Nationally renowned dinosaur paleontologist and PBS Kids TV series host Dr. Scott Sampson will be the keynote speaker at Conner Prairie’s 2016 annual business meeting.
Sampson is best known as “Dr. Scott,” the host and science advisor of the Emmy-nominated “Dinosaur Train” show that airs on PBS Kids.
Sampson, also the vice president of research and collections and chief curator at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, is the author of a new book titled “How to Raise a Wild Child.”
The book aims to help adults connect children with nature.
“The average American child currently spends about seven hours a day staring at screens and mere minutes engaged in unstructured play outdoors, a dramatic transformation within the past generation,” Sampson writes. “Research indicates that experiences in nature are essential for healthy growth. Regular exposure to nature can help relieve stress, depression and attention deficits. Most critical of all, abundant time in natural settings seems to yield long-term benefits in children’s cognitive, emotional and social development.”
Conner Prairie’s 2016 annual business meeting begins at 6 p.m. Jan. 27, inside the museum’s Welcome Center, 13400 Allisonville Rd. Conner Prairie executives will look back at 2015 and reveal annual statistics and look ahead to the 2016 season.
Those attending can meet Sampson and get their copy of “How to Raise a Wild Child” signed following the event.
