Harrisburg, PA – Starting this month, The State Museum of Pennsylvania will offer visitors the opportunity to engage with museum curators and representatives of various Pennsylvania State agencies through its new “Summer 2015 in Nature Lab: Meet the Experts” series.
Specialists in fields ranging from archaeology to environmental protection will lead a variety of hands-on programs geared toward all ages and designed to educate visitors about the rich natural world of Pennsylvania.
Many of the programs in the series will be headed by representatives of state agencies including the Pennsylvania Game Commission, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the State Library of Pennsylvania.
State Museum curators will direct other programs in the series.
Each 40-minute session will be hosted in Nature Lab, a new multipurpose demonstration lab adjacent to the natural history exhibits on the third floor of The State Museum. Nature Lab features live educational presentations, as well as interactive, hands-on learning experiences. Regular museum admission fees apply, unless otherwise noted.
Ten of the programs in the series will coincide with the museum’s well-attended Learn@Lunchtime series. Museum admission is free during the hours of Learn@Lunchtime, 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM.
Here’s a sampling of Meet the Expert programs that will correspond with Learn@Lunchtime. These programs will begin at 12:15 PM in Nature Lab, unless otherwise noted.
Friday June 26
Theresa Alberici, Wildlife Education Specialist for the Pennsylvania Game Commission, will lead a discussion on “Endangered Species in Harrisburg: Egrets & Herons.”
Friday July 10
Join Chris Kemmerer, Chief of Education and Interpretation at the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, for “Exploring the Urban Environment.”
Friday July 24
Dee Fisher and Chris Urban, educators with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, will offer their expert insights on “Pennsylvania’s Amphibians & Reptiles.”
August 7
Jack Farster and Ann Devine, educators with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, will lead a discussion on “Rachel Carson’s Peregrine Falcons.”
August 21
Join Dr. Iren Snavely and Ellen Shenk, librarians at the State Library of Pennsylvania, as they display and describe the story of Pennsylvania’s natural history through rare and historic books.
The State Museum of Pennsylvania is one of 25 historic sites and museums administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission as part of the Pennsylvania Trails of History®. The State Museum offers expansive collections interpreting Pennsylvania’s fascinating heritage. With exhibits examining the dawn of geologic time, the Native American experience, the colonial and revolutionary era, a pivotal Civil War battleground, and the commonwealth's vast industrial age, The State Museum demonstrates that Pennsylvania's story is America’s story.
Museum hours are Wednesday through Saturday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Sunday 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Admission is $7 for adults (ages 12-64), $6 for senior citizens (ages 65 and up), and $5 for children (ages 1-11).
Media contact: Howard Pollman, 717-705-8639
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