The kids and I were blown away by Fernbank Museum of Natural History's new exhibit, WILD WEATHER, as it took us on a wild ride through hurricanes, tornadoes, heat waves and snowstorms!
There are eight zones filled with interactive exhibits, multimedia experiences, models and large-scale graphics to help demonstrate the science behind severe weather through hands-on learning experiences.
Johnny loved flying in the cockpit of a Hurricane Hunter Plane. We were amazed by how much destruction hurricanes can cause through photographs from natural disasters in the U.S. This hit close to home for Johnny and Katie because their grandmother's home was destroyed by a flood in south Georgia in 1994.
Making a mini-tornado was definitely Katie's favorite part of the exhibit. She was fascinated with the way she could change the shape and direction of the tornado by changing the forces around it. She also learned about the most up-to-date technology to track tornadoes and explored the impact of climate change on tornado formation and frequency.
Johnny's favorite area was the Severe Thunderstorm zone, where we were “struck” by lightning in slow motion and discovered how lightning forms. He also learned how wind, hail, and heavy rain contribute to the ferocity of a severe thunderstorm.
Snowstorms and heat waves are also explored in the exhibition. I love snow so I was amazed at the photographs of snowflakes under a microscope. I already knew that no two snowflakes were identical, but it's hard to comprehend that much variety in something so small!
“Wild Weather is incredibly pertinent to Atlanta residents because we experience everything from winter storms to tornadoes to heat waves in our region – all of which are featured in the exhibition. Fernbank is excited to offer the opportunity for guests to delve into current severe weather science, discover cutting-edge technology and investigate the stories of scientists, forecasters, and passionate enthusiasts,” said Kaden Borseth, Fernbank’s Director of Teen and Family Programs.
Wild Weather, is a new traveling exhibition that explores extreme weather phenomena and illustrates severe weather as a powerful and unpredictable force. Wild Weather is developed and produced by Science North in partnership with the Ontario Science Centre.
The exhibition will be on view through May 7, 2017. For more information, please visit the museum's website HERE.
Because we were there for Wild Weather Day last Saturday, we were able to explore severe weather phenomena through some additional hands-on activities, including crafts, experiments, and demonstrations such as seeing it rain from our "shaving cream clouds", experimenting with static electricity and making a tornado in a bottle.
After the exhibit, we donned our glasses to see Extreme Weather 3D at the new 5 story Giant Screen Theatre.
We joined a research team on a boat in Alaska trying to discover why the glaciers are melting at a faster rate. With 3D, we were so close that when the huge chunks of blue ice from the glaciers "calved", we felt as though it would crash down on top of us!
We could almost feel the intense heat from the raging forest fires as we battled along with firefighters on the front lines. We also got "up close and personal" with tornadoes as we joined a storm chaser trying to get his instruments, and not us, sucked up inside a tornado.
The photography was amazing and the 3D experience places you right in the middle of all the action! As Johnny commented, "It was totally awesome!" We had a terrific day at Fernbank Museum of Natural History and think your family would enjoy it also!
For more information about the new Giant Screen Theatre and current movies, please chick HERE.
DISCLOSURE STATEMENT: Thank you to Fernbank Museum of Natural History for hosting my family for Wild Weather Day. No other compensation was received and all opinions expressed are my own.
