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For over 15 years, Maria Fadiman, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Geosciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, has shared her passion and considerable knowledge with collegiate-level students. Recently, the National Geographic Emerging Explorer was tapped to lend her voice and expertise to a new toy called the National Geographic Kids Amazon Rainforest Tonie, designed for children ages five and up. ��

“I feel honored that they chose me as an expert in the world of the rainforest and as a person who can help young people become engaged in the natural world,” shared Fadiman. “It was also wonderful fun to work with the creators at National Geographic and with Dr. Gabby Salazar, my co-narrator.” ��

Released earlier this year, the Amazon Rainforest Tonie is a unique audio toy figure that intends to spark young learners’ interest in the natural world and learn some fascinating facts along the way. Through a series of eight stories, children join the voices of Fadiman and Salazar as they travel down the river, across the forest floor, up through the understory and the canopy. These different audio adventures aim to encourage children to spend time away from screens and use their imaginations instead to explore a vibrant ecosystem. ��

“Children get to listen and learn, and since there is no screen, they use the descriptions that they hear to use their own sense of comprehension to form the images in their�� minds,” said Fadiman. “In this way, they use synapses that are activated only when there is no visual stimulus already being offered. One day, they may travel to the rainforest to visit or do research, but even if they never do, they now better understand another part of the world in which we live, and that it matters to all of us.” ��

Later this fall, the Schmidt College of Science is slotted to host Salazar as part of its annual Nat and Dorothy Hyman Science Lecture Series. Salazer, who is also a National Geographic Explorer, is a conservation photographer and an environmental social scientist who has traveled the world documenting a wide range of subjects—from volcanoes in Guatemala to lion conservation in Zimbabwe and more. ��