In anticipation of the opening of Fairchild’s Growing Beyond Earth Innovation Studio, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, in partnership with Moonlighter Makerspace, is offering classes in design thinking, 3D printing and basic circuitry so the community can get a head start on what they’ll need to know at Fairchild’s Innovation Studio, the first makerspace in a botanic garden, dedicated to the technology of growing food.
Visitors will have the opportunity to design, create and experiment using the latest technology to solve issues related to food production. The Innovation Studio will be the first public facility dedicated to NASA’s food production challenges and the first project to leverage community input in the development of plant-growing hardware.
The following classes being offered on Thursdays and Sundays from now until April at Fairchild, 10901 Old Cutler Rd. in Coral Gables, are listed below. To register, visit www.fairchildgarden.org/classes. Member and non-member fees apply.
Circuits In Seconds with LittleBits – Sunday, Feb. 23, 1-3 p.m. (Ages 7+);
Learn To Solder – Skill Builder – Sunday, Mar. 8, 1-3 p.m. (Ages 9+);
Plantech Soil Moisture Sensors – Thursday, Mar. 19, 6-8 p.m. (Ages 13+);
DIY Home Botany Kit – Sunday, Mar. 22, 1-3 p.m. (Ages 9+);
Laser Engraving Basics – Sunday, Apr. 5, 1-3 p.m. (Ages 9+), and
Plantech Advanced Plant Pod – Thursday, Apr. 9, 6-8 p.m. (Ages 9+).
The Growing Beyond Earth Innovation Studio will focus on specific challenges related to NASA’s food production initiatives, including how to grow plants more efficiently in zero gravity with the limited resources available on spacecraft, and using automation to plant, harvest, and maintain crops with little or no intervention from astronauts. The Innovation Studio is being developed in collaboration with Moonlighter Miami, a makerspace with broad local outreach programs, and the Nation of Makers, a nonprofit organization that fosters collaboration among makerspaces nationwide. It will serve students in elementary, middle, and high schools, local community members of all ages, and makers throughout the United States.
Fairchild has received generous support for The Growing Beyond Earth Innovation Studio from NASA, the Institute for Museum and Library Services and the Kendel H. Kennedy Foundation.
For more information, visit www.fairchildgarden.org.
