Press Release: New Outdoor Learning Space Opens at The Lawrence Hall of Science

Berkeley, CA–The Lawrence Hall of Science, UC Berkeley’s public science center, opens a new family-friendly outdoor learning space on June 19, 2022. 

The Robert & Elizabeth Karplus Outdoor Nature Lab encourages visitors to explore nature, as a stepping stone to helping them understand big ideas about the natural world. This accessible learning area, designed in partnership with landscape design firm Lutsko Associates, is the first major expansion to The Lawrence Hall of Science in 20 years.

For opening day, June 19, admission to The Lawrence Hall of Science (The Lawrence) is just $5.

In the Outdoor Nature Lab, families can explore and engage with nature through a variety of both facilitated and self-guided activities. Visitors can observe lichen and birds, learn how to use binoculars and spotting scopes, and investigate bones, plants, and other nature artifacts. The goal is to provide learners of any age with knowledge and skills they can use to explore nature anywhere.

With an outdoor classroom and picnic area, the space will also support dynamic learning experiences out-of-doors for school field trips, summer camps, and families. In the months and years to come, as plants grow in and local small creatures build homes, this learning space will encourage repeat visits over time.

The Outdoor Nature Lab will be open to the public all summer long, Tuesday–Sunday, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Entry to this space is included with regular admission to The Lawrence Hall of Science.

Not just a fun place to visit with the family, The Lawrence Hall of Science will also use this space to develop educational resources and activities that will be used by nature centers, parks, and outdoor learning spaces across the country and around the world, continuing its professional work in environmental learning and literacy.

Media preview: Friday, June 17, 2022.
10:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
The Lawrence Hall of Science,
1 Centennial Drive, Berkeley
RSVP: Adam Frost, 
adamfrost@berkeley.edu

Major support for this project came from Barbara Karplus and Rodney Womer. Significant support for the space was provided by the California Department of Parks and Recreation, Dan Shimizu and Celine Parrenas Shimizu in Memory of Lakas Shimizu, Bayan Shimizu, Robert Shimizu, Helzel Family Foundation, William Knox Holt Foundation, and Brian Metcalf. Additional support was provided by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Pisces Foundation, Robert H. Frazier, Bonnie Frazier Young, William H. Frazier, and Mary Frazier McDaniel,  Elizabeth Karplus, Walter Moos and Susan Miller, Elizabeth K. Stage, Lee Latimer and Bonnie Charpentier, Alysia and Henry Green, William A. Lee and Elizabeth Olek, Gary and Irene Masada, and many individual donors.

About The Lawrence Hall of Science

For over 50 years, The Lawrence Hall of Science has been at the forefront of science education. As part of the University of California, Berkeley, we work with scientists, engineers, and educators to design the most effective learning experiences. We strive to transform the world of STEM, infusing these fields with diverse perspectives and innovative minds. Curricula and other learning materials developed at The Lawrence are used by educators across the country and around the world.

The Lawrence Hall of Science has a long history as a leader in the field of outdoor science education. In the 1970s, The Lawrence developed the very first high-quality instructional materials for use in outdoor science exploration. Its Better Environmental Education, Teaching, Learning, & Expertise Sharing (BEETLES) project, founded in 2011, creates research-based resources and materials to support educators in outdoor science programs across the country. The Robert & Elizabeth Karplus Outdoor Nature Lab is the culmination of a longtime desire to create a space for the development and delivery of engaging outdoor learning experiences onsite in Berkeley.

About Robert and Elizabeth Karplus

The Outdoor Nature Lab is named in honor of educators and longtime champions of science education Robert & Elizabeth Karplus. Robert (Bob) Karplus was a theoretical physicist, a professor at UC Berkeley, and a pioneer in science education. Elizabeth (Betty) Karplus dedicated her professional life to teaching and learning, including running a radiochemistry laboratory and teaching at Mills College. Their work had a seminal impact on the approach to science learning that has been a hallmark of The Lawrence Hall of Science.  Professor Karplus was the principal investigator of the Science Curriculum Improvement Study, the first hands-on, laboratory based, comprehensive curriculum program for grades K-6 ever created at the Lawrence Hall of Science and served as Associate Director at The Lawrence for more than 10 years, including one year as Director. He pioneered the methodology of field testing and classroom revisions that is at the center of learning design today. Together, Bob and Betty co-authored papers on the development of scientific reasoning that have had a lasting impact on the field of science education. They shared a lifelong love of discovery and the outdoors, as well as a strong desire to see everyone else enjoy discovering nature.

Media Contact:
Adam Frost, newsroom@berkeley.edu,
(510) 642-2226