Solution Studio

City living can mean special problems for mammals such as bats, mice, and squirrels. Heavy metals and other toxins can find their way into these animals’ bodies. Museum collections, like the Bell Museum’s, provide a way to study toxins in animals over time. Researchers analyzed mammal specimens going back to the 1910s to learn whether metals have increased. The good news? They have gone down! When you visit Solution Studio, you can choose a mammal specimen coloring sheet, analyze your specimen, and graph your findings.

Trees cool hot city streets and make neighborhoods beautiful. But their leaves can end up in the watershed, bringing nutrients that cause algae to grow. That reduces oxygen and harms habitat for plants and fish. Cities can control nutrient pollution by cleaning leaves off streets. But what season is best for sweeping? Your challenge? Test the seasons by competing to clear leaves from streets in spring and fall. Which season will win?

Less concrete and more plants make cities healthier. Green cities provide habitat for wildlife, let impurities drain from water, and provide mental and physical health benefits to people.  Researchers are learning how networks of green elements improve a city’s gray infrastructure. When ecologists join up with social scientists, they can also learn to build green cities with benefits for everyone. Your challenge? Step up to our gray magnet city and add parks, trees, rain gardens and more to make it green!

Trees are important for the health of cities. But when it rains, city trees can shed pollutants into our water. That tells us the role of trees in the urban watershed is complicated. One team from the MSP-LTER uses tools and collects data to learn about how water moves through cities. Their research shows how we can improve the health of the watershed. That helps wildlife and humans too. Your challenge? Play our modified foosball game and collect the water that falls through trees so researchers can study it!