Eureka-area high school students build "touch box" for California State Fair

A “touch box” built by members of the Youth Conservation Corps at Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge near Eureka, CA, is a hit at this year's California State Fair. The crew members, all high school students from the Eureka area, designed and built this touch box in one week. They were assisted by YCC crew leader Bret Barnes and other refuge workers, but they did most of the work themselves.

A touch box, by the way, is an interactive display for young children that allows them to touch items from nature – feathers, antlers, birds' nests – and try to identify them without seeing them. It plays a big role in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Discovery Island exhibit at the California State Fair.

The touch box was built with redwood salvaged from a barn at Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge. In making the box, the students learned about cabinet making and design. They also gained knowledge about the National Wildlife Refuge System, as they had to think about how the touch box would be designed and what to incorporate into the display.

Inside the touch box are several hidden compartments containing different items. While the items cannot be seen, they can be touched if people put their hand into small holes on the side of the box. The touch box inspires a variety of emotions – from nervousness to anticipation – among both children and their parents.

“It is fun to watch the kids be very, very careful about putting their hands in it,” said the Fish and Wildlife Service's Viola Taylor.

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Students (from left) Mary L'Allier, Mike Maschmeier, Scott Heinichen, and Dillon Ayers work on the touch box at the refuge.

Work continues. From left, students Mary L'Allier, Andrew Barnes, Mike Maschmeier, Dillon Ayers, and Scott Heinichen.

Fish and Wildlife Service's Viola Taylor helps youngsters experience the touch box at the California State Fair