Crochet Exhibit "Project Ecosystem" Enchants Visitors on Picnic Day
Thousands flocked to the UC Davis campus last Saturday, April 20, for the university’s annual Picnic Day. With over 200 activities planned, repeat visitors and newcomers from Davis, Sacramento, and beyond strolled throughout campus. Making their way to the Earth and Physical Sciences building, attendees grabbed their favorite dinosaur hat before meandering to this year’s Earth and Planetary Science displays. The novelty: An ecosystem crochet exhibit.
“We are trying to simulate the ocean floor, which giant kelp is anchored to,” said Susann B. Pinter, CalTeach/MAST academic coordinator and lecturer.
The display was coordinated by Ms. Pinter, students, professors, and members of the larger Davis community. "We used some unconventional materials; Styrofoam, fishing line, chicken wire, foam cones, burlap sacks, and newspaper, to name a few," said undergraduate student Lena Anderson. Ivory jellyfish and green algae strung from the ceilings against the deep blue backdrop. Below was a seabed covered in violet, purple, and burgundy urchin. These knitted pieces emulated the exquisite marine life and underwater formations studied by geologists. Visitors said they felt as if they were placed into the ocean and had an intimate encounter with the vanishing kelp forest.
“It was an instant crowd favorite,” said Kari Cooper, Ph.D., department chair and professor.
Each table was staffed by a student presenter who would share their exciting knowledge with children, adolescents, and parents who curiously circled the classroom. "Many people had questions about how long the project took, when we started, and how many people were involved," said Anderson. "I was able to teach a lot of kids about organisms, like the nudibranchs and cuttlefish, and many learned about new ecosystems and risks to the environment, like the octopus garden and the urchin invasion!"
As visitors moved into the next classroom, Magali Billen, Ph.D. and doctoral student Sarah King invited visitors to get their hands in the sand. The augmented reality sandbox enabled participants to create topography models, which would be augmented in real time by the elevation color map, topographic contour lines, and simulated water.
Dr. Cooper together with additional student volunteers staffed the rock and fossil displays across the way, offering visitors the chance to explore minerals and hear from experts. Just outside the classrooms, vibrant posters with dinosaurs and paleontological facts lined the first floor hall ways upon entry, and further down the corridor hung photos of planets and key findings about the solar system.
Picnic Day is one of UC Davis' most attended traditions and serves as an open house for prospective and current students, families, alumni, staff, faculty, and the greater Davis and regional communities. The event is student-led and boasts over 70,000 people every year since 1946.
“We had another great Picnic Day with hundreds of people coming to see the displays and get dino hats!” said Dr. Cooper as the event concluded.
Meanwhile, Ms. Pinter said they are expecting to continue the crochet ecosystem project in coming years. "We're expecting to add a 'walk through the Paleozoic' by crocheting Paleozoic marine animals displayed in their marine ecosystem."