Science & Nature Conference - Gustavus...

For students in grades 3-6 at Central, they have the option to attend the Science & Nature Conference at Gustavus Adolphus each year.  Lukie attended last year and Lex wanted to go as well this year.  Students get to choose three sessions that they would like to attend.  Both Lukie and Lex wanted me to come along as well...so I did...

The day starts with an opening keynote.  In this case, it was WCCO's Mike Lynch talking about constellations and telescopes.  Lynch gives astronomy parties across the state throughout the year, both Lukie and Lex enjoyed the session.

After the keynote, students choose which sessions they'd like to attend (based from this pdf).  Lukie and Lex selected two of the same sessions (though they happened at separate times), Remarkable Reptiles and A Slimy Good Time...

Lex's first session was the one focused on slime...

Lukie was at Remarkable Reptiles at that point, but we got together for lunch...

After lunch, Lukie and Lex basically switched...Lex saw the Reptiles...

Lukie was busy making slime...

 And Lex was still looking at Reptiles...a boa constrictor...

And then touched it...

 And even got a closeup of the Timber Rattlesnake, from Southeast MN...trust me, we could hear the rattle...

For the last session, Lukie was building super structures and Lex was looking at Animals Nobody Loves...like this bull snake...

 Both Lukie and Lex loved the day, (Lex said to me as we were walking across campus, 'it's like I'm in college' and I didn't want to tell her that I'm not walking with her at college).  Both said they want to attend next year, which would be cool...