Tales about snakes more than 40 feet long will be told, plate tectonics will be explained with Oreos, and stones will become jewelry Saturday at the Florida Museum of Natural History.
The museum, the Gainesville Gem and Mineral Society and the UF Department of Geological Sciences will host the fourth annual event, “Can You Dig It?” from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Between 1,500 and 2,000 people are expected to attend, and about 30 to 50 UF graduate and undergraduate students will volunteer.
“Our students really love what they do. Geology is a calling,” said Matthew Smith, a UF professor of geological sciences and the coordinator for this event.
The museum will have different stations with educational and interactive activities geared for many age groups. One activity calls for people to create earthquakes by measuring their jumping intensities on seismometers, Smith said.
Because the event is no longer on a school night, the timing for outside activities won’t be constrained, Smith said.
In addition to the indoor and outdoor stations, visitors can view existing museum exhibits and listen to geology experts.
Ellen Martin, professor of geological sciences at UF, will speak about global warming.
In the event’s past years, Martin has debated with 10-year-olds about whether global warming is happening.
Admission is free.
