GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Get ready to explore the natural world with your favorite “Peanuts” characters in the Florida Museum of Natural History’s newest temporary exhibit, “Peanuts…Naturally: Charlie Brown and Friends Explore Nature,” opening Sept. 29.

The exhibit takes a light-hearted look at Charles Schulz’s exploration of the natural world through “Peanuts” comic strips, videos, objects and interactive stations.

Charlie Brown is in trouble with the Environmental Protection Agency, Lucy knows the Earth has 48 suns, and Snoopy and Linus are planting french fries in the garden. These are just a few of the misadventures and explanations gone wrong as the comic strip characters investigate the natural world.

“The ‘Peanuts’ comic strip characters have some really funny ideas about how nature works,” said Florida Museum assistant exhibit developer Tina Choe. “We are excited to bring visitors back to nature and to connect the exhibit to some of the fascinating and timely research being done at the museum.”

The exhibit is organized into seven main themes: the universe, web of nature, trees, birds, the elements, gardening and the EPA and contains 22 text panels and 25 framed, high-resolution digital reproductions of original “Peanuts” comic strips. Each is augmented by a diversity of specimens from the museum’s collections, including migrating birds, endangered freshwater clams, a Mayan hieroglyphic statue from Honduras and a black bear, on loan from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

“Florida has so many wonderful opportunities to get outside and see amazing natural environments,” Choe said. “Right here at our museum, we have the wildflower butterfly garden and the UF Natural Area Teaching Laboratory as well as many off-site opportunities to get out and get involved in all kinds of cool science. In today’s world, with a focus on computers, video games and technology, this exhibit underscores the need to bring people back to nature.”

Schulz, who wrote the “Peanuts” comic strip for nearly 50 years, was immensely curious, an avid reader and interested in the latest research findings in a variety of fields. Many of these findings and facts found their way into Schulz’s comic strip, carefully interpreted through his characters’ unique, and sometimes wacky, understanding of their world.

Admission to “Peanuts…Naturally” is $4 for adults; $3.50 for Florida residents, seniors and college students; and $3 for ages 3-17. Value admission tickets to the exhibit and Butterfly Rainforest are also available: $12 for adults; $11 for Florida residents, seniors and college students; and $8.50 for ages 3-17.

“Peanuts…Naturally” is organized and toured by the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center, Santa Rosa, Calif.

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Media contact: Paul Ramey, APR, 352-273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu
Writer: Logan Gerber

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Take a prehistoric road trip with the Florida Museum of Natural History during the opening of “Cruisin’ the Fossil Freeway with artist Ray Troll and paleontologist Kirk Johnson” from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 4.

University of Florida mascots Albert and Alberta are scheduled to appear from 11 a.m. to noon for visitor photographs with the Albertosaurus skeleton in the exhibit. UF paleontologists, paleobotanists and geologists, as well as members of state fossil clubs including the Tampa Bay Fossil Club, Southwest Florida Fossil Club, Florida Fossil Hunters and the Florida Paleontological Society will also speak with visitors and display specimens from their collections.

“Visitors will have the chance to talk with experts, ask questions and examine real fossils,” said Amanda Erickson Harvey, Florida Museum education assistant. “The activities complement the exhibit, and it will be fun for visitors of any age.”

Opening day events also include face painting and two docent-guided tours of the exhibit at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

Visitors may even compare their feet with the cast of a duck-billed dinosaur footprint in the museum’s Discovery Room.

Outside the museum, field vehicles with tools used by museum researchers will be displayed, and visitors may borrow fossil- and dinosaur-themed books, DVDs and CDs from the Alachua County Library District bookmobile.

Food from High Springs Orchard and Bakery as well as David’s BBQ will also be available for purchase.

The exhibit features 30 fossils, including a complete skeleton cast of Triceratops horridus, the famous three-horned dinosaur, in addition to Albertosaurus, a ferocious carnivore that lived about 70 million years ago. The fossils complement 19 color prints and five large-scale murals of Troll’s creative artwork, which illustrates imagined scenes from prehistoric times and brings fossils from the museum’s research collection to life. The exhibit also features a paleontology laboratory where visitors may watch museum scientists, volunteers and students prepare and examine actual fossils from the field.

While opening day activities are free, admission to “Cruisin’ the Fossil Freeway” is $5 for adults, $4.50 for Florida residents, seniors and college students and $4 for ages 3-17. Value admission tickets to the exhibit and Butterfly Rainforest are also available, $13 for adults, $12 for Florida residents, seniors and college students and $9 for ages 3-17. Museum members receive free admission to both exhibits.

“Cruisin’ the Fossil Freeway” is presented by the Toomey Foundation for the Natural Sciences Inc. and the Florida Museum Associates Board. The exhibit was organized by the Burke Museum at the University of Washington.

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Sources: Amanda Harvey, 352-273-2052, aerickson@flmnh.ufl.edu
Writer: Logan Gerber
Media contact: Paul Ramey, 352-273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Dinosaurs are coming to Gainesville! Take a prehistoric road trip through the Florida Museum of Natural History’s newest temporary exhibit, “Cruisin’ the Fossil Freeway with Artist Ray Troll and Paleontologist Kirk Johnson,” Feb. 4 through Sept. 3.

The exhibit features 30 fossils, including complete skeleton casts of the three-horned Triceratops dinosaur, and Albertosaurus, a carnivore that lived about 70 million years ago. The fossils complement 19 color prints and five large-scale murals by Troll, created for the book “Cruisin’ the Fossil Freeway,” by Troll and Johnson. Visitors also will be able to observe Florida Museum scientists in a functioning paleontology lab preparing fossils collected during research projects from around the world.

“Most of us think ‘dinosaur’ when we think of fossils, and this exhibit does have dinosaurs,” said Darcie MacMahon, Florida Museum assistant director for exhibits. “But it also focuses on how fossils inform us about really important topics such as climate change and evolution. These stories will unfold for the visitor as they enjoy the exhibit’s interesting graphics, real fossil specimens and an actively staffed paleontology prep laboratory.”

Other fossils in the exhibit, from the Florida Museum, the Utah Field House of Natural History, the Pink Palace Museum in Memphis, Tenn., and a private collector, include an Ammonite, a large, extinct marine invertebrate; a dinosaur egg from China; a Diplomystus, an extinct fish that lived in the western U.S. about 56 to 34 million years ago; a bat fossil from the Green River Formation; and petrified wood.

Many of the fossils in the exhibit prep lab are from the Thomas Farm site in Gilchrist County and a National Science Foundation-funded research project in Panama.

Florida Museum exhibit project manager Kurt Auffenberg said he is hopeful the prep lab will give visitors a glimpse of how paleontologists prepare specimens and conduct research.

“Visitors will have the opportunity to see the process of science through discovery,” Auffenberg said. “They can see researchers sifting fine sediment or picking through a big slab of rock in search of a bone or tooth from an animal that lived millions of years ago.”

At specified times, visitors will be able to interact directly with the scientists and ask questions about fossils and the work performed in the lab. Exhibit volunteers will also be available to answer questions while scientists are working.

Admission to “Cruisin’ the Fossil Freeway” is $5 for adults, $4.50 for Florida residents, seniors and college students and $4 for ages 3-17. Value admission tickets to the exhibit and Butterfly Rainforest are also available, $13 for adults, $12 for Florida residents, seniors and college students and $9 for ages 3-17.

“Cruisin’ the Fossil Freeway” was organized by the Burke Museum at the University of Washington. The exhibit is presented locally by the Toomey Foundation for the Natural Sciences, Inc. and the Florida Museum Associates Board.

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Source: Darcie MacMahon, 352-273-2053, dmacmahon@flmnh.ufl.edu
Kurt Auffenberg, 352-273-2083, kauffe@flmnh.ufl.edu
Writer: Leeann Bright
Media contact: Paul Ramey, 352-273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Museum visitors may now learn about some of the University of Florida’s most interesting global discoveries and research – from how to free whales entangled in lobster traps to how plants will grow in space.

These and other UF projects are highlighted in “Explore Research,” a new interactive multimedia exhibit at the Florida Museum of Natural History on the UF campus. The exhibit features short videos updated monthly and an interactive Smart Board to engage visitors in the journey of scientific discovery at UF, including its relevance and benefits.

The initiative was developed as a collaborative project by the museum, the UF Office of Research and the UF Scientific Thinking and Educational Partnership. Two- to three-minute videos produced by UF students feature research from across the university in fields including medicine, engineering and agricultural sciences.

“Many people are not aware of the scope of the university’s ongoing worldwide research from many colleges and departments across campus,” said Florida Museum of Natural History Director Doug Jones. “This exhibit allows UF scientists to share their interesting and beneficial projects with a wider audience.”

The exhibit also features one research project with a related Smart Board activity, items in display cases and a video, which will change several times a year.

“This exhibit is the public face of our new partnership to connect UF researchers and public audiences,” said Dale Johnson, project coordinator for the museum’s Center for Informal Science and Education. “We hope to increase public awareness of the breadth of research at UF and understanding of how this research impacts our daily lives.”

Current videos feature the Florida Museum’s efforts to inventory the world’s largest order of freshwater fishes, a UF College of Engineering project to develop land mine detection techniques and a UF department of horticultural sciences study of how plants will grow in space.

Through December, the exhibit showcases a UF College of Veterinary Medicine program developing strategies to anesthetize and free right whales entangled in lobster traps. It includes a video, displays that show some of the tools researchers are using and an interactive touchscreen activity related to whales.

Joseph Kays, UF director of research communication who helped develop the partnership, said university scientists have responded positively to the exhibit and the opportunity it provides to share the impact of their research with the public.

“Through ‘Explore Research,’ we’re able to reach new audiences,” Kays said. “Our goal is to show people the value of the research that’s being done at UF.”

The project also benefits students in the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. Ricky Telg, a professor in the department of agricultural education and communication, teaches the advanced video production class of students who produce the “Explore Research” videos.

“This course is great for the students because it gives them real, hands-on experience they can use after graduation,” Telg said. “The students learn to work with researchers and communicate complex science concepts to the general public.”

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Source: Dale Johnson, 352-273-2069, dalej@flmnh.ufl.edu
Writer: Leeann Bright
Media contact: Paul Ramey, 352-273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — See a magnified view of dozens of specimens and artifacts in the new exhibit, “Depth of Field: Museum Specimens Up-close,” at the Florida Museum of Natural History.

The exhibit showcases objects from the museum’s collection through photographs captured with an advanced imaging system that combines a high-resolution microscope and 21 megapixel digital camera.

There are currently 16 pictures on display in the museum’s central gallery, and another 16 planned for future long-term display. The pictures feature a variety of specimens, including head lice, snails, ancient pottery and orchids.

“The photos give visitors a behind-the-scenes look at some of the current research going on at the museum” said Darcie MacMahon, Florida Museum assistant director for exhibits. “The images are intriguing to look at and tell interesting stories–we hope they’ll inspire people to learn about science.”

The state-of-the-art imaging system was purchased with funds from the National Science Foundation and custom-developed by Visionary Digital for museum researchers. It takes multiple photographs at different depths of field. The images are then assembled into a single high-resolution and magnified image.

Tina Choe, Florida Museum exhibit developer, explained the pictures allow researchers to study the objects online while keeping them housed safely in the museum.

“This camera system allows scientists to examine minute details of the specimens and artifacts,” she said. “Digitized collections can also facilitate collaborations with other institutions.” Bret Boyd, a genetics and genomics graduate student working in the museum, said faculty and students from across the museum and other University of Florida departments have used the camera as part of their research activities.

“Many researchers contributed their images and time to the exhibit to give visitors a unique look into the museum’s research activities,” Boyd said.

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Source: Darcie MacMahon, 352-273-2053, dmacmahon@flmnh.ufl.edu
Tina Choe, 352-273-2079, tchoe@flmnh.ufl.edu
Writer: Logan Gerber
Media contact: Paul Ramey, 352-273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu

The exhibit, designed to resemble a home, includes information about energy use; ways to reduce consumption, like purchasing more efficient appliances and using power strips; climate change and its effects and more.

“It’s all about energy use and how to save it at home with simple steps,” said Tina Choe, Florida Museum exhibit developer.

The exhibit also discusses the limits of fossil fuels and alternative sources, like solar, wind and geothermal power.

“Fossil fuels are in increasingly short supply,” said Darcie MacMahon, museum assistant director of exhibits. “We need to figure out how to power our world without them and live more sustainably.”

The exhibit allows visitors to view the energy use of area homes, watch videos about residents who have taken steps to reduce their consumption and see the real-time output of the Florida Museum’s 75 kilowatt rooftop solar array, which inspired the exhibit.

Visitors may also enjoy photos and graphics with tips for saving energy and money.

“It all adds up,” MacMahon said. “Americans use an enormous amount of energy, and individuals can make a big difference in our future by making small changes.”

While developing the exhibit, museum employees learned a lot about conserving power and made small changes at home that have reduced their utility bills, MacMahon added.

“It’s great to save money while doing what’s right for the planet,” she said.

The exhibit is sponsored by Progress Energy and was created by the Florida Museum of Natural History in partnership with the University of Florida Office of Sustainability.

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Source: Darcie MacMahon, 352-273-2053, dmacmahon@flmnh.ufl.edu
Writer: Leeann Bright
Media contact: Paul Ramey, 352-273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Discover how scientific texts are created and illustrated in the Florida Museum of Natural History’s newest temporary exhibit, “Birds of the World: From Science to Art,” opening Aug. 13.

Based on the book “Birds of the World,” written by Oliver Austin, the Florida Museum’s first curator of ornithology, and illustrated by world-renowned artist Arthur Singer, the free exhibit showcases the process of creating one of the most comprehensive books on birds and illustrates how the printing process affects highly detailed artwork. The exhibit also highlights the personal and professional relationship the two developed while creating the book.

In the exhibit, visitors may view letters to and from Singer and Austin, Singer’s original page-layout sketches for “Birds of the World,” first printed in 1961, replicas of the tools used to create the book’s life-like illustrations, and comparisons of Singer’s original artwork with the printed pages.

The exhibit also features a copy of “Birds of the World,” which is illustrated with 300 color paintings.

“I hope visitors gain an appreciation for the work required to create a book like this and the difficulty of putting it together,” said Tina Choe, Florida Museum exhibit developer.

Prior to his 16 years at the Florida Museum, which began in 1957, Austin studied at Wesleyan University and earned a Ph.D. in zoology from Harvard University in 1931. He and his father founded the Austin Ornithological Research Station in 1921 in Wellfleet, Mass.

Singer worked as an illustrator on many publications including Sports Illustrated and World Book Encyclopedia before collaborating with Austin on “Birds of the World.”

The Museum will display the exhibit through spring 2012.

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Source: Tina Choe, 352-273-2079, tchoe@flmnh.ufl.edu
Writer: Leeann Bright
Media contact: Paul Ramey, 352-273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Experience the symphony of the animal kingdom at the Florida Museum of Natural History’s newest temporary exhibit, “Wild Music: Sounds and Songs of Life” opening May 28.

The exhibit, presented in English, Spanish and Braille, allows visitors to hear, feel and see the power of sound.

“‘Wild Music’ explores the biological roots of music,” said Darcie MacMahon, Florida Museum of Natural History assistant director for exhibits. “The exhibit is highly interactive and hands-on, allowing visitors to explore the science of sound and music in an engaging and entertaining way.”

The exhibit takes visitors on a journey through the forest, city and sea to experience the melodies found in each environment.

The city setting radiates the sounds of markets, street cars and outdoor cafes as well as groups at work hauling nets, moving logs and pounding grain. Visitors may also compose masterpieces using their own voices with pre-recorded sounds, animal voices and percussion instruments in a sound proof “Jamming Room” and record themselves describing the memories evoked by different types of music for an ongoing project at the University of North Carolina Music Research Institute.

In the forest, listen to the songs of a variety of bird species and discover how they have influenced human composers like Mozart. Visitors may also use a parabolic microphone to find a variety of sounds hidden throughout this area of the exhibit.

In the sea, observe a trolling motor and ratchet underwater using a hydrophone; see, touch and hear shell trumpets; and listen to whale songs as well as human compositions inspired by their aquatic harmonies.

The exhibit also features a seven-minute video, describing how animals use sound to advertise their presence, communicate with one another and form and nurture social groups. Guests may also examine a collection of unusual instruments like a didgeridoo, an Australian instrument made from a hollow log, African talking drums and a 53,000-year-old cave bear bone flute. “The exhibit allows visitors to experience sound in a unique way,” MacMahon said. “We all enjoy music, but don’t usually think of it as rooted in both culture and nature – the exhibit gives us new perspectives on music in a really fun way.”

Admission to “Wild Music” is $8 for adults, $7 for Florida residents, $6.50 for seniors and college students and $5.50 for ages 3-17.

“Wild Music: Sounds & Songs of Life” is a production of the Science Museum of Minnesota, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and the Association of Science-Technology Centers. Major funding comes from the National Science Foundation, with additional support from Harman International Industries Inc. and NEC Foundation of America.

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Source: Darcie MacMahon, 352-273-2053, dmacmahon@flmnh.ufl.edu
Writer: Leeann Bright
Media contact: Paul Ramey, 352-273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu

Photos available

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Museum of Natural History will open its “Discovery Room,” a favorite area for visitors of all ages, at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 28.

Admission is free, and the room is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday. The activity area will remain open through Aug. 14.

Through hands-on, self-guided activities and scheduled programs, visitors will learn about Florida’s diverse ecosystems, environments and wildlife. Scheduled activities include crafts, story time, puppet presentations, museum exploration with Dr. Discovery and more.

“The “Discovery Room” provides visitors with a place for children to interact and explore natural history while having fun,” said Florida Museum education coordinator Kendra Lanza-Kaduce.

For more information, visit www.flmnh.ufl.edu/education/discovery.htm or call 352-273-2061.

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Writer: Leeann Bright
Media contact: Paul Ramey, 352-273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu

Florida Museum Discovery Room Summer 2011 Activity Schedule

EcoArt: Natural history-related crafts
10 a.m.-noon Monday and Wednesday
1-2:30 p.m. Friday and Sunday

Talking Tales: Story time with a staff member
11 a.m. Tuesday

Three Musketeers Puppet Show: Discover nature with forest friends
3 p.m. Saturday

Dr. Discovery: Child-friendly presentations and activities
3-4 p.m. Wednesday

Museum Choice: Museum staff select the activity
10 a.m.-noon Thursday and Saturday

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Explore the Florida Museum of Natural History’s newest exhibit, “Barrier Islands: Creations of Tide and Time” from March 17 through June 26.

The free exhibit provides visitors with a glimpse of southeastern barrier islands through 26 paintings by Florida artists Brenda Hofreiter, Nancy Moskovitz and Mary Jane Volkmann.

“Sculpted by waves, wind and salt, barrier islands are beloved for their beauty but also support unique flora and fauna and play a critical role in protecting the mainland from storms,” said Darcie MacMahon, Florida Museum assistant director for exhibits. “We hope this exhibit inspires viewers to admire and then look deeper to discover the significance of barrier islands to our lives.”

The exhibit depicts scenes from the islands’ interior and exterior habitats, including wildlife, structural features such as lighthouses and landscapes of sunrises, sunsets, tidal marshes and more.

Artists Hofreiter, Moskovitz and Volkmann are past recipients of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Artist-in-Residence Program, which allowed them to live on Sapelo Island and paint neighboring barrier islands. The artists have continued painting barrier islands of the southeast to enjoy and share their beauty and importance with others.

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Source: Darcie MacMahon, 352-273-2053, dmacmahon@flmnh.ufl.edu
Writer: Leila Milgrim
Media contact: Paul Ramey, 352-273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu