North Peace Museum hosting citizen scavenger hunt

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The Fort St. John North Peace Museum will be hosting a scavenger hunt on July 11 to advertise one if it’s new exhibits. 

On Saturday, July 11, the Fort St. John North Peace Museum will be offering free admission as it hosts its citizen science scavenger hunt.

According to the museum, the scavenger hunt is a “great way” to interact with the “Charlie Lake Conservation Society’s Science Is All Around Us” exhibit.

Heather Sjoblom, the manager and curator of the Fort St. John North Peace Museum, said this is a brand-new scavenger hunt offered by the museum. 

Sjoblom said the museum is offering the scavenger hunt as part of “Doors Open,” an initiative from the Northern Trails Heritage Society, where museums and historic buildings in the Peace region and Fort Nelson offer free admission for a day during the summer.

“Each year we have participated at the Fort St. John North Peace Museum, we have tended to do a scavenger hunt that ties in with whatever our free tour exhibit is for that summer,” said Sjoblom.

“This summer, we have science is all around us the importance of citizen science, which is a display done by the Charlie Lake Conservation Society, and so our scavenger hunt is citizen science themed,” she said. 

Sjoblom said the exhibit will look at citizen science and explain what it is, which involves ordinary people participating in science, from mapping to looking at the stars and learning about animals and tracks. 

“This exhibit has several panels that talk about different themes,” she said. “Things like what citizen science is, mapping the Charlie Lake watershed at the night sky.” 

According to Sjoblom, the exhibit will feature various hands-on interactive activities, including a slideshow on citizen science and an app that explains the night sky and what you can find in it. 

“They have a special blue tent, and underneath there’s lots of interactive activities, there’s blocks with different animals and fish for kids to play with,” she said. 

The museum will be offering free admission during the exhibit from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Sjoblom explained why people should attend the scavenger hunt.

“This is your only opportunity to do this particular scavenger hunt,” she said. “There won’t be another one…it’s a great way to learn more about different stuff at the museum that you might not notice if you’re just going on a general self-guided tour of the museum.”