Science North 'Blue Coat' Franco Mariotti retires

One of the most recognizable faces of Science North in Sudbury is hanging up his blue coat for good.

After more than three decades, staff scientist Franco Mariottiis retiring one of the few people who was with the celebrated centre from the very beginning.

Mariottireminisced that in the early days, the buddingorganization rented a warehouse on Pine Street in Sudbury, and people sat around on wooden boxes on Fridays, brain-storming about what the science centre could feature.

"[Consultants] used to remind us, 'Ok: this is going to be a world-class science centre!' And we'd say, "Yeah!Yeah!',not knowing a thing about what that meant," he said with a laugh.

Mariotti said one of the legacies of which he's most proud is establishing the up-close-and-personal learning interactions with wild animals including beavers, snakes and flying squirrels.

"I said, 'We could introduce people to a whole new world in their own backyard!'"

Mariotti spoke with CBC Sudbury Morning North radio host Markus Schwabe on Thursday about his time at Science North, what he'll miss most, and helping to raise "Ralph", a porcupine, and the centre'smascot.

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