After a chilly winter in Chattanooga, the world around us is beginning to reawaken. Dormant trees now pop with color as native wildflowers emerge from the ground. Those who are tuned in to the natural world have noticed the tiniest blooms and the growing choruses of songbirds and frogs. There’s a lot of amazing things going on outside, yet thanks to innumerable digital distractions to tempt their eyes and hog their attention, children today suffer from “nature-deficit disorder.” In a sense, they can’t see the forest for their screens.
Fortunately, as rampant as it is, this condition is easy enough to cure, says Dr. Brooke Gorman, the Director of Science Education at the Tennessee Aquarium.
“By getting them out in the world, you can really give them a different perspective on their lives and the world around them,” she says. “Connecting with nature is important because it helps us feel grounded and more relaxed. It helps us to step away from the screens and really engage with the world around us and with each other.”
On April 6, the Aquarium will host a Backyard Scientist night. This celebration of native plants and animals could be seen as a clinic for those suffering from nature-deficit disorder by teaching them to reconnect with and better appreciate the wilderness in their own backyard.
Attendees will join experts from the Aquarium’s education department (and a few native animal ambassadors) for a fun-filled evening focused on showcasing the interesting behaviors of fascinating wildlife found in the Southeast.
In addition to making and snacking on a tasty treat, participants will learn how to attract animals to their homes by making their yards more wildlife-friendly. Guests also will learn about the work being done by the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute, whose scientists seek to safeguard and further our understanding of Southeastern species like the Lake Sturgeon, Southern Appalachian Brook Trout, Alligator Snapping Turtle and Spotted Salamander.
Attending an early-evening screening of the newly released giant-screen film, The Wild Around You 3D, offers the ideal introduction to this celebration of native wildlife.
Directed and produced by Academy Award nominee and Emmy Award winner Andrew Young, the film presents stunningly shot, incredibly intimate scenes of animals living in and around the home of a typical American family suffering from nature deficit disorder. Using novel techniques — including miniaturized cameras, motion-control rigs, time-lapse and high-speed photography — filmmakers present incredible scenes of amazing natural behaviors, such as the daredevil leap of Wood Duck ducklings from their treetop nests to the legion-strong march of Spotted Salamanders toward their forest-pool breeding grounds.
The Backyard Scientists night runs 5-8:30 p.m. on April 6 and is free for Aquarium members. Tickets for non-members are $14.50 for adults or $9.50 for ages 3-12. Members can purchase add-on tickets to the 5 or 6 p.m.screenings of The Wild Around You 3D for $8. Non-member IMAX tickets are $11.95 for adults or $9.95 for ages 3-12.
For more information about Backyard Scientists night, visit https://community.tnaqua.org/events/member-programs/spring/2018/backyard-scientist-member-night. For more information about The Wild Around You 3D, visithttp://www.tnaqua.org/imax/the-wild-around-you-3d.