HELENA — Although ExplorationWorks is closed to the public, the museum is doing everything they can to help the community during these trying times.
Due to the national shortage of medical masks, the nonprofit has been using their 3-D printer to make masks for an endodontist in Helena who has seen a surge in patients recently in an effort to keep people out of the E.R.
“Dr. Lybbert, who is a local endodontist, reached out because they’ve been asked to take on more dental patients just to help with the surge,” explained ExporationWorks Executive Director Kelly Posewitz. “So they’ve had this massive increase in patients but they don’t have the masks that they need because of the shortage.”
The museum quickly put their 3-D printer to work to get them masks.
ExplorationsWorks has also become a trout sanctuary for all the Trout Unlimited fish that were previously housed at the schools.
“We now have about 2,500 fish,” said Posewitz. “All the fish need a name so we’re asking kids and parents to go online and for a $5 donation you can name a fish.”
The new name of the fish will also be posted to social media.
A couple weeks ago, the science museum created a Youtube series called “Science @ Home with Sara” to help families doing science experiments at home.
“We also have other resources and activities you can print out and do at home,” said Posewitz. “We’re really trying to help parents, we know it’s a hard time.”
Posewitz says it’s been a hard time for them since they had to close, but ExporationWorks is committed to continuing to help anyway they can.
“It’s been really hard for us, but we’re doing what we can for the community and trying to provide key resources to help them,” said Posewitz. “I hope people know they can go online and ask us questions. If there’s content they want to see we’re happy to help with that. So we’re going to do what we can to support our community, but we really miss being open."
Posewitz urges people to continue to support the museum by renewing their memberships or making a donation.
More information about explorations, and how to help, can be found here.
