One of the most prominent activities conducted throughout the year was the “Biodiversity: Play and Learn!” exhibition, which was on display from 9 to 24 November 2010. The first interactive exhibition to be entirely developed and manufactured within the PSC, it showcases and celebrates the outstanding biodiversity of our planet, especially, in Egypt, in a playful manner that has intrigued the public of all age groups. The exhibition is divided into five zones that explore the Animal World, a Greenhouse, the Insect World, the Food World, and the Marine World, in addition to Activity and Movie Corners.
In the first zone, visitors enjoyed playing and learning about animals of different shapes, sizes and roles in the global ecosystem. The zone comprised fun games such as: Your Size Compared to Animals; the Animal Wheel; Connect Four; and Freaks of Nature!, which was one of the exhibition’s hits.
In the Greenhouse, visitors learnt about different plants and how important they are to keeping the planet’s atmosphere balanced for life to continue, in addition to its many other indispensable values. Moving on, visitors explored a wide range of insects and learned how each bug, no matter how annoying it is, is essential to life and its sustainability.
Another zone was dedicated to explaining food systems, showcasing the significance of food chains and webs, and emphasizing the impact geography has on how populations feed. The following zone discussed marine biodiversity, which might have been the most fascinating to visitors simply because we rarely get to explore it firsthand.
The edutaining exhibition finished off with an activity area then a movie corner featuring the official movie of the International Year of Biodiversity IYB2010; an interesting documentary that raises awareness of the dangers that threaten the richness and sustainability of Earth’s biodiversity.
The “Biodiversity: Play and Learn!” exhibition was the crowning success of a year full of stimulating hands-on activities revolving around biodiversity. Among the hands-on workshops organized during the course of the year was Biodiversity Conservation, which emphasized biodiversity conservation efforts, acquainting students with nearby protected areas and local management techniques that foster biodiversity conservation. The workshop also stressed the role that biodiversity and biological resources play in shaping human cultures.