 The 133 youth that got off the buses here this morning at the Twelfey Wellness Park are here today to learn about nature and What they can learn from nature that can maybe possibly help them in their future or to better other people's lives The kids today are learning so much because normally they're in the classroom environment But here they get to go outside and connect the things that they've been learning in the classroom with the real world Which is where they're all gonna go as they get jobs and so on and so the things that they learn are things That they can bring in back into the classroom They can bring into their interest that they take inside of them and that directs them for the rest of their life This program is so important to our community because it brings youth from our area schools and our teachers and shaperones and parents Whoever's coming out today to help with this program that brings us all together To learn about nature and to see all the things that this park actually has to offer here locally But these youth learn so much. I know some that have you know changed their career options because of What they've learned here at this program in the past biofest relates to the health and wellness of the community by showing these kids that Their well-being is is all around them. They don't necessarily need a gym or a fitness center to be well They can be well right outside so the whole biofest platform comprised of bioactive and Biovation is a great supplemental educational framework to add richness meaning depth and hands-on activities to STEM focused science programs Engineering programs and as we see more and more of these elements being incorporated in curricula across the nation Programs like biofest hosted here at the toll-free wellness park really give a lot of hope and Spark for young minds to apply these ideas in bio mimicry and design and engineering inspired by nature The importance of what they do here today Is has to do with a couple different things one is the value of the natural environment to all of us the clean air The clean water the inspiration the joy that we receive from the natural world all of those things Help us on a daily basis even if we're not aware of it And so that's one of the things that the kids get to connect with the other one is sort of more academic Researchers all around the world in universities and companies They are looking to the natural world for ideas for the next big technology for how to do all sorts of things in the medical care in Transportation in all sorts of different areas people are looking to nature for ideas and we're teaching those kids how they can also Look to the natural world to inspire their own innovations their own inventions and hopefully it's gonna get them interested more in science and technology engineering and math and We found that it works great this Coincides with the STEM curriculum that many teachers and parents are interested in their kids receiving because this is how innovation happens at companies at Universities people are looking to the biological world the natural world for inspiring ideas for how they can improve Technology for the rest of us so whatever kids here learn today is actually what they might end up being Doing when they go and work at colleges or companies doing research and development Doing engineering doing design or whatever they might do they're learning about nature and what it has to provide them You know throughout their life. They're learning about different species They're gonna learn about what those species offer them kind of for maybe their future for design and engineering type of careers So the second half of the day is called biovation and biovation is all about bio mimicry Biomimicry is gaining inspiration from nature for science and engineering projects ways to solve problems in the human world Based on nature's answer to some challenges that it faces So what we're gonna do is extend the learnings from the first half of the day bioactive where the kids have been outside active exercising and immersed in nature and Learning about functionalities of organisms extending that after lunch or after a presentation with Sam Steyer from the Center for Learning with nature into Biovation and we'll be doing some design and engineering activities through a process we've designed and The kids will emerge with ideas of their own to share with each other and to share with the community And this is all facilitated here at the toll-free wellness park And we're really excited to see how the results turn out for a year for