A Living Science Exhibit Grows at a Museum

16 May 2012

This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

Outdoors, in the open air, seems like a natural place to study natural science. It also makes sense in a place like Southern California where people like to be outside a lot. Now the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County is working to bring the indoors to the outdoors for its visitors.

The museum has redesigned an outdoor space into a living exhibit. This is a big change for the one and a half hectare area. It used to include a parking lot. Now, instead of cars, it welcomes birds, butterflies and other living things.

EVA ENG: "What else do the plants need, Jaime?"

CHILDREN: "Sunshine!"

Teacher Eva Eng and her young students recently visited the museum's outdoor campus. Ms. Eng says they enjoyed their experience. The children were learning about plant science in school.

EVA ENG: "They really like hands-on things, getting their hands in the mud, and planting seeds, watering them, watching them grow."

Scientists who work at the museum come outside to describe plants and insects in the natural setting of this outdoor laboratory.

Greg Pauly specializes in studying turtles, like the western pond turtle. He tells the students how development has changed its natural habitat. He says these turtles are happiest around small bodies of water that grow and shrink with the seasons.