Nebraska Science Festival

Sean Kenney’s Nature Connects®
2025-04-16 09:00 - 17:00, 2025-04-17 09:00 - 17:00, 2025-04-18 09:00 - 17:00, 2025-04-19 09:00 - 17:00, 2025-04-20 09:00 - 17:00, 2025-04-21 09:00 - 17:00, 2025-04-22 09:00 - 17:00, 2025-04-23 09:00 - 17:00 (America/Chicago) and 2 more dates | Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft Street, Omaha, NE, 68108
BUILD a great garden adventure during Sean Kenney’s Nature Connects®: Made with LEGO® Bricks all month long at Lauritzen Gardens. This exhibit celebrates the beauty of nature but also emphasizes the delicate connections that exist between all living things. Marvel at 18 larger-than-life sculptures built from more than 275,000 LEGO® bricks, including a majestic monarch butterfly, a hovering hummingbird, a sly fox, and more! Ignite your imagination, make your own brick-built creations, and leave with a deeper appreciation for the relationships and connections that sustain our ecosystems.

16th annual Richard B. Davis, MD, PhD History of Medicine Lecture
2025-04-16 12:00 - 13:00 | University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), 42nd and Emile, Omaha, NE, 68198
Discover the true story of the Black Angels at the 16th annual Richard B. Davis, MD, PhD History of Medicine Lecture on April 16, from noon–1 pm, online via Zoom (registration required).
Author Maria Smilios learned about the Black Angels while working as a science book editor at Springer Publishing. As a native New Yorker and lover of history, medicine, and women’s narratives, she became determined to tell their story.
“The Black Angels” is the true story of the Black nurses who, in 1929, wagered their lives by leaving the Jim Crow south and went north to work on an isolated hilltop in Staten Island at Sea View Hospital. The “pest house” was an overcrowded municipal tuberculosis sanatorium where the city sent its poorest residents, considered “uncouth and un-American consumptives” to languish and die.
Interested in attending the lecture? Register to attend via Zoom.

Smelly Science: Weasels & Skunks STINK! - POSTPONED
2025-04-16 18:00 - 19:30 | Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center, 11700 SW 100th Street, Denton, NE, 68339, United States
STAY TUNED FOR A NEW DATE FOR THIS EVENT!
Join Nebraska Game and Parks Commission & Spring Creek Prairie for a fun and informative evening for an adult-based workshop, “Smelly Science: Weasels & Skunks Stink.” This engaging event will kick off with a half-hour deep dive into the fascinating world of weasels and skunks, exploring their unique behaviors and, of course, their famous stinks! After the indoor session, we’ll head out on a hike through the prairie, where you’ll get to participate in hands-on activities such as learning about the Eastern Spotted Skunk Community Science Project. Then, we’ll wrap things up indoors with a lively trivia game, fun goodies, and helpful resources to take home. Come for the science, stay for the fun — and be prepared for a bit of stink!
Free admission, but registration required.
Registration is now open. Click here to register for either the in-person program at Spring Creek Prairie or the Zoom broadcast.
**Note: This is an in-person event at Spring Creek Prairie, but there will be an online Zoom link for those wishing to just watch the half-hour informational presentation.

LEGOS at the Library
2025-04-17 15:45 - 16:45 | City of Kearney Public Library, 2020 1st Avenue, Kearney, NE, 68847, United States
Join the Kearney Public Library for some brick-snapping fun! Come design and build your own creations. The library will provide the LEGOS, you just need to bring your imagination along. No registration is required for this event.

Kennedy STEAM Family Night
2025-04-17 17:30 - 19:00 | Howard Kennedy Elementary Schoool, 2906 N 30th St., Omaha, NE, 68111, United States
Kennedy Elementary School is once again hosting a STEAM Family Night on Thursday, April 17, from 5:30-7pm featuring Robotics, Rockets, Hovercrafts, Fire Truck, Urban Gardening, 3D Pens, Water Science, Laser Cutting and more!
Come and enjoy awesome opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics. Food, Fun and Family time for ALL.

Artificial Womb Technology: Brave New World is Closer Than We Think
2025-04-17 18:30 - 19:30 | UNO, College of Public Affairs and Community Service, 6320 Maverick Plaza, Omaha, NE, 68182, United States
In this public talk, Dr. Laura Johnson Dahlke will discuss the future of human reproduction and present timely information on the scientific development of artificial womb technology and its implications for humanity.
She will further explore the value of pregnancy and childbirth in the 21st century, questioning the notion that mechanical gestation will lead to full gender equality.

Professor Dahlke is the author is Outer Origin: A Discourse on Ectogenesis and the Value of Human Experience. She is passionate about topics relating to pregnancy, childbirth, and reproductive technologies. In her work she synthesizes complex ideas from various disciplines such as medical science, philosophy, literature, and psychology–with clarity and readability.

Beauty View Dairy Farm Tour
2025-04-18 10:00 - 11:30, 2025-04-18 13:00 - 14:30 | Beauty View Farm, 2075 Co Rd K, Wahoo, NE, 68066, United States
Beauty View Dairy Farm is offering tours on April 18 at 10am and 1pm to the public for NE SciFest.
The hour and a half tour includes:
Baby Calf
Hands on STEM activities
Milking Parlor
Feeding Cows
Cost is $5 per youth, $8 per adult.
Please email nescifest@gmail.com to register. There needs to be a $40 minimum per each group for the tour to occur.

Skeletons on the Screen: Dr. Katie East
2025-04-18 14:00 - 15:00 | Saddlebrook Branch, 14850 Laurel Ave., Omaha, NE, 68116, United States
Join Dr. Katie East for an entertaining look into forensic anthropology on the screen to learn what forensic anthropologists actually do. Compare television, movies and real life. It may be entertaining when pop culture gets forensic anthropology wrong, but the consequences are more real than you think.
This is a free event for teens aged 13-19.
Registration is required and opens March 15. Call 402-444-5780 to register.

Seeds & Sprouts
2025-04-19 10:00 - 11:00 | Crete Public Library, 1515 Forest Ave, Crete, NE, 68333, United States
Looking for a fun, educational, and hands-on activity for the whole family? Bring your loved ones closer to nature with Crete Public Library‘s Seeds & Sprouts program! Whether you’re seasoned gardeners or total beginners, there’s something for everyone.

Lincoln Earth Day
2025-04-19 10:00 - 14:00 | Nebraska Innovation Campus, 2021 Transformation Drive, Lincoln, NE, 68508, United States
The Lincoln Earth Day Celebration is an annual celebration in Lincoln, Nebraska. The exciting community event has approximately 2,500 attendees annually and their Coalition wants you to join in the fun. There will be dozens of booths that all promote, educate, and celebrate environmental stewardship, green education, and sustainable living.
Grab your friends, families and coworkers and join us for this year’s environmental education and family fun!

Indigenous Foraging with the Moon Cycle - Featuring Bluebird Cultural Initiative
2025-04-19 11:00 - 13:00 | Kiewit Luminarium, 345 Riverfront Drive, Omaha, NE, 68102, United States
In this workshop, learn about the intimate relationship between Indigenous practices of plant foraging and the cycles of the moon. Sicangu Lakota artist and educator Steve Tamayo will share insight on the many plant medicines Indigenous communities have relied on for generations, how these relationships with plant relatives were impacted by colonization, and how they remain vital still today.

Steve Tamayo is the founder of the nonprofit Bluebird Cultural Initiative. The organization’s mission is to provide meaningful programming to the community that enriches their understanding of the history and cultural traditions of Native American peoples of the Great Plains.

This event is included with any daily admission ticket or with a membership at Kiewit Luminarium.

Earth Day in the Greenhouse
2025-04-19 11:00 - 14:00 | Mulhall’s, 3615 N 120th Street, Omaha, NE, 68164, United States
Come join Mulhall’s in the Greenhouse to kick off the season and celebrate the planet with live music from local singer-songwriter Andre Vander Velde!
Learn more about the vital research and conservation efforts dedicated to preserving the extraordinary biological diversity of the Great Plains, presented by Lauritzen Gardens.
While you’re here, bring your garden tools, mower blades, scissors, and even kitchen cutlery! Foster’s Sharpening Service will hone your blades, preparing them for another season of use.
Enjoy delicious lunch options from Kitchen Table, cold-pressed juice from The Grove Juicery, and take a moment to relax and recharge. Find your favorite new threads from Great Plains Vintage.
Stop by to chat with some amazing community partners, including The Nature Conservancy, Hillside Solutions, Heron Haven, Keep Omaha Beautiful, Whispering Roots, and Omaha Parks Foundation.
Spend the afternoon in the Greenhouse, connect with wonderful community partners, and see how fun it can be to care for our Earth. Let’s make a positive impact together!

Skeletons on the Screen: Dr. Katie East
2025-04-19 14:00 - 15:00 | Milton R. Abrahams Branch, 5111 N. 90th St., Omaha, NE, 68134, United States
Join Dr. Katie East for an entertaining look into forensic anthropology on the screen to learn what forensic anthropologists actually do. Compare television, movies and real life. It may be entertaining when pop culture gets forensic anthropology wrong, but the consequences are more real than you think.
This is a free event for teens aged 13-19.

Incredible Edible Landfill
2025-04-21 14:00 - 15:00 | Charles B. Washington Branch, 2868 Ames Ave., Omaha, NE, 68111, United States
Have you ever wondered what happens once you throw something into the trash can? How important is recycling? Join the Omaha Public Library as they explore these issues in a fun (and tasty) way! Participants will use pudding, candy, cookies, cereal, and other tasty treats to create an edible landfill.
This program contains allergens such as wheat, milk, eggs, soy and tree nuts. However, the treat can be made without all the ingredients for children that still want to participate.
This is a free event for children ages 7-12. First come first served. Childcare groups and groups larger than 10, please call in advance.
Parents/caregivers must remain with their child(ren) for the duration of the program.

Omaha Science Cafe - "The Teenage Brain Today"
2025-04-22 19:00 - 20:00 | Slowdown, 729 N 14th St., Omaha, NE, 68102, United States
Join Giorgia Picci,Ph.D., the Susan & George Haddix Endowed Chair in Developmental Neuroscience in the Institute for Human Neuroscience at Boys Town National Research Hospital, for the April 22 Omaha Science Cafe as she presents, “The Teenage Brain,” 7pm at the Slowdown.
The teenage brain is built for change. Decades of research have shown that adolescence is one of the most dynamic periods of brain development. This rapid transformation is driven by a mix of biological and social factors, including pubertal hormones, shifting social dynamics, and the push toward independence. This interplay creates a developmental paradox—a window of both great opportunity and heightened vulnerability. In today’s world, added complexities like social media are reshaping the landscape of adolescence. Dr. Picci will unpack these topics and discuss how they may help explain the rising rates of mental health challenges in teens.
Science Cafés address science topics in casual settings like pubs and coffeehouses. The events are open to everyone (21 and older).
Using plain language, an easygoing atmosphere and inclusive conversation, these interactive events are welcoming and comfortable for people with no science background. Each presentation is followed by a question-and-answer period.

Science in Space at Mercury
2025-04-23 19:00 - 20:00 | Mercury, 329 S 16th St #3, Omaha, NE, 68102, United States
Launch into Mercury on April 23 at 7pm, to hear Anthony Galdamez, NASA Solar System Ambassador and program manager at Kiewit Luminarium for a night of science fun. Anthony,is a scientific astronaut candidate, is currently researching and studying Astro-botany for future space missions. Join him for a talk on his research, space training, and some audience participation, all while sipping a space themed cocktail from the master mixologists at Mercury.

Roots, Research and Resilience: Exploring the Future of the Nebraska Sandhills
2025-04-25 10:45 - 11:45 | UNL East Campus Union, 1705 Arbor Drive, Lincoln, NE, 68503, United States
Dr. Mary Ann Vinton will present “Roots, Research and Resilience: Exploring the Future of the Nebraska Sandhills,” for the 2025 Maiben Lecture at the Nebraska Academy of Sciences 2025 Annual Spring Meeting at the UNL East Campus Union. In her presentation, she will blend ideas from natural and social science to explore the status and future of the Nebraska Sandhills as one of the most intact grasslands in the world.
Dr. Mary Ann Vinton grew up as a member of a five-generation family of cattle ranchers in the Nebraska Sandhills. She did an undergraduate degree in Biology at the University of Wyoming, a MS at Kansas State University, and a PhD in Ecology at Colorado State University. She is now Professor of Biology and Director of Environmental Science at Creighton University in Omaha. Dr. Vinton teaches courses in biology, ecology, and environmental science. Her research program revolves around the ecosystem consequences of human impacts on plant communities, such as impacts wrought by invasive plants or the demise of once-common plants. Her research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, NASA-Nebraska Space Grant, and Nebraska Environmental Trust, and involves close mentoring of undergraduate research students. Recently, she has returned to the Sandhills to reconnect with her roots and study how landscapes are changing with management and climate. Dr. Vinton inherited a section of land on the Dismal River from her mother and “Kinkaided” by her great, great aunt, Mary Crouch. The section is known as the “Aunt Mary” and is surrounded by family. She has used the Aunt Mary as a study site for biodiversity work and analyses of the landscape diversity inherent in the wet meadows and dry dunes in the Sandhills. In talking with friends and family, Dr. Vinton has become interested in the factors that affect land management and how decisions and attitudes are often not based on science or economic optimization, but often involve feelings of obligation and connection, stemming from long relationships between one another and land.
Visit neacadsci.org for more information.

2025 Northeast Nebraska Extension Master Gardener Plant Fair and Market Vendors
2025-04-25 17:00 - 20:00, 2025-04-26 09:00 - 15:00 | Northeast Community College Agriculture Complex, 2301 E Benjamin Ave, Norfolk, NE, 68701, United States
Held at Northeast Community College, Chuck Pohlman Ag Complex is the 2025 Northeast Extension Master Gardener Plant Fair and Market Vendors.
Educational speakers will be present Friday and Saturday with proceeds from the fair helping to support educational speakers and horticulture scholarships to Northeast Community College.

SCC Family Science Night
2025-04-25 17:30 - 20:00 | Southeast Community College Lincoln, 8800 O St., Lincoln, NE, 68520, United States
Spring into Science and celebrate Earth Day at a FREE event for families on Friday, April 25 at Southeast Community College Lincoln.
Come have fun with friends and family and learn about Science with exciting activities, great prizes and enjoy free food too!
