditions in history by dogsled, kayak and kite skis. Long-time Flagstaff

residents may recall Steger’s visit as the Festival’s original keynote speaker in 1990, after leading the first dogsled journey to the North Pole without re-supply. During the trip, he and his human and canine team members were sponsored

by W. L. Gore & Associates of Flagstaff, and outfitted in waterproof GORE-TEX® fabric.

In the early ‘90s, Steger conducted a whole series of winter expeditions by dog team including the first and only dogsled traverse of the Arctic Ocean from Russia to Canada. “We traveled by dogsled and hauled canoes until the ice broke up. Then we canoed the dogs out, paddling them over the open water, crossing Antarctica and finally arriving on the North American continent.”

He considers the dogs a very important, hard-working part of his team. “Life depends on them.

We are in very remote areas and a lot of times there’s no chance of rescue. We are relying on the dogs and there’s a special relationship, a mutual respect and caring for each other.”

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Researcher Chases Giant Prehistoric Reptile for Triassic Understanding

Arizonasaurus babbitti ruled the region 240 million years ago

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Courtesy Photo

museum has here is one of the coolest fossils ever. Trace fossils are really interesting because they are remains of a behavior. So this is the remains of animals walking through mud as these guys were wandering the flood plains probably looking for food in this warm subtropical environment.”

MNA Colbert Collections Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology David Gillette, Ph.D., says the footprints were discovered in Wupatki National Monument in 1973. “The Moenkopi is a really beautiful deep red sandstone and mudstone that formed along flood plains of ancient rivers and has preserved skeletons of these early archosaurs and a variety of important trackways.”

Named for James E. Babbitt, Berkeley researcher Sam Welles

By Bonnie Stevens identified and named the first-known remains of Arizonasaurus in 1947, At least 10 million years before branch of the archosaur family tree. in the region. “It’s absolutely an which were discovered on Babbitt dinosaurs ruled the world, very The dinosaurs, distant relatives of extraordinary time period. This Ranches land near Holbrook. It’s large and probably fierce reptiles Arizonasaurus (Arizona lizard), are is when the seeds of the modern believed he was led to the site by dominated the muddy coastal plains archosaurs that took a different faunas that we have today really Babbitt family members whose of what is now Northern Arizona evolutionary path and eventually started to appear. And Arizonasaurus relatives had been running cattle, and New Mexico. Scientists say gave rise to today’s birds. is part of that.” riding horses and operating trading Arizonasaurus babbitti, a primitive One of Arizonasaurus babbitti’s posts on the land since 1886. In his crocodile-like meat-eater, was Characteristics of a Ruling Reptile distinguishing characteristics is original publication documenting among the very first. Research into “The Arizonasaurus skeleton the fin on its back. “It had what the find, Welles wrote Arizonasaurus the 13-foot-long carnivore has shed started to solidify what these we call a sail. The protrusions on babbitti was named to honor “the light on the Middle Triassic age and early archosaurs looked like when the vertebrae, which make up late James Babbitt of Flagstaff, paleontologists believe the predator archosaurs really started to diversify,” the backbone, were lengthened Arizona, who has extended us many has more to tell. he said. “It’s the first glimpse of the to form long bony spines. There courtesies.” James E. “Jim” Babbitt Leading Arizonasaurus babbitti Age of Reptiles where they became would have been a big flap of skin was an Arizona state senator who expert, Virginia Tech University the dominant life form on our planet. over those to create this sail. And died in a 1944 hunting accident. vertebrate paleontologist Sterling It’s one of the earliest large reptiles probably these sails had something “It turns out that Arizonasaurus Nesbitt, Ph.D., continues to scour the that we know about (during the to do with thermoregulation, that is, babbitti is one of the earliest records Southwest looking for more of the Middle Triassic).” maintaining their body temperature.” of the major evolutionary lineage creature’s fossilized remains. A Mesa Although neither the tail nor limbs that, in time, would give rise to native, Nesbitt grew up hunting for have been found, Nesbitt believes Tracing Arizonasaurus babbitti today’s crocodilians and thus is really fossils with his parents in Northern the Arizonasaurus babbitti moved Footsteps important in evolutionary terms,” Arizona’s vast open spaces. In 2002, pretty low to the ground and was Unusually detailed footprints said Hans-Dieter Sues, Ph.D., senior while just a sophomore at University quadrupedal, meaning it walked of the large reptile, or something scientist and department chair of of California, Berkeley, he led a team on all fours, based on the shape of like it, are preserved in a slab paleobiology at the Smithsonian that found an almost complete the pelvic and shoulder girdles and of Moenkopi sandstone in the Institution’s National Museum of skeleton fossilized in rock that was what’s known about other relatives collections repository at the Natural History. “It was a large 240 million years old near Winslow. of the time. The tail is believed to Museum of Northern Arizona, predator that probably dominated Those remains – the skull, scapula, have made up half the length of the where Sadler has studied. the ecosystem in what is now the vertebrae and pelvic bones – became creature.

“What’s fascinating about this Southwest some 240 million years the biggest ever Arizonasaurus Paleontologist Christa Sadler track is that you can actually see ago. So an animal named after the babbitti discovery. The findings has written a book, Dawn of the the scales on the bottom of the Babbitt family played a dominant role helped fill in the early evolutionary Dinosaurs, about the archosaurs animal’s foot, which is amazing,” in Arizona even before the Age of the chapter about the crocodilian of the Middle and Late Triassic she said. “So the slab that the Dinosaurs!”

“The Babbitt family has always been really supportive of the sciences and the arts and education in this region, so I think it’s really appropriate to have one of these early, very important fossils named after that founding family of Arizona,” said Sadler.

Nesbitt’s Arizonasaurus fossils are at the Arizona Museum of Natural History. He says he can’t wait to get back to his home state for more research into Arizonasaurus babbitti, the Moenkopi Formation and the Age of Reptiles.

Creature Featured at Expo Arizonasaurus babbitti along with other creatures of the Triassic age, plus space exploration, golden eagles, the black-footed ferret and rare plants will be part of the Babbitt Ranches Landscape Discovery Expo from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 1, at Arizona Nordic Village on Highway 180, 15 miles north of Flagstaff.

SUPERNOVA FRIENDS

GALACTIC FRIENDS Charlot M. Root

Molly and Joseph Herman Foundation

STELLAR FRIENDS Drs. Robert and Sheila Edgar

Maury Herman and Karen Kinne Herman

McClanahan Family Fund

Kenneth and Mary Ellen Mylrea

PLANETARY FRIENDS Arizona Snowbowl • Charles and Dolores Biggerstaff • Coconino Center for the Arts • Coconino Community College Flagstaff Unified School District • Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce • Joy Cone • KAFF/The Mountain/93.5/AM 930 Flagstaff Country 103.7 Eagle Rocks • KOLT/Rewind/TheWolf/The Big Talker Radio • The Q 102.9/Sunny 104.7 and 100.1 • Pepsi Cola Bottling Co. of Flagstaff Rocky Mountain Research Station

COMETARY FRIENDS Bryan and Barbara Bates • Flagstaff Eye Care • Byron and Jennifer Hayes • Paul and Deborah Holbrook • Brian A. Klimowski, Ph.D. • Brandon and Mackenzie Lurie The Kahl Family • Pilkington Advertising Design • The Jim St. Leger Family • Bonnie Stevens • Greg and Alicia Vaughan • W. Leibfried Environmental Services

COSMIC FRIENDS Steven and Jackee Alston • Arizona Cactus Pine Girl Scouts • Arizona Historical Society Arizona Natural History Association • Arizona Science Center • Arizona SciTech Festival Andy Barnett • Bruce Bayly • Mindy Bell and Darrell Kaufman • Joseph Bodin Joelle Clark • Coconino Astronomical Society • Coconino Lapidary Club • Coconino Plateau Watershed Partnership • CocoNuts • Cristen Crujido • Alyssa Deaver • Glenn Dunno • Rachel Edelstein • Elden Pueblo Project • Winnie Ennenga • Kathy Farretta Flagstaff Area National Monuments • Flagstaff STEM City • Flagstaff Watershed Protection Project • Friends of Camp Colton • Friends of Rio de Flag • Vicky Foster Grand Canyon Association • Grand Canyon Trust • Grand Canyon Youth • Samantha Gorney • Greater Flagstaff Forests Partnership • Habitat Harmony • Moran Henn Kachina Peaks Avalanche Center • Mary Lara • Lisa Leap • David Lovejoy • Marine Awareness & Conservation Society • Kevin and Elyse Mullins • Jean Myers • NAIPTA Roger Nelson • Deb Noel • North Country HealthCare • Northern Arizona Audubon Society • Petrified Forest Museum Association • Physics Factory • Pine Forest School Wayne and Helen Ranney • Brad Roberts • Jim and Linda Snook • Southwest Monarch Study • Brenda Strohmeyer • The Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics (MGGen) • The Wonder Factory • Tyrell Chevrolet Cadillac • University of Arizona Health Sciences Library • Verde Valley National Monuments • Willow Bend Environmental Education Center • Jillian Worssam

FLAGSTAFF MEDICAL CENTER’S

2016 FANTASTIC VOYAGE Part of the Flagstaff Festival of Science

NAHealthcare

Noon – 4 p.m. • Saturday, Sept. 24 Flagstaff Medical Center • 1200 N. Beaver Street Fantastic Voyage is a free, family-friendly event featuring fun displays and hands-on activities centered on healthcare and the mysteries of the human body.

Guardian Air’s helicopter will be available from noon to 2 p.m. for kids and families to see up close.

For more information,

call

639-6086

NAHealth.com 5

Scientists: Heroes in the National Park Service

SCI Talks Available on the Web By Brandon Lurie

Thermal activity detected at makes local science readily available Yellowstone National Park; carbon to students in Flagstaff and beyond.”

Yosemite’s immense Firefall crowds cycling and climate change; the This year’s line-up features four trampled meadows so thoroughly transformation of Killip Elementary local speakers and topics: they are still recovering, even School into a STEM center; and, the though the last gathering was power of creativity in science and Terrestrial Carbon Cycling almost 50 years ago. art are the topics of the Festival’s and Climate Change Rangers have implemented many Deborah Huntzinger, PhD., NAU SCI Talks.

Like TEDx Talks, SCI changes, but the real heroes are the School of Earth Sciences and Talks (Science. Communication.

Environmental Sustainability scientists whose research revealed Innovation.) are designed to the changes were necessary. George Monitoring Thermal Activity intensely captivate audiences for a Wright conducted the agency’s at Yellowstone very short period of time. first wildlife survey from 1929–1932, Greg Vaughan, Ph.D., The first SCI Talks, premiered USGS Astrogeology Science Center funding it with his own money. His during the 2015 Festival, took research established science as the Killip: A STEM School basis for preservation in the national audience members on a journey Ted Komada, Killip Elementary of catastrophic events that have parks and first recommended shaped our solar system to The Art of Science against feeding wildlife. Adolph Jeffrey Hall, Ph.D., dangerous pathogens in Northern Murie researched wolves at Denali Lowell Observatory and coyotes at Yellowstone, shaping Arizona. Videos of those talks are wildlife management policy at both available on the Flagstaff Festival of The 2016 SCI Talks are scheduled Science web page (scifest.org) and parks and throughout the service. for 6:30 p.m., Friday, Sept. 30, at the YouTube page, made possible by Working for the U.S. Geological Coconino Center for the Arts. Doors Peak Audio, Echo Productions and Survey, Clarence Dutton led studies open at 6 p.m., and like all Festival W. L. Gore & Associates. that affected the Grand Canyon events, SCI Talks are free and open Bob Lunday of Gore said he is and Crater Lake. American novelist to the public. “excited to be part of a team that Wallace Stegner wrote of him, “Dutton is almost as much the genius loci of the Grand Canyon as (John) Muir is of Yosemite.”

Scientists are still at work in the National Park Service. Climatologists measure global climate change at Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve in Alaska.

Geologists study the earth at Hawaii Volcanoes, Sunset Crater Volcano, Part of the Flagstaff Festival of Science and Yellowstone. Biologists work 6 - 8 p.m. / Friday, September 30, 2016 to understand how light pollution CCC Lone Tree Campus Commons affects wildlife at Big Bend.

Archeologists work with Native Work with live ants and spiders American leaders to protect ancient in the CCC science labs. Test your skills in chemistry, physics, biology, pueblos throughout the Southwest. astronomy and geology. The first As the National Park Service 100 participants who complete the celebrates its Centennial, rangers Jr. Scientist Labs will each receive hope you will take time to enjoy their one free magnifying glass! programs. As you enjoy their stories, While supplies last. See greeters table for remember the scientists whose details at Coconino Community College. relentless pursuit of knowledge forms their foundation.

Look for National Park Service Flagstaff Lone Tree Campus www.coconino.edu guided hikes, exhibits and open 2800 S. Lone Tree Rd., Flagstaff, AZ 86005 928.527.1222 • www.coconino.edu houses during the Festival.

By Case Griffing

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The National Park Service turned 100 years old this year.

When people think of the special places the agency preserves, flashes of the iconic park ranger accompany mental images of majestic landscapes. He might be at a scenic overlook, smiling as he talks of ancient pueblos or primordial glaciers. Perhaps she is on a horse, patrolling the forested backcountry, flat hat perched resolutely atop her head. These are the rangers most visitors encounter during holidays at America’s parks.

What many do not see, though, are the myriad of scientists hard at work in the background. Their research informs every aspect of park management, from resource preservation to evening campfire talks.

When Congress founded the National Park Service in 1916, the national parks idea was still relatively new. Rangers had little to guide them. The Organic Act that birthed the agency stated they were to promote and regulate the parks, “to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”

But what did that mean?

During the agency’s early history, rangers provided for enjoyment by attracting grizzly bears to garbage dumpsters. Visitors were awed by up-close wildlife encounters. At Yosemite, rangers promoted parks by pushing bonfires off Glacier Point.

The Firefall was so popular it thrilled hundreds of families each summer night.

Today, of course, we know these early policies were harmful. Feeding bears endangered both them and the visitors who came to watch.

The Best 10 DAYS of the Year!

Pre-Festival Bonus Flagstaff Star Party 6 – 10 p.m.

Thursday, Friday, Saturday Sept. 22, 23 & 24, Buffalo Park Explore Flagstaff’s famous dark skies with astronomers, telescopes and workshops!

Presentations at 6 and 6:45 p.m. each day.

Friday, September 23 Unfrozen 7 p.m., NAU Ardrey Auditorium Warm up to the polar regions as the NAU Community Dance Academy sets the temperature for the Shoemaker Keynote Presentation!

Shoemaker Keynote Presentation: My Life as an Explorer Will Steger, Polar explorer 7 p.m., NAU Ardrey Auditorium By dogsled, kayak and kite skis, legendary polar explorer Will Steger takes us to Earth’s most remote places and offers his eyewitness account of our changing planet. Bring the family for a memorable evening of compelling images, empowering messages and hope for generations to come. Free tickets at the door for first-come, first served. Or pick up or print out tickets in advance through the NAU Central Ticket Office (nau.edu/cto; 928-523-5661).

Campus Sky Viewing 7:30 – 10 p.m.

NAU Campus Observatory If the sky is clear, explore the universe through the Barry Lutz telescope.

Saturday Sept. 24 Protecting our Home from Asteroids!

Open Daily, Flagstaff Public Library Downtown Find out how and why scientists are keeping a close watch on asteroids!

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument Open House 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Hwy 89, 12 miles north of Flagstaff Tour one of the youngest lava flows in Northern Arizona. Observe volcano demonstrations and explore the hands-on activities! Junior Ranger activities are available all day.

Walnut Canyon National Monument Open House 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., I-40, Exit 204 Walk through layers of time and see ancient pueblos. Junior Ranger activities are available all day.

Wupatki National Monument Open House 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Hwy 89, 37 miles north of Flagstaff Get to know the civilization that farmed and traded in the high desert. Ranger programs and Junior Ranger activities available all day.

Fort Valley Experimental Forest Station Open House 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., Coconino National Forest Learn about the pioneering history of forest research. Join scientists in a BioBlitz to collect data at the Experimental Forest.

Joy Cone Tours: The Science of High Altitude Cooking 9, 9:30, 10 and 10:30 a.m.

2843 W. Shamrell Blvd.

See how ice cream cones are made, learn about the chemistry behind the high altitude recipe and enjoy a special treat at the end of the tour! Participants must be older than 5. For every two children, at least one adult must be present. Reservations required, 928-774-0225.

Volcano Hike 10 a.m. – Noon, Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, Hwy 89, 12 miles north of Flagstaff Experience the Discovery Hike with a National Park Service scientist! Learn about the last eruption of the cinder cone, see its unusual features and step across ancient lava flows. For reservations call 928-526-0502.

Science in the Park 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Wheeler Park Sharks, solar flares, big trucks, GORE – we’ve got it all at the park!

Fantastic Voyage Noon – 4 p.m.

Flagstaff Medical Center This kid-sized health fair offers an amazing journey into the inner workings of the body!

Planet Water 3 – 4 p.m.

Flagstaff Public Library Downtown Dive into the science behind one of the coolest chemicals on the planet: WATER! Presented by the Arizona Science Center. For ages 7-12. Registration required, 928-213-2381.

Flagstaff Star Party 6 – 10 p.m., Buffalo Park Explore Flagstaff’s famous dark skies with astronomers.

Presentations at 6 and 6:45 p.m.

Hypatia’s Math 7 p.m., Coconino Center for the Arts Through dance, music and theater, FALA students tell the story of a young woman in Roman Alexandria who struggles to share her gift for mathematics in a troubled time.

Composition for Forests 7:30 p.m., NAU Ashurst Hall This musical collaboration between artist Shawn Skabelund and pianist Janice ChenJu Chiang explores the issue of catastrophic fires occurring more frequently because of fire suppression and climate change. Pick up or print out free tickets in advance through the NAU Central Ticket Office (nau.edu/cto; 928-523-5661).

Free event parking near venue.

Campus Sky Viewing 7:30 – 10 p.m.

NAU Campus Observatory If the sky is clear, explore the universe through the Barry Lutz telescope.

Sunday Sept. 25 Lava Tube Hike 9 a.m., Coconino National Forest Explore the underground world created by an ancient lava flow! Call for reservations, 928-606-6653.

Chasing Butterflies 9 a.m., Red Rock State Park Find out what researchers have learned about the colorful monarch butterfly through the Southwest Monarch Study. Park admission is free with a Passport from 8 – 11 a.m. Reservations required, 928-282-6907.

Picture Canyon Guided Hike 9 - 11 a.m., Coconino National Forest Meet at El Paso Flagstaff Road parking area Join in a three-mile hike and see petroglyphs and wildlife of this critical riparian area. Bring binoculars, hiking shoes, a hat, sunscreen and water!

Hart Prairie Preserve Nature Walk 10 a.m., Meet at Fort Valley Plaza Shopping Center, SW corner Explore a lush alpine meadow and learn about its animals, wildflowers and a rare willow. Bring hiking shoes, a hat, sunscreen and water! No pets.

Elden Pueblo Public Day 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Coconino National Forest Participate in excavations, artifact analysis, primitive technologies and hunting games. Bring water, a hat and your sense of discovery! Tours start at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m.

Homolovi IV Pueblo Guided Tour 10 a.m., Homolovi State Park 61 miles east of Flagstaff, Exit 257 to Hwy 87 Caravan 12 miles (1/4-mile is dirt) to a rare view of Homolovi IV, the oldest of the pueblos. Hike is an easy 1/3-mile walk on uneven ground.

Reservations required, 928-289-4106.

Playing with Atoms 1:30 p.m., East Flagstaff Community Library Find out how Galileo and others used drama to explain earthshattering scientific discoveries and ideas.

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Sunday Sept. 25 continued Forests, Fires and Watersheds Field Trip 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.

Meet at Thorpe Park softball field/ dog park parking lot Join the Flagstaff Watershed Protection Project and learn about threats to our forests and how we can work together to protect watersheds and the community.

Be prepared with hiking shoes, weather-appropriate clothing, water and your love for nature! For reservations, call 928-213-2500.

Hypatia’s Math 3 p.m.

Coconino Center for the Arts Through dance, music and theater, FALA students tell the story of a young woman in Roman Alexandria who struggles to share her gift for mathematics in a troubled time.

Campus Sky Viewing 7:30 – 10 p.m.

NAU Campus Observatory If the sky is clear, explore the universe through the Barry Lutz telescope.

Monday Sept. 26 Preschool Express 10 – 10:30 a.m., East Flagstaff Public Library We’ve got stories, creative movement and music to explore everyday science. For ages 4-5.

Science of Sound 2 – 3 p.m., Flagstaff Family Food Center, 1903 N. 2nd St. Explore the science of sound with representatives from STEM City Center and Orchestra Northern Arizona. Play some musical instruments and make some happy sounds!

LEGO™ Club 3:30 – 4:30 p.m., Flagstaff Public Library Downtown Let your imagination run wild!

Design and build your own creations with Legos™. Grades K-8.

Earth’s Changing Surface David Shaffer, Ph.D., Lowell 4:50 p.m.

Lowell Observatory Scientists are measuring earthquake motion, continental drift and changes in the length of the day caused by seasons, winds and tides. Find out how and what they’re learning!

BASIS Flagstaff Open House 5 – 6:30 p.m., BASIS Flagstaff 1700 N. Gemini Drive Participate in LAB activities, meet teachers and check out the science curriculum for grades 3-12.

Mars Rovers: Ever-Changing Views of the Red Planet Ken Herkenhoff, Ph.D., USGS 5:25 p.m., Lowell Observatory Our local Mars Rover expert shares the latest news and images from hard-working robotic rovers Opportunity and Curiosity.

Teen Cafe: Ice, Ice Baby!

Jillian Worssam, educator 5:30 p.m., Bookmans Join us for pizza and an interactive introduction to the Cryosphere, the frozen places on planet Earth. From the Arctic to the Antarctic, terrestrial and aquatic, learn about these frigid ecosystems!

Improving Wildlife Tracking Using Ambient Energy Michael Shafer, NAU 6:30 p.m., Museum of Northern Arizona Learn how researchers are harvesting energy from the environment to power the wildlife tracking tags used to study marine animals like seals, whales, sharks and turtles.

Beyond the Grass Roots Nancy Johnson, Ph.D., NAU 6:30 p.m., NAU Cline Library No need to travel to another planet, there is an unexplored world right under your feet.

Discover the wild and diverse communities of soil organisms that help keep the planet alive!

Composition for Forests 7:30 p.m., NAU Ashurst Hall Chasing Butterflies This musical collaboration between Gail Morris, Southwest artist Shawn Skabelund and pianist Monarch Study Janice ChenJu Chiang explores the 4:15 p.m., Lowell Observatory issue of catastrophic fires occurring For years, the Southwest was a more frequently because of fire monarch mystery. Find out what suppression and climate change. researchers now know after tagging Pick up or print out free tickets in more than 14,000 of these beautiful advance through the NAU Central butterflies.

Ticket Office (nau.edu/cto; 928-523-5661). Free event parking near venue.

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Preschool Express 10:30 – 11 a.m.

Flagstaff Public Library Downtown We’ve got stories, creative movement and music to explore everyday science. For ages 4-5.

Tuesday Sept. 27 LOCKs Preschool Astronomy 10 – 11:30 a.m.

East Flagstaff Community Library 3000 N. 4th St. Lowell Observatory Camps for Kids (LOCKs) Preschool introduces young minds to astronomy through hands-on activities. Parent attendance and participation is required.

Toddler Tales 11 – 11:30 a.m.

Flagstaff Public Library Downtown Your toddler will delight in this special time for science stories, songs and games. For ages 2-3.

Fires and Floods Brown Bag Lunch Talk Noon – 1:30 p.m.

Flagstaff Aquaplex Community Room Find out how the Flagstaff Watershed Protection Project is reducing the risk of unnaturally devastating wildfires and flooding, and working toward community wildfire resilience. Bring your lunch and love of learning!

BioBlitz!

3 – 7 p.m., Frances Short Pond Help us find as many species as possible to help the city manage and protect the pond! Hands-on data collection starting at 3 p.m.

Educational talks at 6 p.m.

Busy Fingers 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.

Flagstaff Public Library Downtown Join us for science-themed stories and crafts! For ages 3 and up.

Crafty Corner 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.

East Flagstaff Public Library Enjoy a fun-filled afternoon of science-themed crafts. For ages 5-13.

Left in the Mud Annie Lutes, SWCA 4:15 p.m., Lowell Observatory Find out how floods have preserved and uncovered ancient footsteps that reveal how prehistoric families lived and farmed in Southern Arizona.

Become a Pilot!

4:30 – 6:30 p.m., Flagstaff Aviation 1016 W. University Drive Find out what it takes to become a pilot for fun, work, a career or the military! For ages 15 and above.

Register at flgslugs.com and click on “Private Pilot Groundschool” or call 928- 433-6097.

Dissecting 101: What’s Inside Life?

3 – 4:30 p.m.

East Flagstaff Public Library Dissect owl pellets, frogs and sheep eyes! All materials are provided. Reservations required, 928-606-6653.

Bison Bones Chrissina Burke, Ph.D., NAU 4:50 p.m., Lowell Observatory From teeth marks on ancient bison bones, archaeologists are learning about the relationship between humans and carnivores, like mountain lions, wolves and grizzly bears, that has developed over thousands of years!

Forest Changes Neil Weintraub Kaibab National Forest 5:25 p.m., Lowell Observatory Learn how prehistoric cultures, pioneers, fire and our drying trend have transformed the ponderosa pine forest over time.

Family Movie Night 6 – 8 p.m.

East Flagstaff Public Library Join us for a free science-themed movie and popcorn! Movies are rated G or PG. All ages welcome.

Book Club: The Martian 6 p.m.

Flagstaff Public Library Downtown Pick up a copy of The Martian at local libraries. Our guest speaker will guide us through the story’s major themes of change.

Mesozoic Wupatki Ben Rizner, NPS 6:30 p.m., Museum of Northern Arizona Explore the fossils of dinosaurs and reptiles captured in the landscape of Wupakti National Monument. Hear about the latest discoveries from the area!

Wednesday Sept. 28 Toddler Tales 10 – 10:30 a.m.

East Flagstaff Public Library Your toddler will delight in this special time for science stories, songs and games. For ages 2-3.

Oh, How Our Weather Changes!

4:15 p.m.

Brian Klimowski, Ph.D., NWS Lowell Observatory From the microseconds it takes for lightning to strike, to the year-long cycles of El-Niño and the variation of climate observed through decades, we’ll be taking a look at Northern Arizona’s changing weather and what lies ahead. And yes, we’ll answer the question, “What happened to last year’s big El Niño?”

Grand Falls Dune Field: Change is Blowing in the Wind Timothy Titus, Ph.D., USGS 4:50 p.m., Lowell Observatory Find out how the sands of change are effecting a local dune field and what that could mean for Mars!

A Tale of Two Bacteria and One City Heidie Hornstra O’Neill, MGGen 5:25 p.m., Lowell Observatory Two bacteria – Staph and C. Diff – cause infections that can be difficult to treat. Researchers are studying the germs’ DNA in Flagstaff.

Worm Composting Workshop 6 p.m., East Flagstaff, Public Library Composting with worms is fun, odorless and produces a great soil fertilizer! Learn how to house, feed and grow worms – you could win a free worm bin!

Family Evening Storytime 6 – 6:30 p.m.

Flagstaff Public Library Downtown Enjoy science-themed stories, songs and activities for the whole family. All ages welcome.

Eye on the Sky Gerard van Belle, Ph.D., Lowell 6:30 p.m.

Museum of Northern Arizona Learn about the Navy’s Precision Optical Interferometer and the science being done with it.

Regenerative Medicine: Replacement Skin (RI) Robert Kellar, Ph.D., NAU 6:30 p.m., NAU Cline Library Learn how our skin heals, what happens with diseases that prevent healing and how scientists are using artificial skin patches.

Super Metal Saving Lives Parik Kumar and Chris Lasley W. L. Gore & Associates, 4:15 p.m., Lowell Observatory Find out about the super elastic alloy, nitinol, and how it’s being used in medical devices to save or enrich lives.

Composition for Forests 7:30 p.m., NAU Ashurst Hall This musical collaboration between artist Shawn Skabelund and pianist Janice ChenJu Chiang explores the issue of catastrophic fires occurring more frequently because of fire suppression and climate change. Pick up or print out free tickets in advance through the NAU Central Ticket Office (nau.edu/cto; 928-523-5661).

Free event parking near venue.

The Martian 4:30 p.m., Flagstaff City Hall Watch the PG-13 movie, The Martian, with a scientific eye. Then come to The Martian Panel for a discussion at 4 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 1, at the USGS.

Thursday Sept. 29 Toddler Tales 10:15 – 10:45 a.m.

Flagstaff Public Library Downtown Your toddler will delight in this special time for science stories, songs and games. For ages 2-3.

Preschool Express 11 – 11:30 a.m.

Flagstaff Public Library Downtown We’ve got stories, creative movement and music to explore everyday science. For ages 4-5.

LOCKs Preschool Astronomy 1:30 – 3 p.m.

Flagstaff Family Food Center 1903 N. 2nd St. Lowell Observatory Camps for Kids (LOCKs) Preschool introduces young minds to astronomy through hands-on activities. Parent attendance and participation is required. For ages 3-5.

LEGO™ Club 3 – 4:30 p.m.

East Flagstaff Public Library Let your imagination run wild in LEGO™ Club! Design and construct your own science-themed creations! For grades K-8.

Picking up STEAM 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.

Flagstaff Public Library Downtown Learn about some crazy fun science stuff, then apply it to a craft or experiment! For ages 8-18. = Early Childhood = After School Series at Lowell = TT Twilight Talks at MNA = Research Innovations Series at NAU

Changing Landscapes and Climate Through Time: Evidence from Rocks and Ice Wayne Ranney, Geologist 4:50 p.m., Lowell Observatory Find out how geologists learn about our changing climate from rocks and ice.

Changing Martian Landscape Jennifer Hanley, Lowell 5:25 p.m., Lowell Observatory Though Mars today is very dry, some scientists think it was once warm and wet enough to have oceans. Learn about the changing Martian climate!

Global Croplands Pardhasaradhi Teluguntla, Ph.D. and Jun Xiong, Ph.D., USGS 6:30 p.m.

Museum of Northern Arizona Learn how scientists use satellite images to assess the health of croplands that feed the world.

Hearing Loss: Discovering New Therapies O’neil Guthrie, Ph.D., NAU 6:30 p.m., NAU Cline Library Find out about the biology of hearing loss and hearing disorders, and the promising research for a cure.

Friday Sept. 30 STEM in the Community 1 – 3 p.m.

NAU Center for Science Teaching and Learning Join community leaders and Science Foundation Arizona for panel discussions about STEM mentoring and moving forward the vision of training 100,000 STEM teachers in the next 10 years (100Kin10). The effort is aimed at strengthening Arizona’s workforce, businesses, economy and future.

To register, email moreilly@sfaz.org.

Recycling Center Tour 3 – 4 p.m.

Materials Recovery Facility 1800 E. Butler Ave. Follow the journey of paper, cardboard and other recyclable items! Reservations required, 928-779-1745, or sign up online, willowbendcenter.org.

Code Club 3 – 4:30 p.m., Flagstaff Public Library Downtown Love gaming? Learn to create games, apps and websites. All skill levels welcome. For ages 8-18.

Our Changing View of Ceres Michael Bland, Ph.D., USGS 4:15 p.m., Lowell Observatory As NASA’s Dawn mission is completing its investigation of the dwarf planet, Ceres, find out what’s surprising astronomers.

The Origin of Meteor Crater Kent Colbath, GKC Geoscience 4:50 p.m., Lowell Observatory Ideas about the origin of Earth’s best preserved impact crater were originally highly controversial. We’ll create our own impact craters and dig into the messy details of how science gets done!

GoBabyGo and Other Engineering Solutions Sarah Oman, Ph.D., NAU 5:25 p.m., Lowell Observatory Find out how engineers are using their creativity to help babies with physical disabilities explore their world. See how they are designing solutions for local artists and others.

CCC Science Celebration 6 - 8 p.m., Coconino Community College Lone Tree Campus Work with live ants and spiders in the CCC science labs. Test your skill in chemistry, physics, biology, astronomy and geology. The first 100 participants will receive a magnifying glass!

Bats Battling Change Jason Corbett, Bat Conservation International 6:30 p.m.

Museum of Northern Arizona From the forest to the desert, bats are facing an ever increasing array of issues from habitat loss to climate change. Hear about these often misunderstood mammals.

Campus Sky Viewing 7:30 – 10 p.m.

NAU Campus Observatory If the sky is clear, explore the universe through the Barry Lutz telescope.

SCI Talks

6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Coconino Center for the Arts Be energized by four, 15-minute SCI Talks (Science.

Communication. Innovation.)

Terrestrial Carbon Cycling and Climate Change Deborah Huntzinger, PhD., NAU School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability Monitoring Thermal Activity at Yellowstone Greg Vaughan, Ph.D., USGS Astrogeology Science Center Killip: A STEM School Ted Komada, Killip Elementary The Art of Science Jeffrey Hall, Ph.D. Lowell Observatory

Saturday Oct. 1 Protecting our Home from Asteroids!

Open Daily Flagstaff Public Library Downtown Find out how and why scientists are keeping a close watch on asteroids!

Willow Bend Environmental Education Center Science Saturday 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., 703 E. Sawmill Road Take a tour of the sustainable building and xeriscape gardens, participate in hands-on activities and visit booths.

Landscape Discovery Expo 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Arizona Nordic Village, Hwy 180, 15 miles north of Flagstaff Babbitt Ranches invites you to celebrate 130 years of discovery on the land, including golden eagles, black-footed ferrets, SP Crater, space exploration, ancient cultures and a giant prehistoric reptile, Arizonasaurus babbitti! Enjoy music, presentations, exhibits and short hikes!

Self-Guided Coconino County Sustainable Building Tour 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Start at Willow Bend 703 E. Sawmill Road Tour local homes and buildings that showcase ways to reduce water, energy and carbon emissions.

Explore high density and urban infill, local materials, rainwater harvesting and solar photovoltaics!

National Weather Service Open House 11 a.m. – 5 p.m Camp Navajo Army Depot Bellemont, I-40, Exit 185 Learn how meteorologists forecast Arizona’s exciting and challenging weather, and how climate change may impact our future. Witness a weather balloon launch at 1 and 4 p.m.!

Keyhole Sink: Prehistory to Now 1 – 3 p.m.

Kaibab National Forest Meet at Oak Hill Snow Play Area Visit a prehistoric rock art site on this easy, guided hike and see how the forest has changed over time. Reservations required, 928-522-3287.

NAU Science and Engineering Day 1 – 4 p.m., NAU Science and Health Building Watch drones in action, check out what 3D printers can make, generate wind and water energy or hold live insects! Free parking behind NAU’s Cline library.

The Martian Panel 4 – 5:30 p.m., USGS, Building 3 Conference Room Interact with Mars explorers from the U.S. Geological Survey and Lowell Observatory as they review the movie, The Martian, and consider what it really would be like to travel to the red planet and what the challenges would be!

Powell’s Archaeologists Dennis Gilpin PaleoWest Archaeology 7 p.m.

Riordan Mansion State Historic Park Hear the story of two young men who were the first to study the architecture of ancient pueblos in the Southwest. Learn about their journey with explorer John Wesley Powell and their friendship with the Riordans.

Campus Sky Viewing 7:30 – 10 p.m.

NAU Campus Observatory If the sky is clear, explore the universe through the Barry Lutz telescope.

For program updates and changes, visit us on Facebook and scifest.org 9

Sunday Oct. 2 The Arboretum at Flagstaff Fall Open House 9 a.m. – Noon, 4 miles south on Woody Mountain Road Bring the entire family out for some fun with science in the forest. This event will feature crafts for kids, scavenger hunts and tours of research gardens and learning centers.

Scenic Science Chairlift Starting at 10 a.m.

Arizona Snowbowl Soar above the forest on the Agassiz chairlift to 11,500 feet! Meet a Ranger at the top to learn about the visible volcanic field, rare alpine tundra and wildlife of the San Francisco Peaks.

Call to reserve one of 50 free chairlift tickets (limit 2 per party), 928-779-1951.

For directions and information, visit www.ArizonaSnowbowl.com.

Altered States and Dates: NPS Centennial Symposium 1 – 3:30 p.m.

Museum of Northern Arizona Hear about the latest research on volcanos, wildlife, archaeological sites and artifacts at the Flagstaff Area National Monuments (Sunset Crater Volcano, Walnut Canyon and Wupatki National Monuments) as the National Park Service celebrates 100 years and its long-standing collaboration with the museum!

Pioneer Museum Open House 1 - 4 p.m., Hwy 180 See the Arizona Historical Society’s Pioneer Museum, built in 1908 to be the Coconino County Hospital for the Indigent and the County Poor Farm. Check out the primitive medical tools, and learn how to make rope!

Lowell Observatory Open House 5 – 10 p.m., Mars Hill Stargazing, hands-on experiments and SlipherVision astronomy will amaze the whole family!

The Eagle and the Archaeologists Erik Berg, Grand Canyon Historical Society 7 p.m., Riordan Mansion State Historic Park Hear the story of Charles and Ann Lindbergh who traveled to the remote Four Corners region on a secret project in 1929 to help locate and map prehistoric sites and geologic features from the air.

Campus Sky Viewing 7:30 – 10 p.m.

NAU Campus Observatory If the sky is clear, explore the universe through the Barry Lutz telescope.

10

Chasing the Monarch through Arizona As the jewel of the butterfly world, monarch butterflies are best known for their amazing long distance migration. But little was known about the mighty monarch here in Arizona. In fact, for many years it was believed that Arizona had no monarchs or a limited number at best. Those of us who live here knew that monarchs not only migrate through our state, they also breed in native milkweed habitats throughout the area.

More than 400 citizenscientists have grabbed their nets and trekked through swampy meadows and rocky mountain terrains tagging and monitoring monarchs in the Southwest, mostly here in Arizona, for the Southwest Monarch Study. Despite

thoughts to the contrary, thriving populations of monarch butterflies arrive each spring and summer and begin to lay eggs on Asclepias subverticillata, Horsetail Milkweed, and other milkweeds at Buffalo Park in Flagstaff and other nearby locations.

Through tagging, the myth of the Rocky Mountains as the great divide between eastern and western monarchs dissolved.

The recoveries (and sightings) of monarchs tagged in Arizona have been primarily in Mexico and a few in California. So far only monarchs tagged in Southeast Arizona have occasionally been spotted in California. Their flight was found to be linked to winds at 1,000 feet.

Recently, a monarch tagged in

By

Gail Morris

Camp Verde was found in Mexico, a a marathon flight two thirds longer than if it had flown to the California coast!

By tagging monarchs this fall we can learn more about where they migrate from Flagstaff and Northern Arizona.

We also learned that monarchs in Arizona are healthy, with only 4.5 percent infected with the protozoa Ophryocystis elektroscirrha (OE), rather than the predicted 30 percent.

To learn more about monarch butterflies, join the After School Talk at Lowell Observatory at 4 p.m., Monday, Sept. 26.

Prepare to be BioBlitzed!

During the BioBlitz, scientists expect to test the pond for acidity, dissolved oxygen and nitrate.

“We will be looking for and counting macroinvertebrates and expect to find threadworms and pouch snails, nematodes, and crayfish, among others,” said Willow Bend Environmental Education Director Moran Henn.

“We will count and identify birds, including blackbirds, hummingbirds, osprey and ducks, of course. The best part is we do not know exactly what we will find and we need as much help as we can get to discover as many species as possible!”

The BioBlitz, 3 – 7 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 27, at Frances Short Pond is organized by Willow Bend and the Rocky Mountain Research Station.

It’s funded through a grant from the National Geographic Society.

Here’s the BioBlitz schedule: 1 – 4 p.m., School Programs Fourth graders from participating schools can get their hands dirty collecting data and getting a close-up look at the local environment.

3 – 6 p.m., Community Program Families and residents can participate in a hands-on cleanup service project.

6 – 7 p.m., Educational Talks Researchers will give short presentations about the wildlife, plants and history of the pond, as well as share information about other citizen science projects.

illustration by Nobu Tamura

A BioBlitz is an outdoor event that focuses on finding and identifying as many species as possible in a specific area during a short period of time. A BioBlitz also is known as a biological inventory of the plants, animals, fungi and other organisms that live in a particular place.

The Flagstaff BioBlitz is designed to provide a field exploration experience for tomorrow’s scientists and lifelong learners while helping the City of Flagstaff understand more about the Frances Short Pond so managers can keep it healthy into the future. School children will have the opportunity to spend the afternoon outdoors with researchers collecting important scientific information about water quality, insects, birds, plants, fish, invertebrates and mammals.

By Brenda Strohmeyer

Babbitt Ranches & Landsward Foundation present

Landscape Discovery Expo

9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. • Saturday, Oct. 1 • Arizona Nordic Village • All activities FREE Space Exploration • Prehistoric Creatures & Cultures • Rare Wildlife

Discovering Tomorrow’s Landscape www.babbittranches.com Hwy 180, 15 miles north of Flagstaff

By Eric Dieterle

Two futuristic technologies that have swept into everyday life demonstrate the speed of science and engineering as transformative forces.

Drones, not so long ago the stuff of science fiction, have become commonplace and easily obtainable.

And 3D printing is quickly entering the mainstream as lower costs and higher availability are bringing it out of the lab and into public use.

At Northern Arizona University, researchers have been using drones—unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, to some—to study the landscapes of forests and sand dunes, and now will pursue more elusive data. NAU researchers have been awarded a National Science Foundation grant to develop an unmanned aerial vehicle to find animals in the wild that are carrying tiny transmitting tags. The technology has potential to vastly improve the ability to track small wildlife.

“Better and faster is what we are shooting for,” said Michael Shafer, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, who is named on the NSF grant with Paul Flikkema, professor of electrical engineering, and Carol Chambers, a forestry professor and wildlife biologist.

“We will help these wildlife trackers do their jobs and improve information gathering. Instead of using hand or pole-mounted antennas, we will put them on a UAV that can go up hundreds of feet and leverage the three-dimensional flight capabilities to more easily locate the radio tag signals,” Shafer said.

NAU’s drone technology capabilities for tracking wildlife will turn the UAV into a virtual pole that

can fly hundreds of feet in the air and replace or augment handheld poles currently used to pick up radio tag signals.

Wildlife biologists have an easier time studying larger animals because they use GPS-enabled tags. Those sensors are usually too heavy for bats, birds and other small animals, which need small, specialized radio-transmitting tags.

“We are developing a new UAV that is not available anywhere commercially,” said Flikkema. “We think the technology is a great synthesis of a mobile platform with sophisticated electronics and software that together can help find and track small animals.”

While such highly specialized drone technology is out of reach to the public, NAU’s latest venture into 3D printing will bring that powerful tool to everyone. Fittingly, you can find it at a library.

Cline Library on the NAU campus has been awarded funding to establish the MakerLab, which will offer 3D printing, 3D scanning and other maker tools to everyone at NAU and in the Flagstaff community.

“This is a brand new space that is a large-scale 3D printing environment,” said Kathleen Schmand, director of development and communications at the library.

“We expect to have more than 10 standard printers, large-scale printers and scanners.”

Attendees at the NAU Science and Engineering Day from 1-4 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 1, will be able to see the drones and 3D printing on display, making them witnesses to technologies that once lived only in the imagination.

For program updates and changes, visit us on Facebook and scifest.org 12

ParTn er wiTh The fesTival of scien ce

TheStarflagstaff Party 1/4 star Party TonighT’s forecasT - Star clouds, with scattered meteor showers and winds of wonder! See ancient light from stars and galaxies trillions of miles away with your own eyes!

e h T T e e m sTars!

every nighT -

Telescope and naked eye viewing from 6-10pm

Thirty telescopes with night sky guides, and beautiful star-filled dark skies in the First International Dark-Sky City!

TonighT ’s feaTured asTronomer is...

Thurs 22 - Dr. Jeff Hall (Lowell) “A Walk Around our Stellar Neighborhood” Fri 23 - Dr. Nick Moskovitz (Lowell) “Asteroid Impacts and How We Are Avoiding the Fate of the Dinosaurs” Sat 24 - Dr. David Koerner (NAU) “Discovering New Worlds”

at Buffalo Park Weather permitting No pets please

d n a n a c u o y “ Bel ieve .” e r e h t y a w f you’re hal BCBS - 1/4

-Theodore Roosevelt

Education is the bridge to bright futures and a strong community.

That’s why we proudly support Flagstaff Festival of Science for connecting and inspiring the citizens of Northern Arizona with the wonders of science and the joys of scientific discovery. Your commitment to education means a brighter future for all of us.

243304-16

Flying into Future Dimensions

Increasing Engineering Creativity by Designing for Disabilities

By Sarah Oman, Ph.D.

Creativity. Innovation. These are the cornerstones of 21st Century technology. Companies look to hire the most creative people in order to produce the most innovative products. Creativity sells.

Engineering companies are constantly seeking the most creative graduates to hire. This is what mechanical engineering students are learning at Northern Arizona University through classes like Engineering Design: The Process and Senior Design.

What happens when you aren’t creative? The truth is many believe they are not creative but, in reality, everyone can be creative! Just problem like muscles, people can train the creative centers of their brain in fun and entertaining ways.

In the mechanical engineering design courses, students learn how to exercise their creativity by solving unique problems as teams. One of the most effective ways to connect student creativity with real-world problem solving is through the Designing for Disabilities curriculum.

Students are able to meet with their clients face-to-face and understand how their designs can make a lasting impact on others.

One program incorporated into the Designing for Disabilities curriculum is called GoBabyGo, which modifies standard children’s ride-on cars into vehicles that children with disabilities can use.

Many children that have little to no lower extremity capabilities are unable to control where they

go until age 5, when they finally qualify for a motorized wheelchair.

Through the GoBabyGo program, these children can gain the freedom of mobility and be able to interact with family and friends in the most awe-inspiring ways for the first time in their lives. This is something that those without disabilities typically take for granted. But no longer will the NAU students involved in GoBabyGo take it for granted. They are able to gain hands-on design experience and use their new-found creativity to change the lives of those who truly need it.

As well as GoBabyGo, solving. engineering students are gaining experience designing products that help adults with disabilities through a partnership with the Hozhoni Foundation in Flagstaff.

Senior capstone teams are creating assistive devices for the art program such as an adaptive easel for indoor and outdoor use both standing and sitting.

Through the combination of Designing for Disabilities and learning creativity, students are embracing a change in science learning. They are bettering the world, one life at a time.

To see the GoBabyGo vehicles and experience these creative learning exercises, attend the presentation, “GoBabyGo and Other Engineering Solutions,” during the After School Series at 5:25 p.m., Friday, Sept. 30, at Lowell Observatory.

The Designing for Disabilities curriculum at NAU connects

STUDENT

CREATIVITY with real-world

Voting begins September 30th!

NAU Pres 1/4

www.azdailysun.com/Bestof

13

Oct. 1

1 pm – 4 pm

2016 NAU SCIENCE & ENGINEERING

DAY the Science of Change

Pioneering Astronomers Explore Mars from Flagstaff

By Kevin Schindler

NAU Science and Health Building

Presentation NAU Pres OfficeKeynote 1/2 Will Steger Vertical | Sep. 23 7 pm

Ardrey Auditorium My Life as an Explorer

Sep. 23 – 25 Campus Sky Viewings Sep. 30 – Oct. 2 NAU Observatory 7:30 pm

Oct. 1 Engineering Open House

9 am-12 pm

Building 98C (RM. 101)

College of Engineering VPR Research Innovations Series (all are located in Cline Library)

Sep. 26 Nancy Johnson, Ph.D. 6:30 pm

Beyond the Grass Roots: Journey to an Unknown Frontier

Sep. 28 Robert Kellar, Ph.D. 6:30 pm

Regenerative Medicine: Replacement Skin

Sep. 29 O’neil Guthrie, M.S., 6:30 pm Ph.D., CCC-A

Hearing Loss: Discovering New Therapies

Parking is complimentary in P13, P1A and other nearby lots

For more information e-mail Alyssa.Deaver@nau.edu NAU is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution/92729_07.16

14

“Mars”, John Updike wrote in a 2008 essay, “has long exerted a pull on the human imagination.”

Nowhere has this been more palpable than in Flagstaff, where generations of scientists from Percival Lowell and E.C. Slipher of yesteryear to Nadine Barlow, Ken Herkenhoff, and others of today have blended elements of observation and inspired interpretation to further our understanding of the Red Planet.

A recent addition to Flagstaff’s family of Martian mavens is Jennifer Hanley, who is looking at how water has shaped the Martian landscape. Her research is patently important because it builds on our understanding of Mars and its evolution. But it also has much wider-ranging applications, from learning how the presence of water on Earth may change over time to questions about life in the solar system.

For several years, Hanley has been combining spectral observations, laboratory experimentation, and computer modeling to study certain types of salts present on the Martian surface. This work set the stage for observations of Mars made with the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO).

The startling results from MRO, announced last fall, showed that seasonal dark flow streaks on the Martian surface contain perchlorates, a type of salt that forms in water; this evidence indicates that liquid water exists on Mars.

This news made headlines

around the world and Hanley is now working to further characterize the perchlorates while trying to decipher the role of water on Mars. She said, “We know that there was evidence of water on the surface at some point, but how much was there and where did it go? The presence of these perchlorates allows us to start answering these questions.”

Hanley earned her doctorate degree in space and planetary science from the University of Arkansas in 2013. She then carried out research at the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder before landing a five-year Hendricks Fellowship at Lowell. She said she loves the novelty of science. “You’re working on something that no one on Earth has an answer to, doing something that no one has ever done before. And you get to answer a question that maybe no one even thought to ask.”

In John Updike’s 2008 essay, he observed, “Mars has become an ever nearer neighbor, a province of human knowledge. Dim and fanciful visions of the twinkling fire planet have led to panoramic closeups beautiful beyond imagining.”

Perhaps never has this been more true as Henley continues a long tradition of Mars study.

Jennifer Hanley will share her research and its implications during the After School Series. Experience the “Changing Martian Landscape” at 4:50 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 27, at Lowell Observatory.

Surprising Findings at Area Monuments Revealed at Symposium

By Gwenn M. Gallenstein

The Altered States and Dates: NPS Centennial Symposium will feature the latest research and findings from scientists at the parks. Discoveries include solar markers at Wupatki that potentially change scientists’ understanding of what people were doing in the northern part of the monument. Also, cardon dating is dispelling some mysteries at the museum.

NPS Centennial Kayci Cook Collins, Flagstaff Area National Monuments

Endangered Voices: Acoustic Monitoring of Mexican Spotted Owls at Walnut Canyon National Monument Mark Szydlo, Flagstaff Area National Monuments

Different Houses: Defensive and Ceremonial Centers of the Ancestral Puebloans in Wupatki National Monument David Purcell, Museum of Northern Arizona

Transformed! Rehousing, Conservation, and Analysis of Walnut Canyon and Wupatki National Monument Archaeological Textiles Rachel Freer Waters, Museum of Northern Arizona

Basket Cases: Recent Carbon Dating on Two Flagstaff Area National Monuments Baskets Gwenn Gallenstein, Flagstaff Area National Monuments States of Confusion and the Eruption of Sunset Crater Volcano Kirk Anderson, Ph.D., Museum of Northern Arizona

Youthful Terrain: Landforms and Features of Sunset Crater Volcano Paul Whitefield, Flagstaff Area National Monuments The Altered States and Dates: NPS Centennial Symposium is scheduled for 1 – 3:30 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 2, at the Museum of Northern Arizona.

W.L. Gore 1/4

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Our medical milestones touch lives every day in positive ways.

Stop by the Gore booth at the 2016 Festival of Science

Science in the Park

Saturday, September 24 10 am–2 pm • Wheeler Park Explore exciting hands-on demonstrations and activities that you won’t want to miss!

W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. I Flagstaff, AZ 86004 I goremedical.com GORE® and designs are trademarks of W. L. Gore & Associates. © 2005-2016 W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. AV1180-EN1 SEPTEMBER 2016

AV1180EN1.FOS2016_TabAd.indd 1

The World’s Most Accessible Dark Skies The satellites have looked, scientists have measured, and recent news from the New York Times to Scientific American magazine gives the sad diagnosis: four out of five Americans cannot see the Milky Way from their homes.

The beauty, wonder and inspiration brought by the view of a river of millions of stars is fading from our lives. But Flagstaff has the medicine needed for this

malady. Though nearly 80,000 people live in the Flagstaff area, pretty much everyone can see the Milky Way! Even downtown, its misty light arches overhead in the summer and fall.

40 million implants.

Countless lives touched.

9/7/16 3:39 PM

By Chris Luginbuhl

Flagstaff has worked hard for more than 50 years to protect its starry nights, leading the way worldwide with effective standards to protect the night.

Simple things like shielded yellow lights have done wonders here: the benefit is plain to see – star filled skies throughout most of the city, at nearly everyone’s home!

Let the ancient light from distant stars stream into your eyes from the world’s most accessible dark skies! The Flagstaff Dark Skies Coalition invites you to meet the stars at the third annual Flagstaff Star Party, from 6 – 10 p.m., Sept. 22 – 24, at Buffalo Park.

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1890

1894

1900

Percival Lowell founds Lowell Observatory.

1920

1912

1910

V.M. Slipher discovers evidence of the expanding universe.

1930

Image: Joe Llama/Lowell Obs./NSF

Over 120 Years of Science and Discovery in Flagstaff, AZ www.lowell.edu | (928) 774-3358

1940

1930

Clyde T Tombaugh discovers Pluto.

1950

1960

1970

1977

1980

Bob Millis, LLarry asserman, and Peter Wasserman, P Birch discover rings around Uranus.

Image: K Keck Observatory

1990

2000

2012

Lowell’s owell’s Discovery Channel Telescope T sees first light.

2010

2020

2015

The New Horizons spacecraft makes its closest approach to Pluto. Lowell astronomer Dr. Will Grundy is a co-investigator of the mission.

Image: NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI