Press Release
Fla. Museum, IFAS receive new NSF grant for butterfly education project
Nov. 3, 2009
Media contact:
Paul Ramey, APR
Assistant Director, Marketing and Public Relations
Florida Museum of Natural History
352-273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu
Writer: Patti Nunez
PHOTOS AVAILABLE
GAINESVILLE, Fla. --- The National Science Foundation has awarded $86,757 in additional support for Project Butterfly WINGS, a joint project of the Florida Museum of Natural History and the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
The funding will allow new web site content development, revisions to distance training resources and tutorials for 4-H agents, leaders and youth as well as additional activities and information for the program. It also will bring attention to the availability of the program's recently approved national 4-H curriculum by increasing the number of instructor training workshops, conference presentations and program participants.
"This new award allows us to disseminate WINGS nationally and provide for its longer-term sustainability through the web site enhancements," said Betty Dunckel, director of the Florida Museum Center for Informal Science Education.
WINGS, Winning Investigative Network for Great Science, is a partnership between 4-H youth and professional scientists. Participating youth are "citizen scientists" who collect data on butterflies to help researchers determine the presence of specific butterfly species and the abundance of butterflies by state and county throughout the U.S. Over time, the information collected will provide a comprehensive database for scientific comparisons and trend assessment.
The project is directed by Dunckel and co-directed by Joy Jordan, IFAS associate professor of 4-H youth development; Jaret Daniels, an assistant curator in the Florida Museum's McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity and McGuire Center Director Thomas Emmel.
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The Florida Museum of Natural History is Florida's state natural history museum, dedicated to understanding, preserving and interpreting biological diversity and cultural heritage. It is located near the intersection of Southwest 34th Street and Hull Road in the University of Florida Cultural Plaza in Gainesville. Hours are 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. Butterfly Rainforest admission is $9.50 for adults ($8 Fla. residents) and $5 for children ages 3-12. Prices subject to change. For more information, including directions and parking, call 352-846-2000, or visit www.flmnh.ufl.edu.