July 20, 2004
In coordination with the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS), the Spurlock Museum held a Natural History Activity Day on Saturday, July 10, 2004. The event opened the new Focus Gallery exhibit Illinois: An Epic Landscape and was filled with family activities.
Tandy Lacy, director of education, and Janet Painter, Spurlock volunteer, led children in engaging games and crafts in the Rowe Learning Center. Activities ranged from Fantastic Frogs to Munching Muskrats, and participants learned about various features and inhabitants of Illinois habitats. Children were then invited to take home a poster about the animals they had discussed.
In the Knight Auditorium, Kim Sheahan, assistant director of education, showed nature videos and told nature stories to visitors. In the middle of the day, Michael R. Jeffords, author, entomologist, and educational liaison for the INHS, gave a slide show presentation "From Orchids to Otters," highlighting many of the interesting plant and animal species that call Illinois home.
One of the highlights of the day was the INHS Mobile Science Center with a hands-on display titled "Arthropods Across Illinois." Visitors played games, saw animal specimens, and got a close-up view of various insects under a microscope. The Mobile Science Center added an interactive opportunity to learn about the natural history of Illinois.
All the activities except the slide show will be repeated on Wednesday, August 11, 2004. Please visit our calendar for further information or see Illinois, an Epic Landscape for a schedule of events.
