Events, Activities and Programs at Headwaters Science Center

snake feeding

Always a big hit with guests, the snakes at HSC are fed every other Saturday at 3:00 pm. You are invited to observe this informative demonstration and learn about these interesting, but often maligned animals.

Why are they fed only every other week? What do they eat? How are snakes adapted allowing them to swallow food that just seems too big?

Please check the calendar to see the Saturdays scheduled for feeding the snakes and all other activities.

Robotics at HSC!
starts September 20, 2010

Once again Headwaters Science Center’s robotics squads competed in First Lego League’s Robotics Tournament. This project is a growing collaborative effort between HSC and Beltrami County 4-H, a most excellent benefactor and overall supporter through their SET (Science Engineering and Technology) program.

Lego robotics has 3rd through 9th graders designing, engineering, building, programming, and running robots and collecting points on an obstacle course with a mission in mind. This year’s challenge was “Smart Moves.” In addition to robotic performance; students addressed local transportation issues and displayed their findings along with robotic solutions in presentations delivered to regional judges.

Our first-year team, “Pigs Might Fly,” finished with silver medals in Division ll with many Division I team members. Congratulations! Our returning team, “Off in the Woods,” earned a first-place plaque for robotic performance, meaning their robot won in head-to-head competition with every other team in the Northern Minnesota Region. We are very proud of all their accomplishments and we salute their enthusiasm, for the “Off in the Woods” team has embarked upon an even greater challenge––deciding to build a robot from scratch!

We can always use help with these blossoming endeavors in the form of parts and expertise, for we need a guidance system, a reliable power plant, small powerful motors, and a mission. The new robot has the potential to be exhibited at the Beltrami County Fair in July. Contact James Owens at 444-4472 if you can assist us in our efforts.

Starlab

This is a portable planetarium where people observe the night sky at any time of the day! Learn about stars, constellations and planets and how they appear in the night sky on any day and hour of the year. With starlab, up to 20 star-gazers can study subjects ranging from constellations of different cultures, the positions and motions of planets, telling time with the stars, navigating by the sky, cycles of the sun and moon, the reason for seasons and other facets of astronomy. See the Starlab home page for detailed information. Ages 8 and up.