From the peaks of Mount Everest to the depths of the deepest seas, central Iowa will host the world premiere of a monumental new exhibit this month. Created by National Geographic, “Earth Explorers” is designed to let visitors see what it takes to reach and study some of the wildest places on the planet.
Emilee Richardson is spokeswoman for the Science Center of Iowa. “What you’ll be seeing is six eco-zones,” Richardson says. “We have rain forests, mountains, caves, oceans, savannahs and polar regions. We’ll also look at one explorer who explores those specific eco-zones and the technology and equipment they use to go higher, farther and deeper than any other explorers.”
The exhibition follows National Geographic explorers as they venture into dangerous and remote parts of the world — and the Des Moines facility is the first anywhere to host the exhibit. “It will open to the public on September 28th, just a few short weeks away,” Richardson says. “It will run through the holidays here at the Science Center of Iowa and end on January 12th.”
The Science Center will also host a series of explorer-themed programs and events over the next few months to encourage visitors to explore their own back yards, Iowa and elsewhere. There will be nature photography contests with winners featured in a gallery at the center, as well as four exploration-themed IMAX films.