There were many activities for children to get involved in at Caithness International Science Festival 2022. Picture: DGS
The organisers of Caithness International Science Festival 2022 were delighted to report over 1500 visitors attended its Fun Day event on Saturday.
After hosting online events over the last couple of years due to Covid restrictions it was seen as a welcome return for the popular CISF 2022 Fun Day held in Wick High School.
"I'm really pleased with the turnout today and with all the enthusiasm everyone showed," said Professor Iain Baikie, chair of Science 03 which organises the CISF.
Children get involved in experiments thanks to these Chemistry PhD students from Edinburgh University. Picture: DGSChildren and parents enjoy a virtual reality event hosted by Norscot. Picture: DGSMaciej Winiarczyk talked about astronomy and photographing auroras. Picture: DGSDavid Shand is on the Science 03 committee and talked to children about the work of Wick-based company KP Technology. Picture: DGSLocally sourced foodstuffs are displayed by this Thurso-based foraging group called Nature's Path Natural Ways. Picture: DGSSofia learning about magnetism. Picture: DGSOver 1500 visitors attended Caithness International Science Festival 2022. Picture: DGSChildren learned about the skills utilised at the Dounreay nuclear site. Picture: DGSCaithness company Norscot had a popular display with a VR headset for kids to try out. Picture: DGS
"It was brilliant to restart the festival again and I think it's been a great success. We've had online talks as part of this festival and there are more next week but it's so great to be back with a physical presence in the schools and to be interacting with the public again."
Though there were over 1500 attendees at the CISF 2022 Fun Day on Saturday, Prof Baikie said that numbers were down by around 800 after the record high of the March 2019 event. "That's entirely understandable, however. There are less older people here but there are more families.
Olivia from Newton Park Primary School with a special embroidery machine that marked out patterns representing earthquakes on the sun. Picture: DGSHigh Life Highland Countryside Rangers had a desk with a series of cetacean skulls recovered from Caithness beaches. Picture: DGSIain Leith from Wick Society was manning a table for the Wick Voices project. Information can be heard on the vintage telephone. Picture: DGSA virtual reality experience was possible thanks to Norscot joinery. Picture: DGSRon Gunn is on the festival committee and did a tally of the numbers coming in which reached over 1500. Picture: DGSChris George from Dynamic Earth with a shark's jaw. Picture: DGSOlrig and District Beekeepers had a stand with honey to sample. Picture: DGSNigel Mansfield, left, and Roddy Mackay from Caithness Amateur Radio Society showed some of their impressive equipment. Picture: DGSWick High School pupil Cory More said he was interested in learning about photography. Picture: DGS
"We also had special animal shows that were packed out and we hope to have them back again when we run the festival again in March. We've had 23 presenters and it's such a wide range that there's always something interesting. The Youth Club doing the café meant there was somewhere to sit as well.
"It's been really special and I have to thank all the presenters for coming – both the STEM ambassadors as well as the professionals, as they really bring some magic to town."
Children learned about the skills utilised at the Dounreay nuclear site. Picture: DGSLearning about the work involved at Dounreay in a fun way. Picture: DGSEmmie, Amy, Ellie at front with Tish Mehta who was talking to the girls about helioseismology (earthquakes on the sun). Picture: DGSYarrows Heritage Trust had a 2000-year-old Guido 13 bead on display. The Iron Age bead was discovered during this year's dig at Swartigill near Thrumster. Picture: DGSRhona MacPherson and Holly Young at the Yarrows Heritage Trust stand. The Trust has been undertaking an archaeological dig near Thrumster. Picture: DGSGlass artist Michael Bullen had a special furnace and was trying to recreate the patterned glass bead recovered in an archaeological dig at Swartigill this year. His son Will is helping operate the bellows for the furnace. Picture: DGSGlass artist Michael Bullen had a special furnace and was trying to recreate the patterned glass bead recovered in an archaeological dig at Swartigill this year. Picture: DGSMichael Bullen shows of the glass beads he has created. Picture: DGSKen Crossan from Wick did an illustrated talk about the cliffs of the Caithness coastline that included not only the geological features but also the flora and fauna of the area. Picture: DGS
Professor Baikie said that CISF will be back for it's usual time slot in March next year. "I'm looking forward to getting back to normal and organising all the fundraising for that. It should be really good and I'm looking forward to keeping it going."
Wick High School computing science teacher Chris Aitken was showing children basic soldering on the day as part of a display by Caithness Amateur Radio Society (CARS). "It's been absolutely fantastic," he said.
Wick High School teacher Chris Aitken was teaching kids how to solder as part of a Caithness Amateur Radio Society display. Picture: DGSScience teacher Chris Aitken shows kids how to solder as part of the Caithness Amateur Radio Society stand. The children learned how to make a simple electrical circuit to turn on an LED light. Picture: DGS
"Everyone had a hands on event and that's the best way to learn. You get kids involved by getting them stuck in and giving everything a go. There are so many different experiences here for kids, it's fantastic." Chris added that though he was essentially teaching children on his day off he said "if you're having fun it's not really classed as work".
Ron Gunn, who was at CISF 2022 as a committee member of Science 03, had taken a tally of the numbers coming in that day. "The numbers are really good and everybody has really enjoyed it," he said.
"A lot of kids have been playing with different bits and pieces and learning at the same time. It's been really successful and we've even got two tractors outside and the fire service came along, so the kids are loving that too."
A number of events ran inside and outside the campus with fire engines, vintage tractors, a special glass furnace display and a satellite tracking device set up by CARS.
There are various free events that are still to be held as part of the CISF 2022 and more information can be found at: www.science03.org/events/
Vintage tractors were also on display and were a big hit with the kids. Picture: DGSMany children enjoyed clambering on board the fire engine at the front of the school. Picture: DGS
Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.
