New Mexico State University’s College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences will host its fifth annual ACES Open House from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 6, on the Las Cruces campus.
Community members of all ages are invited to the free, family friendly event to explore several buildings, labs and auxiliary units on NMSU’s agricultural complex and learn about the various academic, research and outreach programs in the College of ACES.
This year, attendees may tour NMSU’s new Food Science, Security and Safety Center, which houses state-of-the-art laboratories and classrooms for food science, bio-processing and value-added agriculture. The Chile Pepper Institute will also be open, and visitors 21 and older will get to sample New Mexico-made wine.
“This is an opportunity for the Las Cruces and NMSU communities to catch a glimpse of the activities our students, faculty and staff engage in,” College of ACES Dean Rolando A. Flores Galarza said. “This event highlights various teaching, research and outreach efforts from our on-campus departments, Cooperative Extension Service and statewide research centers.”
Visitors should start at the welcome tent outside Gerald Thomas Hall, 940 College Drive. There, they can pick up a complimentary reusable shopping bag and an exploration map. The self-guided map includes a list of areas guests can visit, along with a spot to collect stamps. After exploring the college, visitors can return to the welcome tent to select a small prize for every 10 stamps collected (while supplies last).
Throughout the event, visitors will be able to interact with horses from the Equine Science program and see sheep and goats on display. The Wildlife Museum, which houses more than 6,000 specimens with some dating back to the early 1900s, and the ACES Arthropod Museum, which houses the largest collection of insects and other arthropods in New Mexico, will be open. A reptile and amphibian demonstration will also be provided.
The New Mexico 4-H program will set up its “Shooting Sports” trailer, where visitors can learn firearm safety and practice shooting an air-pellet rifle in a controlled environment. Visitors can also test their knowledge about vegetable seeds through an interactive circuit board and use their own physical activity to generate power on an energy bicycle. Collegiate 4-H will also provide a corn-hole competition.
Health-related activities include a giant inflatable colon, where visitors can walk through to learn more about colon cancer. Information about a variety of free health and wellness programs will also be distributed. Visitors can use a veggie meter to measure their fruit and vegetable consumption, as well as learn how to build a healthy plate of food using a free online tool.
Several plant exhibits will feature information about composting, soil health, hydroponics and identifying weeds. The Extension Master Gardener program will provide information about climate activism, and the Plant Diagnostic Clinic will be open to help visitors identify problems with their plants.
Representatives from NMSU’s Cooperative Extension Service and Agricultural Experiment Station will be on hand to discuss the various Extension programs as well as research being conducted at the agricultural science centers across the state.
Free, light refreshments will be provided in Gerald Thomas Hall, Skeen Hall, Knox Hall and the Tejada Building.
“The event has grown over the years as we continue to welcome the public to visit and learn more about projects and programs within the college,” Flores Galarza said. “This year, we are excited to welcome a group of ACES alumni from Chihuahua. Please join us for this free and exciting day, which will offer something for everyone, including a student research poster competition that allows undergraduate and graduate students to present their ongoing research.”
The open house will conclude around noon in the Gerald Thomas Hall auditorium with an awards ceremony for the research poster competition. Students who place in the undergraduate and graduate categories will receive a cash award.
Following the event, faculty members will host an information session for high school students about agricultural science careers and the USDA-funded LEADING Hispanics program at 12:30 p.m. in Knox Hall, Room 238. A free lunch will be provided. RSVP to 575-646-3427 or hloest@nmsu.edu.
For more information about the open house, call 575-646-2877 or visit the event website.
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CUTLINE: New Mexico State University’s College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences will host its fifth annual ACES Open House from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 6, on the Las Cruces campus. The event is free and open to the public. (Courtesy)