ECSITE Graz 2016: How to connect with the outdoors indoors ?

The observations are presented interactively in topic-specific bays utilizing high-end technologies for visualisation, data evaluation and display, e.g. providing fast- or slow-motion, zooming into the micro- or macro world. Because the observations are based on online data, they are unique, may be linked to poly-sensorial inputs, and are escorted for an interested audience of all levels of education and age. This is enabled by project work in groups, indoors in the experimental bays, and outdoors by guided excursions to the outposts. Thus, the NSC turns into a gateway between knowledge transfer and research technologies, in particular, as it cooperates with national and international partners, such as universities and museums.

The lecture focuses on the concept of “exotic” adventures (“attractive”, “authentic” and “dramatic”), which is exemplified, first, by some encounters with undisturbed wild animals in the tropics. While switching back to the experimental bays of the NSC, I ask the audience whether they receive a similar feeling of exotic vibrancy by the narratives from indigenous, wild habitats in Central Europe. “Exotics” arises here from authentic and live display from outdoors, making purely iconic knowledge of people turn real; unfamiliar but common topics are experienced for the first time. For that, I present the story of the court play of the heather cock, the killing sundew, the exploding stinging nettles, the dancing honeybees and the egg-laying wild bees, and lastly also examples from inanimate nature, such as the glacial flows at the Dachstein glaciers around Schladming, which gain “exotic” status by watching online. To get started with a pilot phase of NSC I have prepared a programme of 8-15 modules. For this, I give the information about projected costs and potential co-operational partners.

ECSITE Graz 2016: How to connect with the outdoors indoors ?

The project Natura Science Center

Gerald Kastberger
Institute of Zoology
University Graz
gerald.kastberger@uni-graz
www.gerald-kastberger.at

In this lecture I outline a novel concept for citizen science (termed here further as “natura science center”, abbr. “NSC”), figuring out close contact with free nature by relaying outdoor programmes indoors. These programmes are selected exclusively by the categories “attraction”, “authenticity” and “dramatic” performance, showing wild nature in a nutshell to the people. Visitors of the NSC experience stories from free nature in neighbouring environments, for instance in NATURA-2000 regions. They can watch them live, online, isochronously or time-delayed, shaped by daytime and season. Processes of inanimate and animate nature are brought into the NSC, also including knowledge from converging sciences such as hydrology, meteorology, geology or glaciology, zoology and botany. Humans are addressed here regarding geographical aspects of landscape or at the interface with civilisation. Narratives from wild nature are of evolution-based relevance but may also be selected for their economic value.