2024 Event Schedule

STEMonstrations – Activities at School
As part of middle and high school classes, we will be co-hosting Stemonstrations. Students can try some fun Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math activities, presented by local scientists and educators.  Participants this year include the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, Edge of the Cedars State Park, Utah Friends of Paleontology, Youth Garden Project, the Moab Museum, and USU! 

Movie Night: The Last Bumblebee
6:30 PM ~ Grand County Public Library
257 E Center St, Moab, UT 84532
In collaboration with the Grand County Public Library, this year’s featured film will be The Last Bumble Bee, The Last Bumblebee: a solution-based documentary featuring scientists, and environmentalists discussing the importance of bumblebees as pollinators and the various threats they face. his documentary follows the journey of over 50 dedicated individuals as they search for Franklin’s Bumblebee and discuss the four major threats to bumblebee populations worldwide: access to food, habitat loss, pesticide use, and disease. Through stunning cinematography and insightful interviews, we explore the vital role of bumblebees in our ecosystems and the urgent need for conservation efforts to protect these important pollinators. Arrive early as space is limited!

Paleontology Hike*
8:30 AM ~ Location will be provided to registered individuals. 
Join Emily Lessner from the BLM on a hike through Mill Creek as she shares more about local paleontology. Register ahead of time as space is limited.

Parking is limited – please carpool

The Synergy Company Tour*
1pm ~ The Synergy Company
2279 Resource Blvd Moab, UT, 84532
Join us in a tour of The Synergy Company, world-class manufacturer of Pure Synergy certified organic supplements. Enjoy a look into the inner workings of a manufacturing facility, with a special focus on the science of botanical identity testing, powder physics, innovative problem solving, and the potential of a people-first approach to work. Registration is required as space is limited.

Fireflies of Utah with Christy Bills
7 – 8:30 PM ~ Grand County Public Library 
Planets and stars aren’t the only things that light up our night sky, Christy Bills, Invertebrate Collections Manager at the Natural History Museum of Utah, will present about fireflies, a rare delight in Utah. Registration is required as space is limited. 

Value of Pollinators in the Food We Eat
3 – 4 PM ~ Youth Garden Project
530 Fourth E St, Moab, UT 84532
More information to come. 

Moab Mingle
4 – 5 PM ~ Moab Museum Lawn
118 E Center St, Moab, UT 84532
Join regional educators, geologists, archaeologists, paleontologists, biologists, astronomers, other scientists, and science aficionados on the Museum of Moab Lawn (Center Street) for the Science Mingle. Light refreshments will be provided. 

Pollinator Panel
7 PM ~ Star Hall
159 East Center Street, Moab, UT 84532
Pollinator Panel – We’ve gathered a group of knowledgeable and dedicated scientists to come and talk to you about insect pollinators, what they do for us and what we should be doing for them.

• Amanda Barth, Rare Insect Conservation Coordinator at the Utah Department of Natural Resources. 
• Amy Dolan, Endangered Species Conservation Biologist (Mountain States Bumble Bee Atlas) at the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation

Geology Hike with Will Leggett*
9 AM – 12 PM ~ Location will be provided to registered participants. 
National Park Service interpretive ranger Will Leggett will lead a geology hike. Leggett and a group of up to 20 participants will hike while discussing how geologic forces forged Moab’s unique landscape. Registration is required as space is limited.

Parking is limited – please carpool

Arches GeoTour*
10 AM – 1 PM ~ Location will be provided to registered participants. 
Featuring six incredibly scenic stops, learn about rock layers, ancient environments and arch formations on this drive through Arches National Park. We’ll follow the main road through the park from the Visitor Center to Panorama Point with scientist Chris Benson. Registration is required as space is limited.

STEAM Story Time
11:30 AM ~ Red Rock Art Festival
111 E 100 N, Moab, UT 84532
Join us at this year’s Red Rock Art Festival for a STEAM Story Time with the Grand County Public Library staff! 

Bee Hotel Workshop
12 – 3:30 PM ~ MARC
111 E 100 N, Moab, UT 84532
Build your own bee hotel for pollinators and insects! In collaboration with the Red Rock Art Festival, this workshop gives participants an opportunity to build a habitat for bees and other pollinators. Supplies will be provided. 

Giant Jupiter – Discoveries from NASA’s Current Juno and Future Europa Clipper Missions with Fran Bagenal
7 – 8PM ~ Star Hall
159 East Center Street, Moab, UT 84532
Explore what we have learned about the outer solar system from NASA’s missions with Fran Bagenal, Professor of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences at the University of Colorado. 

“I’ve had the fortune of being involved in NASA missions to the outer solar system – from Voyager to
New Horizons and Juno. First, flyby missions give us a glimpse of new worlds: Voyager found volcanoes
on Io, a bland Uranus and exciting plumes on Triton, while New Horizons showed Pluto to be an active
ice world. Then orbiter missions systematically map out the planet, its moons and rings: Galileo at Jupiter
and Cassini at Saturn. Subsequent missions target specific intriguing questions: Juno is finding out what’s
inside Jupiter, Europa Clipper will address whether water from the ocean reaches
the surface. In this talk I will review what we have learned about the outer solar system from past, present
and future missions.” – Fran Bagenal

An Evening of Astrology*
8:30 – 10PM
Location will be sent out to registered participants.
Tour the night sky with our National and State parks partners. Discover the cosmos while learning about deep space objects like nebula, galaxies, stars, star clusters, planets and moons. Registration is required as space is limited.

Hydrogeology of Moab/Spanish Valley Driving Tour*
9 AM ~ Register to Attend
Location will be provided before the event to registered attendees
From ancient sand dunes to modern springs, Moab’s geology and hydrology are intimately connected. We will visit several key locations to provide an overview of our ground water system and discuss how ancient landscapes set the stage for modern aquifers. Additionally, we will look at how landscape evolution has shaped the hydrologic cycle, including aspects of both water quality and flood phenomena. Registration is required as space is limited.

Lichen Hike*
2 PM ~ Hidden Valley Trailhead
Drive 3 miles south from Moab on U.S. 191 and turn right onto Angel Rock Road. After two blocks, turn right onto Rimrock Road and drive to parking area.
Dr. Steve Leavitt of Brigham Young University (BYU) will guide a hike in Hidden Valley exploring desert lichen ecology. Registration is required as space is limited.

Please carpool- parking is limited. 

Science Trivia
5 PM ~ Proper Brewing
1393 N Hwy 191, Moab, UT 84532
The best way to wrap up any festival is with Science Trivia! Gather clues throughout the week and team up with friends to compete in the final event, hosted by Moab Pub Trivia. The questions are written with a challenge level aimed at adult participants, but science-loving kids may enjoy teaming up with an adult to play, too.

Delight in a science weekend experience at the University of Utah’s Bonderman Field Station at Rio Mesa that includes science-focused activities on stars, birds, and more!

Departure for Rio Mesa
Saturday, September 28th – 3 PM
Details to be shared with registered participants
Saturday events include an orientation upon arrival, group dinner, astronomy, and more! Activities on Sunday give participants an opportunity to learn about lichen with Steve Leavitt, visit a bird banding station, and partake in a hike.

Departure for Moab
Sunday, September 29th – 1 PM
Pack up after lunch and return to Moab