Come celebrate the wonder of the natural world at night at Turkey Creek Nature Preserve. In this rare after-hours opportunity, Dr. Michelle Wooten and Amelia Hawkins of UAB will present practice tips for preserving the beauty of the natural world at night. The group will then embark on a night hike along the creek, led by park staff, and sit in silence by the waterfalls. Weather permitting, the evening will conclude with viewing celestial objects through telescopes.
Dr. Michelle Wooten came to UAB as an assistant professor of astronomy education in 2021, after teaching astronomy for over ten years in New Zealand, California, Washington D.C., Alaska, Pennsylvania, and Colorado. At UAB, she oversees curriculum development of the astronomy program. Each semester she teaches upwards of three lectures and three labs with hundreds of students enrolled – mostly nonscience majors. Sharing astronomical discoveries with them, and helping them see their potential in science, are among her greatest life passions.
Beyond teaching, Dr. Wooten's scholarship is focused on the protection of the night sky. Such scholarship is important to her because of the affordance of night sky toward humanity’s continued humility, wonder, inspiration, and sense of connectedness. Since the time of her hire at UAB she has collaborated with others across the Southeast, United States, and the globe, to broadly create awareness and action toward the mitigation of light pollution and satellite constellations. She initiated and currently leads the Southeastern United States regional chapter of DarkSky International called Starry Skies South. She also serves on Dark Sky International’s Technical Committee.
Accessibility: This program includes a guided hike of about 1 mile along a flat, paved road. There are stairs down to the falls area. Please make sure you are comfortable walking in the dark with only a red flashlight. Seating will be provided for the lecture portion of the program. There are indoor restrooms in the pavilion and portable potties near the falls area.
Disclaimer: This program has limited space available. Please register to attend.
If you register but are unable to attend, please email programs@jeffcogreenways.org so we can open the spot for someone else.
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