Project WildLife
Do you know how many wild creatures there are in the world? Can you remember their names? If you don’t, you may want to stop by the Project WildLife booth at this year’s San Diego Science Festival!
Project WildLife is a non-profit volunteer organization established in 1972. Throughout the San Diego County, Project WildLife provides emergency first aid, long-term treatment, and veterinary care to over 11,000 wild creatures each year. They help a lot of wild creatures, such as marine mammals, reptiles, pets, or domestic animals and so on. On their website (http://www.projectwildlife.org) you can take a look at their photo gallery, where there are many awesome pictures of the wildlife creatures. They also have some advice on what to do when you see wildlife animals, how to help them, and descriptions of their basic behavior. With this advice, people can get a sense about how to help Project WildLife take care of the wild land. San Diego is a beautiful place for wildlife creatures, and we should learn how to live with them and protect them.
Project WildLife has school program and private and community group program for kids and the general public. Volunteers bring educational animals to classrooms or the public to send out a message about the importance of conserving habitats for wildlife. As the description on the webpage states, the mission of Project WildLife is to promote wildlife conservation by teaching children and adults about the beauty and value of our wildlife. Project WildLife has many different volunteer options: hotline volunteers, event and fundraising volunteers, education volunteers, or care center animal assistants. If you want to get involved, you can learn more about volunteer opportunities at their upcoming orientation. Your help is very important!
The 2010 San Diego Science Festival is also a great way to connect with Project WildLife. Their booth will showcase live animals and wildlife conservation. Please come to the expo day March 27th for more information about Project WildLife.
GRID Alternatives
Hello! It’s Ellen.
This time I wanted to write about GRID Alternatives. GRID wants people to learn about solar energy and how it works. They also want to inform people about the Solar Affordable Housing Program, which gives free and low-cost systems to qualifying low income homeowners. Furthermore, they also hope to recruit volunteers programs such as solar energy — harnessing the sun’s energy to produce free electricity for families. Those at GRID think it’s important that people know the potential the sun has for producing renewable energy for the entire earth. They will have various items such as a suneye which shows the sun’s strength anywhere in the world at anytime. They will also have a solar oven that can heat things up using the the sun as power. In addition, they will have information about volunteering with them and qualifying for their affordable solar program.
GRID believes making energy choices that are good for the environment can go hand-in-hand with improving the lives of those living in low-income communities. The work collaboratively with communities and local organizations to identify specific needs and to develop renewable energy solutions that are environmentally, socially and economically sustainable. Their vision of sustainable development centers on community involvement, and their focus and expertise lies in using renewable energy and energy efficiency to provide solutions to the challenges facing low income individuals and families.
Be sure to check out their booth on expo day!
J. Craig Venter Institute booth
Hi everyone, it’s Ka Wai again. This time I am going to talk to you about an Expo Day booth by the J. Craig Venter Institute. The J. Craig Venter Institute is a non-profit company pioneering genomics research, founded by J. Craig Venter, Ph.D. I am sure many of you would ask, why study the genomics of organisms? Genomics is studied because when you know how organisms function, then you can utilize them in natural ways to enhance their functions.
The booth is catered towards people older than middle school and there will be three different events at the booth. They are all designed to show the audience how genomics can be used to better understand organisms in the environment, which can help us improve the human condition and minimize our carbon footprint.
First they will be displaying sediment batteries. These sediment batteries use sea marsh to produce electricity. The microbial fuel cells that will be displayed have been allowed to grow for a couple of months and the two fuel cells that have been growing for more than a year can make a measurable amount of electricity.
The second event will be focus on Wingrasky columns. These columns are made from the same sea marsh that was used in making the sediment batteries. The Wingrasky columns are used to see the dynamic microbial environment present.
Lastly, there will be microscopes on display. The microscopes will be used to help the audience visualize some of the microbes that are present in the columns and to see other organisms.
So how can this science be applied into everyday situations? This research can aid the development of systems to use sludge as a food source to generate water and power.
Go to the San Diego Science Festival Expo Day and check the J. Craig Venter Institute booth!
Ka Wai LIN
NanoTecNexus
I have always been fascinated with understanding how things worked. As a kid I could remember taking apart my toys to see how they worked. So there was no surprise that I went into the field of engineering at UC- San Diego. For a little background about myself I am originally from Los Angeles, California, to be exact the city of Hawthorne. Currently I am senior majoring in mechanical engineering. The study of how things work still fascinates me like it did then, but now I realize that I must focus on certain subjects that highly interest me. Of those interests, nanotechnology and its’ applications are among them. The new research in nanotechnology has astonishing potential: new cancer treatment methods that do not involve radiation, quantum computing (), and new super strength composite materials. The list goes on and on. Recently I have written a patent that is based on current nanotechnology research. That is why I am looking forward to the San Diego Science Festival, in particular the NanoTecNexus nanoplooza exhibit.
The exhibit will be all about exploring the field of small things, nanotech. The exhibit will feature games, fun experiments and other fun activities. NanoTechNexus hosted an exhibit at the San Diego Science Festival last year and are excited about returning for a second year. NanoTecNexus works with all fields of nanotechnology from bio-medical applications to manufacturing of nano sized machines. The exhibit sounds really interesting to me and should to you also. Want to learn about super tiny machines that can travel inside you and fix you from within, or perhaps a super computer made of super tiny particles that can “think” faster then any computer that already exists, or how about using nanotechnology to climb on walls Spiderman style! By visiting the NanoTecNexus booth you can learn about all these cool things and much much more!
Us other folk that are more interested in applying one’s knowledge or skills to the field of nanotechnology should visit the booth as well. NanoTecNexus will be explaining the current career opportunities that exist in the fields of nanotechnology today and also you can learn more about NanoTecNexus as a company and any possible job opportunities. For more information of NanoTecNexus please visit http://www.nanotecnexus.org/nanobionexus/home.html
Can’t wait to see you all there!
Signing off,
Daniel Gomez
San Diego Herpetological Society
Hello! It’s Ellen again.
For this article, I chose to write about the booth offered by San Diego Herpetological Society. The San Diego Herpetological Society provides a hands-on interaction and education program with a variety of reptiles and amphibians, including snakes, lizards, tortoises and frogs — both common and endangered species! Reptiles are hypo-allergenic creatures. They are good for disabled and special needs guests and participants of all ages.
As one of the nation’s oldest herpetological societies, SDHS is an organization that has proudly served San Diego County for over 31 years. They work with public and private schools throughout San Diego, environmental education programs, city park and recreation departments, scouting & youth organizations, community programs, humane societies, utility companies, State Fish and Game, Lagoon Conservancy Organizations, Special Education groups and more in the education of the public regarding both indigenous and exotic species of reptiles and amphibians.
They participated in the San Diego Science Day Expo last year, and were packed the entire day. San Diego Herpetological Society even had participants following them out to the parking lot as they packed up at the end, so catch them while there’s plenty of time!
The Art Institute
My name is Leonela Serrato and I am a senior at the University of California, San Diego. My major is Art History and my minor is General History. I enjoy outdoor events as well as science related topics, which is why I have an interest in the San Diego Science Festival. I was unable to attend the festival last year, but I’m planning on going this year and I think it will be great!
When I started looking at the booth list for the festival, I was very confused to read about the Art Institute’s presence. Don’t get me wrong, I’m an art history major and have a unique appreciation for the arts, but I wasn’t sure how it would work.
However, now that I understand more about the booth, I think it will be very popular at the festival!
Students from the Art Institute will be showcasing art projects that present different science concepts. For example, if you look through any science book you have at home, you’ll discover that there’s a lot more art in there than you thought! The pictures and diagrams that help express scientific concepts are all art. Of course, that is one very basic relationship between science and art, but it’s a good place to start.
I am personally really interested in this booth not just because I’m an art history major, but also because I went to art school myself and know the difficulties that come with creating art with an agenda. I attended Cal Arts in the summer of 2005, and was overwhelmed by the fact that art is a very demanding field and often deals with varying subjects. Knowing this gives me an insight as to how much work will be going into this booth and makes me want to visit it even more.
Everyone who visits this booth should visit it with open eyes and open minds. Nothing is what it appears to be, and these students are going to make you change your perspective on the relationship between art and science, as well as the various ways art can be used to explore different avenues. The possibilities are endless and the excitement is building!
Helen Woodward Animal Center
Do you love animals? Have you ever thought about adopting a pet? If the answer is yes, I’m sure you’ll love the booth offered by the Helen Woodward Animal Center. The Helen Woodward Animal Center is a unique, private, non-profit organization in San Diego County. For more than 30 years, Helen Woodward Animal Center has strived for animals’ welfare. Each year, their adoption program finds homes for nearly 3000 cats and dogs.
If you want to adopt a pet, please visit their website http://www.animalcenter.org. They have posted success stories, pets of the week and some pictures and basic information about adoptable cats and dogs. The center also provides people an opportunity to be a temporary foster parent. The center’s website offers many reasons why animals may need fostering: some are too young for adoption, some need a home in which to recover after a medical procedure, some are pregnant or nursing, and some need more socialization. Being a foster parent is very important to the Helen Woodward Center, since they have limited space for animals. If you become a foster parent, you are helping more orphaned animals have a place at the shelter. Once you become a foster parent, you will learn how to take care of and respect animals. Your love will prepare them for their new home.
Helen Woodward Animal Center has many different programs, such as the Therapeutic Riding program and The Pet Encounter Therapy (P.E.T.) program. The Therapeutic Riding program allows children and adults who have disabilities to excite their minds. Students can ride a trained horse with certified instructors in a weekly session and improve their abilities and confidence. Similar to the Therapeutic Riding program, the P.E.T. program allows animals to enrich people’s lives. In this program, animals send love and hope to abused children’s shelters, hospitals, psychiatric facilities, and senior centers. People in these facilities will be more optimistic about life from animal mental therapy. How lovely!
Besides all that, the Helen Woodward Animal Center has many events and programs for kids. If you want your kids to learn more about how to love and respect animals, the center’s Education Program is a great option. This program reaches more than 22,000
children in San Diego County each year and more than 1,500 kids join the Summer Critter Camp. If you are really interested in their program and you want your child to learn more in this summer, here’s your chance now! At the 2010 San Diego Science Festival, the Helen Woodward Animal Center incorporates animal science into the mission of teaching respect and compassion for animals. For their booth at the festival, the center will be bringing a few animals to allow children to interact with them, and they will promote their Summer Critter Camp, which is humane education and science based.
There is no place like the Helen Woodward Animal Center on earth! Please come to the 2010 San Diego Science Festival and visit their booth. Let’s spread a belief that “animals help people and people help animals” all around the world.
Hey my name is Mark Borden and I am a senior at Sixth College at the University of California at San Diego. 
Originally, I hail from the San Francisco Bay Area from a city called Belmont. When coming down to San Diego for school, I had no idea what I wanted to study or do after graduating. One of the first classes I took here was a microeconomics class and quickly decided to declare Management Science as my major. Soon after I decided that I wanted to become a firefighter after graduation, so that’s what I’ll be doing next year at this time. While attending UCSD, I have also taken an interest in renewable energy and sustainability so with the festival getting closer there is one expo that I cannot wait to see.
The San Diego Renewable Energy Society (SDRES) will be in attendance and they will be educating us on different 
sources of renewable energy. Currently, they’re focusing on the Junior Solar Sprint which will take place on May 8 this year. In the Junior Solar Sprint, middle schoolers across San Diego County will compete in a friendly competition in creating a solar powered model car. In this competition, sixth, seventh, and eighth graders will use “scientific know-how, creative thinking, experimentation, and teamwork” to design their model cars. I have participated in similar competitions when I was that age and it was a ton of fun so I personally cannot wait to see these kids can come up with.
The SDRES will not only focus on solar, but will delve into wind, biomass, hydro power, geothermal, and ocean energy as well. I’m super excited to hear what they have to say about biomass and ocean energy as I’m not that familiar with either source. From everything I’ve heard, this booth will have some exciting demonstrations that I cannot wait to see.
Hopefully, I’ll see you all out there!
Signing out,
Mark
CCSE at the SDSF
My name is Pankhudy Jain and I am a senior at University of California, San Diego. My major is Management Science. Though I am not a science major, I was always interested in environmental science, mostly due to the fact that it was the only kind of science I enjoyed learning about. When it came time to choose majors for college, I deliberated between choosing business and environmental science, but in the end, I chose business.
When I saw The California Center for Sustainable Energy on the list of booths at the San Diego Science Festival, I immediately jumped at the opportunity to write about them, since I have always had a penchant for environmental science. The CCSE is an independent, non-profit organization that is dedicated to educating and helping people adopt greener practices. It helps residents, businesses, and municipalities save energy and generate their own power through rebates. The center programs focus on five main areas: energy efficiency, renewable energy, transportation, green building and climate change. The CCSE also hosts the Green Learning Adventure, which teaches elementary and middle school students about sustainable living and climate change.
I actually got to meet the people who work for CCSE and see their booth at the American Association for the Advancement of Science while I was volunteering for the San Diego Science Festival.
Their booth had a fun, energy-conserving apparatus with a bicycle connected to a circuit board with different types of lights. The different light bulbs were powered by the rotation of the bike’s back tire. The rotation of the tire transmitted energy through a wire to the circuit board. The circuit board, as illustrated in the picture, had four types of LED lights bulbs, four CFL light bulbs and four Incandescent bulbs. When the energy is transmitted to the board, the bulbs light up. The goal was to show people that how much energy a LED bulb requires and how much energy a regular house bulb (Incandescent) requires. A button switched the energy to different types of light bulbs so people 
could see how many bulbs of each type they can light up.
While I was there, I tried out the demonstration myself. I sat on the bike and peddled, and at first I was able to light up all four of the LED bulbs. Then the CCSE exhibitor switched the button to CFL and I was able to light up all of the CFL bulbs, but I had to pedal a little harder. Finally, the switch was on Incandescent, and I peddled as hard as I could, and only one Incandescent light bulb lit up. It made me realize that a house bulb required an immense amount of energy. It was a wonderful demonstration that showed people that it’s necessary to switch to more efficient lighting.
The CCSE will have a booth at the Science Festival with demonstrations and workshops on energy efficiency, renewable technologies and sustainability. If you want to see for yourself how many bulbs you can light up, check out the CCSE booth at PETCO Park on March 27th. In addition, you will get free giveaways like organic lip balms and compostable pens, as well as great ideas on how to live a more sustainable and green lifestyle.
Even a small effort to conserve makes a big difference in the end.
Interested in science? Pursue your passion!
Are you one of the many bright people who constantly wonder how things work? Do you marvel at how science has made life so much easier? Whether it pertains to inventions for telephones, computers for gaming, or medicine for flu shots, science could be your future!
I’ve recently had the liberty of touring NuVasive Inc., one of the many places for future careers in an exciting field that never stops learning! Based in San Diego, California, NuVasive was established in 1997 and is a medical devices company that helps design intricate products for treating spine disorders. Think this is small and of little importance? Think again. The U.S. spine disorder industry is an over $4 billion market, and NuVasive is one of the key players in the field. Now think once more: the Google of spinal research, right in San Diego!
One of NuVasive’s current flagship products is Maximum Access Surgery, or MAS for short. This product is a revolutionary system that allows doctors to operate on patients with minimal disruption, allowing you to get back to your healthy self quickly and efficiently. Wouldn’t we all like a 10 minute trip the next time we have to visit to the doctor’s office? But that’s not the important part. What’s amazing about MAS is that it is the result of the combined effort of NuVasive’s remarkable 350 employees.
So why not think about joining the hundreds of scientists like yourself? NuVasive is constantly looking for new minds that never stop asking questions like “why?” and “how?”.
As the saying goes, “you can walk the walk, but can you talk the talk?” Your next step to meet the scientists in person! NuVasive, Inc. is a Krypton sponsor of the 2010 San Diego Science Festival, and they will exhibit from March 20-27. Expo day is on the 27th, so don’t miss it!
For more information and careers at NuVasive, visit their website at http://www.nuvasive.com.
