As we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, we go back to the beginning—not just to the politics, but to the science that fueled our founders’ hopes. Join us for a special session honoring Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, two men who believed that a free nation must also be a curious one. In this interactive session, we will discuss: The "First American" Scientist: Discover Benjamin Franklin’s playful and profound experiments with electricity and the "Gulf Stream" that connect us to the world. Jefferson’s Garden Laboratory: Learn how Thomas Jefferson viewed every plant and weather pattern as a vital clue to understanding our new land. Founders’ Experiments: We will recreate some of their classic demonstrations together (no lightning required!) using simple tools to see what they saw. Citizen Science Roots: See how your own observations today—from tracking summer pollinators to monitoring the weather—continue the legacy they started. A Live Introduction to SciStarter & Project BudBurst: The session culminates in a live, hands-on demonstration of Project BudBurst, a national citizen science initiative hosted on SciStarter. Just as Jefferson meticulously logged the daily weather patterns and first seasonal blooms at Monticello, you will learn how to monitor the lifecycles of plants in your own neighborhood. We will walk through how easy it is to observe, track, and submit your local plant data to help modern scientists understand our changing ecosystem. Celebrate the spirit of discovery that helped build a nation. Come as you are. Leave with wonder. === Please Note: This specific session at the Moorhead Library is free and fully open to the general public. This event is part of a 4-session community series; the 3 additional sessions are being hosted directly within local senior living communities and are closed to the public.