Behind the Scenes

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Biosystems engineers integrate biology and engineering to solve problems related to food, health, energy, and the environment. Meet biosystems engineering (BE) faculty and students and learn about exciting research and design projects related to harmful algal blooms, bioreactors for energy, growing sustainable Christmas trees, robots for sustainable agriculture, and more! Restore a model urban stream using stream bioengineering techniques and tour a pilot-scale food safety processing plant. Watch the MSU Fountain Wars Team shoots balls from their hockey-themed fountain while the BE robotics team tests their egg-collecting robot. 

Learn more about Biosystems Engineering Research and Design Showcase

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Many people know their clinical specimens get sent to the medical laboratory, but what happens next? Who performs the testing, and how is it done? Tour the Biomedical Laboratory Diagnostics program and explore the different disciplines of the medical laboratory, do some hands-on medical laboratory activities, and learn about the scientists who perform medical laboratory testing every day!

Learn more about Experience Medical Laboratory Science!

Appropriate for: Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Visit our lab to see how we utilize "optical tweezers" that use lasers to reach out, grab, and manipulate individual swimming cells. It is a very interactive, hands-on method with video game-like joystick action. We invite the public to use our microscope and try to catch and grab hold of live cells and interact with them. We will learn about cells from the bottom up, and about the latest in technology that allows us to see and interact with individual cells and molecules.

Learn more about Laser Tweezers: Reach Out and Grab Bacteria!

Appropriate for: Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Explore a world-class rare isotope laboratory where nuclei are smashed into a target at half the speed of light! Our new 1500-foot-long linear accelerator and the research spaces inside MSU’s Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) will be revealed with images, 3D models, and animations projected on the dome. Our “virtual tour” takes you to many locations that would normally be inaccessible!

Learn more about A Virtual Tour of the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

This free, family-friendly event is packed with exciting eco-friendly activities, outdoor adventures and opportunities to protect our planet. Dive into participatory science initiatives that help protect our waterways and connect with local conservation experts through engaging demonstrations that showcase the power of sustainability. Don’t miss this chance to go green!

What to Expect:

• Sustainability education stations
• Nature hikes
• Eco-friendly arts and crafts
• Conservation presentations
• A Michigan State University BioBlitz
• Beekeeper talks
• And much more!

Learn more about Experience Greenfest!

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Celebrate all things reduce, reuse, recycle with a day at the campus recycling center and thrift store. Go secondhand shopping, tour the material recovery facility and vermicompost hoophouse, make upcycled crafts, deconstruct electronics to discover more about e-waste, and enjoy some freecycling! Details and additional activities TBA at msurecycling.com/event-details/. Let's go green!

Learn more about Earth Bash

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Join us for a tour through MSU’s Rachana Rajendra Neotropical Migrant Bird Sanctuary. Located in the Baker Woodlot property on campus, the sanctuary provides an urban refuge for wildlife and people to enjoy year-round. The sanctuary is home to a diverse ecosystem of plants, animals, and microorganisms. Come out and experience the sanctuary to learn about its inhabitants and what makes it such a special place!

Learn more about Exploring the Rachana Rajendra Bird Sanctuary

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Join us at the MSU Bug House for a free open house in partnership with the MSU Science Festival! Visitors will be able to observe museum displays featuring insects from around the globe, plus meet and handle live beetles, isopods, cockroaches, and more! Our knowledgeable guides will be available to introduce our live bugs and answer questions about their biology.

Learn more about Explore the Amazing World of Insects at the Bug House!

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

MSU’s Corey Marsh Ecological Research Center is a hub for natural resources education, research, and public engagement located just 20 minutes from campus. Join us for a fun morning of science demonstrations, interactive activities for all ages, guided marsh exploration, an art show, and more! The Corey Marsh Bird Banding Station will also be open (weather permitting) – come learn about how we capture and band migratory birds – you might even get an opportunity to have a bird placed in your hand during the release process!

Learn more about Ecology Extravaganza

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Let's celebrate all things nature! March is reading month and April is for the Earth! This Earth Day and Arbor Day event puts literacy in the spotlight and features guest readers, a pop-up shop by Turn the Page Books, and guided hikes. If you love adventure and imagination, join us for at this open house-style program. 

Storytime Schedule

Readers will start on the half hour between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Guided BioBlitz Hike Schedule: 

• Bird is the Word: 11:30‒12 p.m.
• A Bug's Life: 12:30‒1:30 p.m.
• It's an Arboretum, not a Burrito: 2‒3 p.m.

Learn more about Dear Earth: Literacy in Nature