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Visitors were impressed by the spacious atrium, the beautiful satellite images of Earth art on display, and the Landsat 8 model hanging above them. But they were particularly struck by the scientific insights gained from watching land change over time via remote sensing satellites. One visitor mentioned monitoring the expansion of coal mines across the landscape. Another retired farmer noted that he had not previously known how remote sensing could benefit agriculture, for example by tracking potential droughts.
The club’s EROS trip was preselected by Ed and Deanne Weninger of Brookings, South Dakota, who are hosting the 2024 Dodge Brothers Club Central America Tour, June 10-14, 2024. The couple had been planning for a year and included EROS as a stop in August 2023. “We were blown away by the science center,” Deanne said, and decided to add it to the trip. She predicts group members will especially enjoy seeing mosaic maps of their respective hometowns. Club members on the trip came from 17 states, as far west as California and Oregon and as far east as Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York, as well as many states close to South Dakota. There was even one person from Alberta, Canada!
After touring the center and enjoying lunch, club members returned outside to learn more about the vehicle from EROS staff, who popped the hood to show off the restored engine and answered questions on everything from balancing wheels to finding parts.
Every car this old has a story. As a kid, Ed Wenninger and his 10 siblings played with a rusty 1929 Dodge that sat next to a bunker on his grandfather’s farm near Strasburg, North Dakota. Ten years ago, Ed began restoring the 95-year-old car, which now sports a beautiful buttery yellow paint job and has a top speed of 35 mph.
Because of the forecast of storms and hail, some vehicles remained in Brookings while others were safely loaded onto trailers for the trip to EROS. The group left the center earlier than planned around 1 p.m. as dark clouds rolled in. The well-maintained engines, many quieter than modern vehicles, started up with a rumble and were then driven off or loaded back onto trailers.
Looking back inspires EROS Chief of Staff Tim Glynn, a self-proclaimed car nerd. “Isn’t it a crazy paradigm that they’re here to learn about Landsat, a 50-year-old repository of data, and they have cars that are 100 years old?” he said. “I don’t know if it’s old meets new or old meets old. It’s great that they’re here.”
Groups like car clubs need to book a tour in advance, but the EROS Centre also offers walk-in tours weekdays at 10am and 2pm. Click here For more information on visiting EROS, or visit EROS Home Learn more about our mission and read the latest news. You’ll also find links to our Eyes on Earth podcast, Picture of the Week, and other interactive features.
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