Month: January 2017

Hi

We have updated our membership form so that it reflects the NZAGC standard form. The form gets used when you apply to join the Wellington branch and for payment of the yearly fees. wgtn-explorers-membership-form-2017  We have added in the option to  email your membership form to Elizabeth and pay online, so that you don’t have to wait for us to check the  P O Box monthly and bank cheques!

Gillian Dudfield-Hendren

President

Wgtn Explorers – Opus Research Visit

 

Hi Explorers
We have been invited to visit the Opus Research facility in Petone on Wednesday 25th January 2017 at 10.30am. Opus has the only wind tunnel in NZ and engage in a huge range of testing and analysis that our Explorers will really find interesting. Check out their website www.opus.co.nz to have a look at their latest projects. If there is something that really interests you let me know so we can make sure it is in our tour. The Opus team have been heavily involved in the roadworks to re-open the Kaikoura highway so check out the article here: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/87823887/state-highway-1-south-of-kaikoura-reopens-after-quakes.

We will meet at the entrance to Opus at 10.15am and will be finished by 12 noon. Hopefully if the weather is kind perhaps we can grab and ice-cream and check out the beach afterwards.

Caution: the only area of concern to be aware of is that wheat-germ is used in the wind tunnel to provide air movement models, so if you or your child are particularly allergic to airborne wheat products this may be an area of the tour you may choose to avoid. Please let me know if you have any concerns with this.

Elizabeth has sent an email to members with the invite, please contct her  on elizabethmckee00@gmail.com if you haven’t received it.

 

When

Wed 25 Jan 2017 10:15 – 12:00 Auckland

Where

33 The Esplanade, Petone, Lower Hutt 5012, New Zealand

Hi all

Just a heads with a possible event that we can tag an Explorers group along to.  Thanks Leigh Hunt for the link to David Klein and the Tour De Science which is travelling the length of NZ presenting science shows.

Check out David’s website: http://www.tourdescience.com

and his Facebook page: Tour De Science

I made contact with David to see if this event was suitable for our kids, it is not a Nanogirl type of event with explosions and experiments, but more a talk from David about his engagement with Science, what he’s learned and where we fit in.  There is quite a focus with Space and David has a biology degree so he fits that in there too!

This is his blurb from his website:

“Tour de Science is a science storytelling show. First and foremost, that means it’s David Klein, telling a story. It’s a little bit like a play. This particular story is about David’s life, the schools he went to, and the things he learnt along the way. There are a few personal anecdotes, and some simple ideas about science topics. That’s the second part – science. The show is filled with easy scientific ideas, which are explained with words and a few props. These ideas gradually build up to create a really amazing ‘big picture’ of the world around us! ”

I’ve had a chat with David and he’s quite keen to engage with our kids, so I can see there are some cool opportunities for them with this, so work is underway! I am in the throws of working with David and putting dates & times together and also looking at perhaps the opportunity for the kids to talk after the event with David in a smaller group environment. Possible date/show Sunday March 12th 2pm Dowse (this will allow our younger Explorer members to come along). Just sorting booking options etc.  There are lots of shows & different dates if this doesn’t work for you too, check out David’s website for those.

I’ll keep you in touch with how this goes.  If you think this would be of interest to your family let me know and I can get an idea of numbers.

Thanks, enjoy the holidays

Elizabeth McKee

Secretary – Wellington Explorers