Bemidji’s
First Science Café:
Biological Controls for Animal and Plant
Pests
Headwaters Science Center will host the public at its
first Science Café at The Cabin Coffee House & Cafe at
214 3rd Street at 7PM on Tuesday, June 30. Everyone is
invited to attend. Several persons who are knowledgeable
about insect, plant and aquatic organisms will be on
hand to answer questions on such topics as the
possibilities of using biological methods to control the
Emerald Green Ash Beetle, Spotted Knapweed, Zebra
mussels, and many other pests.
Three
people who are engaged in methods of biological controls
will be present to help guide discussion: Maryland
resident Dale Meyerdirk, who has 30 years of experience
as a research and economic entomologist with the U. S.
Department of Agriculture; Paul Conklin, who teaches at
BSU and raises organic fruits and vegetables; and Dann
Siems; who has taught at BSU and is an aquatic biologist
with Beltrami Soil and Water Conservation District.
What
is a Science Café?
Science
Cafés are being held in many places across the United
States. A science café takes place in a casual meeting
place and uses plain language to invite inclusive
conversation. People with no science background should
feel welcome and comfortable.
Science Café meetings are organized around an
interesting topic of conversation. A scientist gives a
brief presentation to kick off the discussion. You can
leave a café meeting when you want, but you'll miss out
if you show up late.
Science cafés are spreading as a grassroots movement.
The casual, open format readily engages the public in
conversations about science. Many science cafés in the
United States draw inspiration from
café
Scientifique, based in the UK. There
are Science Cafés in Moorhead, the Twin Cities, and
other Minnesota communities.
No central organization controls all science cafés. As a
result, each café has adapted to its own local culture
and audience while focusing on open, public
conversation.
Who runs sciencecafes.org?
Sciencecafes.org is produced by
NOVA scienceNOW, in association with
Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society.
It was created with the help and input of many science
café organizers, and is intended as a community resource
that will support and encourage the growth of science
cafés.
In 2006, NOVA scienceNOW and Sigma Xi brought
together 40 science café organizers from all over the
United States. For many, this meeting was the first
opportunity to discuss experiences with other science
café organizers. At that meeting it was agreed that one
of the most needed science café resources was a single
U.S. website, and the idea for sciencecafes.org was
born.
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