Carnegie Science Center will celebrate our home planet with virtual Earth Week programs and activities on social media April 20-26, while the facility on Pittsburgh’s North Shore is closed due to covid-19 restrictions.

The center’s Three Things, a curated list of something to read, something to watch and something to do, posted at 8 a.m. on Facebook and Twitter, will celebrate a different Earth-friendly theme each day.

At 10:30 a.m., Science Center team members will host a Facebook Live session delving into a specific aspect of the day’s topic. At noon, the center will share a simple science activity related to the theme.

Earth Week activities and Facebook Live events include:

• Yummy Monday, April 20 — Learn how to grow your own food at home using scraps, make kale chips, familiarize yourself with composting and get your garden growing with a seedling starter tutorial.

• Toadstool Tuesday, April 21 — Pay what you can to watch Fantastic Fungi, a documentary about the science of fungi; learn about morel mushrooms from Sarah Meiss of California University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences; make a mushroom house with recycled materials; and learn about the fungi threatening bats, amphibians and reptiles.

• Recycle Wednesday, April 22 — On Earth Day, Science Center staff and friends will share ways to incorporate recycling into daily life. Hear from expert recyclers, learn how to make rugs out of recycled plastic bags, make sock puppets and sock stuffies with recycled materials around the house, and enjoy Earth Day story time.

• Thunderous Thursday, April 23 — Weather is the inspiration for these activities. Watch a tornado cannon experiment, make your own rain stick, design your own psychrometer and catch a fun-filled interview with a local meteorologist.

• Animal Fun Friday, April 24 — Chat with a bird expert, learn how to make a bird feeder, make elephant art out of recycled materials, discover how to determine which animals are roaming your backyard and join in the City Nature Challenge, an annual, global, community science competition to document urban biodiversity.

• Shrubs ‘n’ Such Saturday, April 25 — Dig deeper into backyard science to celebrate the plants on our planet. Watch a leaf rubbing demonstration, make a nature mobile, start your own nature journal and continue the City Nature Challenge with Science Center staff.

• Splish-Splash Sunday, April 26 – The final day of Earth Week is all about the wonders of water. Learn why where we live in space is perfect for liquid water, make an erosion table, create your own water filters and wrap up the City Nature Challenge with a closer look at the waters around Pittsburgh.

Activities and fun science demonstration videos also can be found daily on the Science Center’s Instagram and YouTube channel.

Details: carnegiesciencecenter.org

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