The Sloths are Coming! Behind the Scenes of a New Program on Animal Planet
This article was originally posted at my Scientific American blog.
This is the time of year many of us instinctively turn toward heart-warming movies and TV shows. If you are one of those people, I have the perfect nature show for you. Airing December 17th at 8pm on Animal Planet, it is a sweet, warm, and humorous story about an unusual place: the Avarios Sloth Sanctuary in Costa Rica. Watch the most adorable screener, ever. In case you didn’t think cute could get cuter, I present exhibit A!
Not too long ago, I featured Lucy Cooke and her viral sloth videos in a post here at Psi Vid, Elements of a Viral Video–Cute Animals
SciGirls #STEMchat (and doing some “sloth”-ing in Costa Rica)
I’ve been a constant supporter (and occasional viewer) of the Emmy Award-winning series on PBS KIDS called SciGirls. They have been on the air for three seasons featuring teams of girls ages 12-14 who are involved in science activities in their homes and communities. This is a very important age to reach girls about science and their show is quite engaging! In fact, a few years back, I learned from one of their producers that their main audience is girls YOUNGER than the girls on the show, and this is how kids programming usually works, the younger kids are inspired by slightly older kids doing science.
The team at SciGirls wants all of us to join in to do science, and to that end they are encouraging participation in Citizen Science via some projects at Sci Starter. To help them along in spreading the word, a group of us STEM enthusiasts will be coming together to talk about girls in science and citizen science in particular on twitter this Thursday night at the hashtag, #STEMchat.
I was only narrowly recruited for this chat as I leave the next day to head to Costa Rica to hangout with some sloths and the researchers, naturalists and rescuers who work with them. Stay tuned for some adorableness! If my signal is good, I’ll be Vining, Instagramming, tweeting, G+ ing and Periscoping! I’m in most places as @sciencegoddess.
The following details are lifted directly from The Maker Mom’s blog:
#STEMchat will take place on 5/21 from 9 – 10 PM Eastern.
We’ve got an awesome panel of grown-up SciGirls to help lead our #STEMchat on Citizen Science:
@SciGirls, SciGirls is an Emmy Award-winning PBS KIDS TV show, website and outreach program that seeks to change how girls think about STEM.
@CoopSciScoop, Caren Cooper, a bird-loving biologist and blogger who is literally writing the book on citizen science.
@ScienceGoddess, Joanne Manaster, Read Science host, STEM advocate, biology lecturer, and former international model.
@TheSpaceGal, Emily Calandrelli, promoter of science literacy, space exploration and equality. She’s also the host and producer of the Show Xploration Outer Space. Read her STEM Girl Friday Feature.
@VeronicaEye, Veronica Arreola, a nationally-recognized professional advocate for girls and women in STEM who is also a speaker and writer. Read her STEM Girl Friday feature.
And @KimMoldofsky, also known as The Maker Mom and founder of #STEMchat who has yet to author a book.
Join me tomorrow night! I’m excited to talk about getting everyone involved with science!
Follow SciGirls on twitter and like them on Facebook!
10 years ago Girls in STEM, Kids in STEM, sloths, STEM • Tags: Citizen Science, Costa Rica, middle school girls, PBS, PBS KIDS, SciGirls, Sloths, STEM, STEM chat, TV