BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//ChamberMaster//Event Calendar 2.0//EN METHOD:PUBLISH X-PUBLISHED-TTL:P1H REFRESH-INTERVAL:P1H CALSCALE:GREGORIAN BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Chicago BEGIN:DAYLIGHT RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=3;BYDAY=2SU DTSTART:20070101T000000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:Central Daylight Time END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=11;BYDAY=1SU DTSTART:20070101T000000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:Central Standard Time END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260426T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260427T160000 X-MICROSOFT-CDO-ALLDAYEVENT:FALSE SUMMARY:Pollinator Palooza at The Science Mill DESCRIPTION:Can you hear that buzz? It's Pollinator Palooza at the Science Mill! Join us on April 26 & 27 (Sat-Sun) to celebrate the incredible role of pollinators in our ecosystem. Get up close with monarch butterflies\, discover the vital work of bees\, and learn why bats are unsung heroes of pollination. Dive into hands-on activities\, interactive exhibits\, and unforgettable encounters that highlight why these creatures are essential to our planet all while having unforgettable family fun at the only science museum in the area! EXTENDED HOURS! The event will now be ALL-DAY\, from 10am-4pm on Sat\, and 12pm-4pm on Sun. ACTIVITIES Beekeeper Mike Mendez Meet Beekeeper Mike Mendez (Sat only) - Local beekeeper Mike Mendez will be at the Science Mill and will bring one of his beehives for guests to get an up close look at how bees work. He will also educate guests about the importance of bees and their role in plant pollination. Master Gardener Terri Sparks Meet Master Gardener Terri Sparks (Sat & Sun) - Terri Sparks\, a local Master Gardener\, will educate guests about various types of native plants and their symbiotic relationship with pollinators. She will also lead a hands-on activity on plants and pollinators for guests to do. Meet Asvini Thivakaran (Sun only) Asvini Thivakaran\, a 10th-grade student from Round Rock and one of the Top Ten 3M Young Scientists in the nation (2022)\, was inspired to research renewable energy from piezo materials after visiting the Science Mill in elementary school. She will be at the Science Mill to share her work on renewable energy and the multiple projects she leads to save the planet. Learn more about her work https://www.asvinithivakaran.com/about.html Butterfly Release* (Sat 10:30am\, 12:00pm / Sun 1:30 pm) - Let 'em fly! At this station\, guests will learn about the importance of pollinators and how they support food production. There will be live butterflies at this station that guests will have the opportunity to release and observe. The facilitator will discuss how pollination is reached\, how butterflies contribute to pollination\, and what to expect when the butterflies are released. The facilitator will also guide guests on how to safely handle butterfly envelopes before and during the release. Guests will have the opportunity to watch their butterfly flutter away upon release. Most butterflies fly a short distance immediately upon release\, and often aim to land on the brightest object they see! *Butterfly purchase required Seed Bombs (All day) - Throw to grow! At this station\, guests will create seed bombs and learn the importance of creating a seed bomb rather than throwing seeds loosely on the ground. Seed bombs are a more effective way to plant seeds because they protect the seeds from being eaten by animals or washed away by rain and are great for pollinators because they're easy to use\, restore habitats\, and promote biodiversity. They contain a mix of plant seeds that bloom at different times\, ensuring food for pollinators year-round. Pollinating Bats (All day) - Bats are more than just creepy\, flying creatures of the night\, they're actually beneficial to plants as important pollinators! Guests will have a FUN with this bat-themed STEM activity as they design their own bats and engineer a flying system using only a straw and some tape to reach and pollinate their target flowers! Movie Showing: Flight of the Butterflies (3D) - It's a natural history epic. It's a compelling detective story. It's a scientific adventure at its best. Flight of the Butterflies is an interconnected scientific adventure story that spans not only thousands of miles\, but generations. It's about the remarkable Monarch butterfly migration\, the most incredible migration on Earth\, and the determined scientist who spent 40 years trying to discover exactly where the butterflies mysteriously disappeared when they flew south for winter. https://www.sciencemill.org/upcoming-events-2/2025/4/26/pollinator-palooza X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

Can you hear that buzz? \;

It&rsquo\;s Pollinator Palooza at the Science Mill! Join us on April 26 &\; 27 (Sat-Sun) to celebrate the incredible role of pollinators in our ecosystem. Get up close with monarch butterflies\, discover the vital work of bees\, and learn why bats are unsung heroes of pollination. Dive into hands-on activities\, interactive exhibits\, and unforgettable encounters that highlight why these creatures are essential to our planet &ndash\; all while having unforgettable family fun at the only science museum in the area! \;

EXTENDED HOURS! The event will now be ALL-DAY\, from 10am-4pm on Sat\, and 12pm-4pm on Sun. ACTIVITIES \;

Beekeeper Mike Mendez \;

Meet Beekeeper Mike Mendez (Sat only) - Local beekeeper Mike Mendez will be at the Science Mill and will bring one of his beehives for guests to get an up close look at how bees work. He will also educate guests about the importance of bees and their role in plant pollination. \;

Master Gardener Terri Sparks

Meet Master Gardener Terri Sparks (Sat &\; Sun) - Terri Sparks\, a local Master Gardener\, will educate guests about various types of native plants and their symbiotic relationship with pollinators. She will also lead a hands-on activity on plants and pollinators for guests to do. \;

Meet Asvini Thivakaran (Sun only)  \;

Asvini Thivakaran\, a 10th-grade student from Round Rock and one of the Top Ten 3M Young Scientists in the nation (2022)\, was inspired to research renewable energy from piezo materials after visiting the Science Mill in elementary school. She will be at the Science Mill to share her work on renewable energy and the multiple projects she leads to save the planet. Learn more about her work https://www.asvinithivakaran.com/about.html \;

Butterfly Release* (Sat 10:30am\, 12:00pm / Sun 1:30 pm) - Let &lsquo\;em fly! At this station\, guests will learn about the importance of pollinators and how they support food production. There will be live butterflies at this station that guests will have the opportunity to release and observe. The facilitator will discuss how pollination is reached\, how butterflies contribute to pollination\, and what to expect when the butterflies are released. The facilitator will also guide guests on how to safely handle butterfly envelopes before and during the release. Guests will have the opportunity to watch their butterfly flutter away upon release. Most butterflies fly a short distance immediately upon release\, and often aim to land on the brightest object they see! *Butterfly purchase required \;

Seed Bombs (All day) \;- Throw to grow! At this station\, guests will create seed bombs and learn the importance of creating a seed bomb rather than throwing seeds loosely on the ground. Seed bombs are a more effective way to plant seeds because they protect the seeds from being eaten by animals or washed away by rain and are great for pollinators because they'\;re easy to use\, restore habitats\, and promote biodiversity. They contain a mix of plant seeds that bloom at different times\, ensuring food for pollinators year-round. \;

Pollinating Bats (All day) - Bats are more than just creepy\, flying creatures of the night\, they&rsquo\;re actually beneficial to plants as important pollinators! Guests will have a FUN with this bat-themed STEM activity as they design their own bats and engineer a flying system using only a straw and some tape to reach and pollinate their target flowers! \;

Movie Showing: Flight of the Butterflies (3D) \;- It'\;s a natural history epic. It'\;s a compelling detective story. It'\;s a scientific adventure at its best. Flight of the Butterflies is an interconnected scientific adventure story that spans not only thousands of miles\, but generations. It'\;s about the remarkable Monarch butterfly migration\, the most incredible migration on Earth\, and the determined scientist who spent 40 years trying to discover exactly where the butterflies mysteriously disappeared when they flew south for winter. \;

https://www.sciencemill.org/upcoming-events-2/2025/4/26/pollinator-palooza

LOCATION:101 S. Ladybird Ln. Johnson City TX 78636 UID:e.4279.1400364 SEQUENCE:3 DTSTAMP:20260405T010051Z URL:https://business.fredericksburg-texas.com/chamber-calendar/Details/pollinator-palooza-at-the-science-mill-1654645?sourceTypeId=Hub END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR