California Science Center getting set for new software.

WHAT do nectar-feeding bats have to do with computer software?

At the California Science Center in downtown L.A., exhibits on such natural curiosities as the radar-guided flying rodents will be easier to administer thanks to a donation from Microsoft Corp.

The museum is renowned for its interactive displays, but behind the scenes the nonprofit organization has been running on out-of-date software. That will soon change since the Redmond, Wash.-based technology company is donating $1 million worth of software that will update the Science Center's current capabilities as well as pave the way for continued expansion.

"As a company we're very passionate about young people reaching their potential in science and technology," said Sandi Thomas, general manager of Microsoft's Southern California district. "It was easy to get Redmond to support our direction."

Much of the donation will be in new software, such as the Microsoft new operating system Vista, so that the center will have quick, reliable up-to-date capabilities and fewer glitches and security breaches. Microsoft recently moved its Southern California headquarters from Santa Monica to downtown and the proximity will make it easy to offer hands-on support during the implementation of new programs.

"Most private corporations will do product upgrades every two to three years, and that's something non-profits typically don't do," said William Harris, senior vice president of development and marketing for the science center.

The grant is expected to provide software infrastructure that will support the continued growth of the center over the next three to five years.

The science center broke ground last month on the second phase of its expansion, which will house the "World of Ecology." A list of 500 species of plants and animals has already been drafted. Each critter and leafy specimen was selected to illustrate a principle of ecology.

One exhibit will include nectar-feedings bats and cacti. In nature, the bats drink from the cacti and pick up the pollen on their wings, enabling cross-pollination. The exhibit will demonstrate cross-species interdependence. "World of Ecology" is expected to open to the public in 2009.

The science center currently averages about 1.5 million visitors per year. Harris estimates that number will increase to 2 million upon completion of the expansion.

Though much of the software updating may go unnoticed by visitors, some exhibits will benefit directly from the new software. One exhibit in the works is "L.A. Zone," an exhibit that will take a look at Los Angeles as an ecological environment. The map will show how water and waste are transported in and out of the L.A. basin.

The science center's educational affiliates will also see changes thanks to the grant.

The computer lab at the Theodore T Alexander Science Center Elementary School will get a systems and software update. The school is on the science center campus and provides science-focused education to students who mostly live in the Exposition Park area.

The science center also runs the Kresa Educator Resource Hall where teachers come from all over Southern California to learn about methods and materials used in the Science Center School. Last year 2,500 educators visited the Resource Hall. The hall also will receive a software update that will enable it to grow statewide and eventually nationwide.

The science center also is in the midst of compiling an online database of resources and materials that teachers can access from off-site.

"The software is like a skeleton," Harris said. "As you grow you have greater computing needs."