Annual Open House

The Florida Integrated Science Center's 11th Annual Open House and Earth Science Day for Fourth Graders

"Understanding Climate" is the theme for the 2009 Open House. Scientists will share how plants, animals and rocks give us clues to understanding the earth's climate secrets. Hands-on exhibits provide an opportunity to learn about the many ways climate affects the world around us.

Come learn how scientists:

• track the yearly travels of a manatee,
• map our coastlines to help us understand how storms rearrange our beaches,
• rely on plants to tell us about rainfall trends
• use tiny plankton as an historical record of climate change
• create state-of-the-art maps using lidar
• understand hazards such as droughts, floods, hurricanes, volcanoes, and tsunamis.

Learn about how climate change can affect sea level, coastal ecosystems, coral reefs, native reptiles, invasive species, wetlands, water availability, native fisheries and more. Through scientific understanding society will be better prepared for climate change and natural hazards.

The USGS will host more than 40 interactive booths that highlight USGS science activities and also those of many of our community partners.

The event will take place on two days at the Florida Integrated Science Center St. Petersburg Office:

Friday, November 6, 2009, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Annual Earth Science Day for Fourth Graders
This date is reserved for registered 4th Grade teachers and their students. For more infomation, see the letter for 4th grade teachers. To register online, go to: Teacher Registration.

Saturday, November 7, 2009, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Open House for the General Public and Educators
The general public is welcome and a special exhibit will feature free educational resources.

Fore more information, download and print the Open House Flyer (1.7 MB PDF, you will need Adobe Acrobat® Reader)

For descriptions of example Open House exhibits from past years, please visit Exhibit Descriptions.

For more information, or to plan a VIP tour, please contact: Ann Tihansky (727) 803-8747 ext. 3075

For directions, see Driving Directions to the St. Petersburg Office.

Parking for the USGS Public Open House is provided in University of South Florida Parking Lot 17, located on the north side of 6th Avenue South, directly across the street from the USGS building. NOTE: all other University of South Florida parking lots will require a hang tag or permit. Parking may also be available along the street.

Past Open House Events:

2008 - No Child Left Inside
read about this event in the Sound Waves article, "Florida Integrated Science Center’s 10th Annual Open House—Scientists Out and About Sharing Science"

2007 - The Pulse of Earth Science
read about this event in the Sound Waves article, "The Pulse of Earth Science Is Strong at the USGS in St. Petersburg, Florida"

2006 - Be a Citizen Scientist!

2005 - Geoscientists Explore our Earth!
read about this event in the Sound Waves article, "Fourth-Graders Explore the USGS Center in St. Petersburg, Florida"

2004 - Living on a Restless Earth: Natural Hazards and Mitigation
read about this event in the Sound Waves article, "Florida Center Celebrates Earth Science Week and 125 Years of USGS Science"

2003 - Eyes on Planet Earth: Monitoring Our Changing World
read about this event in the Sound Waves article, "USGS Celebrates Earth Science Week with an Open House in St. Petersburg, FL"

2002 - Water is All Around You
read about this event in the Sound Waves article, "Fourth Annual Open House in St. Petersburg, FL, Sets New Records"

2001 - A Science Odyssey
read about this event in the Sound Waves article, "Open Houses Held in St. Petersburg Celebrate Earth Science Week"

2000 - Science for a New Millennium
read about this event in the Sound Waves article, St. Petersburg Hosts Second Annual Earth Science Week Open House"

1999 - Advances in Earth Science
read about this event in the Sound Waves article, "St. Pete Center for Coastal Geology Holds Two Events to Celebrate Earth Science Week"