Local Entomology- On this last Sunday of May, the exhibitions won’t be confined to the galleries. The Museum’s scientists and educators will be in the Grand Foyer setting up themed displays for the day. They’ll be showing collections of local fauna that are not usually on view to the public. Entomology Curator, Dr. Brian Brown, has assembled specimens of locally found insects, big and small, and he’ll be answering questions during the event. Come see a fascinating Jerusalem beetle, grand Polyphemus and Ceanothus moths, and a group of stunning butterflies — all from the L.A. region.
Marine Biodiversity of California- Nearby, NHM’s Marine Biodiversity Center will show a sampling of Southland sea creatures, from crustaceans to mollusks. Specimens from up and down the California coast will include keyhole limpets from Long Beach, sand crabs from Pismo Beach, and a variety of aquatic life forms from Malibu.
Organizations in Attendance at Sustainable Sundays- The NHM is also teaming up with outside organizations that will be present to teach about local biodiversity. The Los Angeles Zoo’s booth will offer lessons and visuals related to the California Condor. The L.A. Zoo has long been involved with the California Condor Recovery Program, which aims to establish a self-sustaining wild population of the massive birds through captive breeding and reintroduction into the wild. Other groups setting up informational and interactive booths will include Children’s Nature Institute, Ecos World, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and Transition to Green.
Crafts and Activities- Sustainable Sundays are hands-on events, and this one will be no exception. Museum guests will have the chance to view, and make, origami animals with local artists, Michael Sanders and Yami Yamauchi. They’ll be leading interactive workshops throughout the day using paper and intricate folds to make origami representations of local fauna. Throughout the day there will also be habitat building with artist Marissa Johnen, live animal presentations in the Museum’s Discovery Center, and special butterfly-themed performances.
Schedule:
9:30 am – 3:30 pm Organizations and Activities- Grand Foyer
- NHM’s Entomology Department
- NHM’s Marine Biodiversity Center
- L.A. Zoo
- California Condor Recovery Program
- Children’s Nature Institute
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services
- Ecos World
- Transition to Green
- Origami Animal Making
- Habitat-building Crafts
11:00 AM: Live Animal Presentation- Discovery Center
11:30 AM: Dinosaur Encounters Performance- North American Mammal Hall-
12:00 PM: Story Time- Discovery Center
1:30 PM: I, Butterfly Performance- North American Mammal Hall-
2:00 PM: Gallery Exploration tour “Banking on Biodiversity”- Meet in Grand Foyer
2:30 PM: Dinosaur Encounters Performance- North American Mammal Hall-
3:00 PM: Live Animal Presentation- Discovery Center
3:30 PM: Dinosaur Encounters Performance- North American Mammal Hall-
About Natural History Museum’s Sustainable Sundays series- Sustainable Sunday’s returns for a second season to help Angelinos navigate the copious “green” information circulating in contemporary media, learn about the latest environmental research, and explore specific ways they can become active in community-minded conservation efforts.
On each Sunday in the series, there are booths and representatives from local environmental groups in the Museum’s Grand Foyer throughout the day. There are also free family activities and performances.
About the Natural History Museum- The Museum was the first dedicated museum building in Los Angeles, opening its doors in 1913. It has amassed one of the world’s most extensive and valuable collections of natural and cultural history — with more than 35 million objects, some as old as 4.5 billion years. The Natural History Family of Museums includes the NHM, the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits (Hancock Park/Mid-Wilshire), and the William S. Hart Park and Museum (Newhall, California). The Family of Museums serves more than one million families and visitors annually, and is a national leader in research, exhibitions and education. For more information, call (213) 763-DINO or visit www.nhm.org.
NHM Next- Last year’s completed renovation of the Beaux-Arts 1913 Building, the original component of the NHM, has set the stage for the rollout of a series of new, permanent exhibitions leading up to the Museum’s centennial in 2013: Age of Mammals and the Haaga Family Rotunda galleries open in July 2010; Dinosaur Mysteries in July 2011; the outdoor nature experiences in 2011/2012; and an exhibition focusing on Southern California’s environmental history, in late 2012.