NASA scientist Dr Darlene Lim drew a packed house at the Science in the Park event at Coolart Wetlands and Homestead, Somers on Sunday 11 August.
Described as a “rock star in the science world” Dr Lim spoke to a packed audience about her adventures to extreme Earth habitats and her role in Mars exploration. The homestead’s stables had to be been converted into an auditorium to accommodate the large crowd.
The event, part of National Science Week, was attended by many scientific organisations.
The Environment Protection Authority’s applied science division helped the children check the wetlands’ water quality using bottles on extendable poles.
The water they collected was poured into long test tubes to gauge its turbidity, and nets were skimmed across the water to see what bugs were living there. A good cross section of bugs shows a healthy eco system, which is what was found at Coolart.