Kids Get Chance to Question Lewis and Clark

Imagine you are planning a cross country trip... paddling a boat through a wilderness with no map. What do you bring for supplies? How do you find your way back? What do you do if you get sick or hurt? What kind of wild animals will there be and how dangerous are they? Beginning its seventh season, Dialogue For Kids tracks the scientific discoveries made by Lewis and Clark. September marks the 200th anniversary of their first steps in Idaho. Tim McNeil, "Meriwether Lewis" re-enactor and Adare Evans, Wildlife Educator for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game join host Joan Cartan-Hansen to answer student questions on air. The live broadcast of Dialogue For Kids "Science of Lewis and Clark" airs on Idaho Public Television Tuesday, September 20th at 2:00/1:00 p.m. MT/PT. Cartan-Hansen, McNeil and Evans take calls from students statewide on a toll-free line: 1-800-973-9800. Questions also may be sent by e-mail at dialogue4kids@idahoptv.org via the Dialogue For Kids Web site or in advance by FAX at 208-373-7245. In September of 1805, Lewis and Clark and the Corp of Discovery traveled through Idaho on their journey West. They were not just explorers, they were also scientists. President Thomas Jefferson sent the explorers West to not only find a passage to the Pacific, but to also document the details of the plant and animal life in the region and to learn more about the minerals and mountains found along the way. Dialogue For Kids speaks with experts from differing backgrounds to discover what the Corps really found. Adare Evans presents environmental education programs to Treasure Valley area schools, manages the Nose-to-Nose and Critter Clubs, and writes articles for Wildlife Express. A native of the Wood River Valley, Evens' love of the outdoors was developed at an early age. She earned her Bachelors of Science from the University of Idaho in Wildland Recreation Management. Evans currently resides in Boise with her husband and two children. Tim McNeil brings Meriwether Lewis to life with his costumes, props and readings of excerpts from Lewis' journals. His interest in Lewis and Clark history lies specifically in the carpentry used by the Corps. McNeil presents a carpenter's perspective on canoes and historic-style hand tools. Additional information and links regarding Lewis and Clark can be found at the Dialogue For Kids Web site (idahoptv.org/dialogue4kids/). The broadcast program, in addition to being audio- and video-streamed live on the Web, also will remain available in the Dialogue For Kids archive on the Web site. Dialogue For Kids, produced by Idaho Public Television and the Idaho Department of Fish & Game, airs the third Tuesday of the month throughout the school year and focuses on a variety of science-related topics. McNeil's appearance is made possible by support from the Idaho Governor's Lewis and Clark Trail Committee, and by funding from the Idaho Humanities Council, the state-based affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.