As visitors enter Dig It! they will take a trip underground and will be surrounded by a lively and exciting soil landscape. A multimedia piece at the entrance takes visitors underground to see and hear some of the animals and plants who call soils "home." The centerpiece of the entrance experience is an amazing white oak (Quercus alba) tree trunk with three dimensional roots perched on top of the soil landscape. Visitors can walk underneath and look up to see the hollowed out inside of this amazing tree.
This tree did not sprout overnight. It took root and grew from designs created by MFM Design and the artistic craftsmanship of model maker, Carolyn Thome, of the Smithsonian's Office of Exhibits Central (OEC). Carolyn met with the exhibit's core team and the designer to learn more about their vision. She then went back to the model shop and made the two-dimensional design drawings come to life under the guidance of model shop supervisor, Lora Collins. The result will be a dramatically life-like white oak trunk and roots that will leave visitors wondering - is it real? - and transport them into the living world underground that supports all life on Earth.
The white oak goes from a concept drawing by MFM Design to a realistic model
through the efforts of Carolyn Thome.
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