University boffins are staging a family fun day at their Dumfries campus this weekend.
But the bumper event at the Crichton Campus has a serious underlying message to highlight the threat of climate change and coincides with the COP26 UN conference in Glasgow.
The University of Glasgow, School of Interdisciplinary Studies, is bringing COP26 activities to Dumfries with an opportunity for the general public of all ages to become involved.
And the COP26: Climate Action in South Scotland is a free event this Saturday, November 6 at the Crichton University Campus running from 10am – 4pm.
And while COP26 runs in Glasgow until November 12, the University of Glasgow is providing a unique opportunity to bring the themes of the conference to a local audience.
Officials have collaborated with a number of organisations to provide an exciting event programme for all ages.
They include family activities throughout the day with interactive demonstrations and experiments led by university staff and students.
Moat Brae Story Weavers will engage, enchant and educate families with their creative performance plus a puppet show ‘SeedHeart’ by Indigo Moon Theatres tells a story of human impact on our once green planet.
Audiences are invited to watch as the story unfolds, literally, from a single suitcase and follow along as the main character ‘Grey’ takes us on a journey towards a better future with magical pop-ups, puppetry and interactive scenes.
The schedule also includes presentations from over 40 academic staff and invited speakers, as well as expert panel discussions and opportunities for attendees to have their questions answered.
Professor Carol Hill, head of school and director of campus, said “This event is the first opportunity for us to welcome our communities back onto campus since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We are delighted to offer such an exciting programme of speakers, interactive experiments and creative performances for attendees of all ages.”
Visitors are invited to participate in a range of practical demonstrations including ecosystem explorers and discover a hidden world of insects and their homes in all the green spaces; Picturing Polar Bears – an activity exploring the role of art, creativity and environmental humanities in conversations about climate change; creation of a bestiary – help to create an encyclopaedia of wildlife through identifying, photographing and drawing wildlife from the university’s Teaching Garden.
And visitors can also explore alternative energy sources, examine the long term storage of carbon in peat and discover the active role of soils in the carbon cycle.
There is also a flagship activity during the day with the planting of trees on campus giving an opportunity for visitors to leave a lasting legacy from COP26 in Dumfries.
Professor Hill added: “The School of Interdisciplinary Studies has a strong track record of welcoming visitors into the world of academia and inspiring future world changers.
“This event speaks not only to the current environmental and climate related challenges that we collectively face, but also to the opportunities that we have to take action.
People wanting free tickets can find further information at glasgow.ac.uk/cop26dumfries.
