If there was ever a place to be last Wednesday in Superior, it was Eva Horning Park. The stars aligned as the park buzzed with more activities than most could keep track of. 

Students from Clark Fork Fellowship and Parkside Baptist Vacation Bible School mingled with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, SpectrUM's Science on Wheels, the Mineral County Library's Summer Reading, and the Human Resource Council's free summer lunch program staffed by the Superior School District.

One stop that quickly drew a crowd was SpectrUM Discovery Area's Science on Wheels. Juhi Singh, Lead Outreach Educator with the Missoula-based program, and educator John Huestis brought hands-on science to town with a lesson on aquatic insects and fly fishing. 

"Kids are making their own fishhooks with shiny pipe cleaners, feathers, glossy paper, beads and whatever else we have here," Huestis said. 

The ‘hooks’ were made from cardboard, making them perfect for colorful keychains and necklaces rather than catching fish. Even so, the activity introduced children to the art of fly tying and why handcrafted flies fool trout. Huestis used simple questions to spark curiosity. 

"Have you ever been fishing? Do you know what you used to fish? If you used fishing lures, why did those work?" he asked. 

His answer led to an interesting science lesson. 

"Because they look like bugs, and fish eat bugs. That's called biomimicry, where you copy something that's alive so we can use it for our own purposes." 

The Science on Wheels team had been in Darby the previous day, where the lesson was just as popular. About 50 to 60 children participated in Superior. Along with examples of real fishing flies, the educators displayed actual aquatic insects so children could compare the real thing with the flies designed to imitate them.

Just a few steps away, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Region 2 Education and Customer Service Technician (EdTech), Ryan Binga was helping young visitors become fish experts. Using taxidermy-mounted trout and field guides, Binga quizzed the children on identifying Montana's fish species. 

"See those lines on the top of its body?" he asked one student. "That's pretty unique to that specific trout. See if you can find a photo in that field guide with those wavy lines instead of spots." 

The youngster confidently identified the fish as a brook trout, and she was right. Visitors also received free copies of the Identification of Montana's Most Common Game and Sport Fishes field guide. Pointing to another display, Binga tapped Montana's state fish. 

"This one here is one everyone should know," he said, referring to the cutthroat trout. 

He explained that Lewis and Clark gave the fish its name because the bright red slashes beneath its jaw looked as though its throat had been cut.

While science and wildlife captured plenty of attention, lunch was never far away. The Human Resource Council's Summer Food Program, with meals served by the Superior School District, has been offering free lunches Monday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. throughout the summer. The program continues through Aug. 6 and is open to all children. 

"So far today, I've had 63 kids," Cassidy Goins said with a smile. 

Now in her second summer serving lunches at Eva Horning Park, Goins has spent three years working in the school cafeteria. She greeted each child by name whenever she could, making the lunch line feel more like neighbors gathering than simply serving a meal.

To top off the afternoon, the Mineral County Library celebrated the finale of its Summer Reading Program by serving root beer floats. 

"Normally, we have a guest reader or even authors come read to the kids," librarian Florence Evans said. "But today there is so much going on that we thought we'd let them explore, visit with each other, and spend time learning about fish and insects." 

Nearby, two picnic tables were filled with children coloring a giant scroll covered in characters and woodland creatures while families enjoyed the festive atmosphere. Evans also reminded families to mark their calendars for the library's Back-to-School Kickoff on Wednesday, Aug. 19, from noon to 2 p.m. on the library lawn at 301 2nd Avenue East. The free event will feature hot dogs for lunch, and SpectrUM Science on Wheels will return to teach children how to make fossils.

For a few hours on a warm summer Wednesday, Eva Horning Park became a classroom, playground, cafeteria and community gathering place all at once proving that learning, laughter and a little root beer float can make for a memorable day.

    Community coloring tables were popular last Wednesday in Eva Horning Park in Superior. (Monte Turner/Mineral Independent)
  

    Lunch, bugs and root beer floats made more than 60 kids pretty darn happy as several organizations were on hand at Eva Horning Park. (Monte Turner/Mineral Independent)
  

    The chow line served lunch to over 60 kids last Wednesday courtesy of the Human Resource Council and staffed by the Superior School District. (Monte Turner/Mineral Independent)
  

    Ryan Binga with FWP was giving away fish identification guides and sharing tips with people on how Montana’s trout species differ in locations, markings and diet. (Monte Turner/Mineral Independent)