The title of Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter’s new exhibit says it all.
“Fore! the Planet: a Putt to Learn Adventure,” which is on display through April 30, is a family-friendly interactive, nine-hole, miniature golf showcase that not only helps improve participant’s game, but teaches them about the natural world, said Hunter Klingensmith, Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter visitor experience and exhibit manager.
Every hole has a different theme — butterfly life cycle, seed dispersal and bird migration, to name a few, Klingensmith said.
“Each one has different obstacles, some are easier than others,” she said. “A lot of holes have tips and hints of the topic, which will help you play better and score better.”
The hole about bird migration follows the Swainson’s hawk and things that might impact its migration path, Klingensmith said.
“So when you putt, you have to try to get around those things in order to get to the hawk’s nesting habitat,” she said
Some holes teach about the spawning cycle of salmon, food chains, water pollution and seed dispersal, Klingensmith said.
“With seed dispersal, there is information about animals that spread seeds, and you have to pick the animal you think spreads them best and make your putt,” she said. “If you are correct, that information will get your ball closest to the hole.”
One of Klingensmith’s favorites is the hole called Backyard Explorer that encourages you to go out into your backyard or your local park and explore the different natural things you can find,” she said. “This fits well with the EcoCenter, because we’ll do some events for the City Nature Challenge towards the end of April.”
The City Nature Challenge is an annual global event that runs this year from April 28 to May 1, when people find and photograph plants and wildlife in cities around using the iNaturalist app.
The final hole of “Fore! the Planet” exhibit is about rainforests, Klingensmith said.
“You can choose to either save the rainforest or continue deforestation,” she said.
Klingensmith came across the exhibit while searching for traveling exhibits that fit in a 2,500-square-foot space.
“At first we thought mini golf for an exhibit is kind of a weird thing, but it really is a fun way to learn about the natural world around you,” she said. “We polled our board and members and this one had some overwhelming positive feedback.”
“Fore! the Planet: a Putt to Learn Adventure” was designed and crafted by the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, according to Klingensmith.
It’s now owned by Linvilla Orchards, a 300-acre family farm also in Philadelphia, dedicated to agriculture, entertainment and education, and they have the other nine holes set up, she said.
All the holes are accessible to all abilities, and there are specialty clubs equipped with ball retrievers if needed, Klingensmith said.
“I think the exhibit is a great winter activity, because you can come visit after skiing or you can come in if part of your family doesn’t want to ski,” she said. “We’re also offering private sessions that you can book, and we are also booking for birthday parties.”
To further facilitate access to the exhibit, the EcoCenter is extending its hours to 7 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, Klingensmith said.
‘We want to help make it easier for people to experience this unique way to learn about the natural world,” she said.