This Golden-Crowned Kinglet was banded at Powdermill Nature Reserve, Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s environmental research center.
Collected on this Day in 1991
Collected on February 10, 1991, this specimen was found in Somerset County at Mount Davis (the highest point in Pennsylvania) by former Assistant Curator of Botany Sue Thompson and the current Curator of Invertebrate Zoology John Rawlins. Witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) is a shrub native to eastern North America, which flowers in late autumn after leaves have fallen. It is also known for its medicinal uses as an astringent.
Botanists at Carnegie Museum of Natural History share pieces of the herbarium’s historical hidden collection on the dates they were discovered or collected. Check back for more!
GUESS THE CONTENTS IN THE JARS
Reptile and amphibian specimens are not the only things stored in 70% ethanol! Departments such as Ornithology, Botany, and Mollusks preserve select specimens in fluid for further scientific use. This method preserves soft tissues that would otherwise need to be removed, maintains the natural three dimensional shape, and slows down DNA degradation. Fluid collections are more difficult to maintain as they take up more space and have to be regularly monitored to prevent the specimens from drying out. Keep an eye out for our future Alcohol House public tours to see these specimens up close and to meet our collection managers!
Here’s the list of specimens from left to right:
Maianthemum racemosum flowers
Cipangopaludina chinensis
Platycercus eximius
Chameleo gracilis gracilis
Elliptio jayensis
Monstera of Costa Rica
Maianthemum racamosum fruits
Polygonatum biflorum
How did you do at guessing the contents?
Learn all about archaeology
Learn all about archaeology at a special Super Science Saturday on February 18!
Spend a day at Carnegie Museum of Natural History, and learn about ancient cultures with free, hands-on activities throughout the museum.
Super Science Saturdays is a free program at Carnegie Museum of Natural History that allows visitors of all ages to explore a special theme through hands-on activities, experiments, demonstrations, discussions with museum experts, and more!
(Free with museum admission)
Sponsored by PA Cyber
Purifying Water with Plants
Inside the Marsh Machine.
As the days get darker and colder in western Pennsylvania, there’s still a lot of green at Powdermill Nature Center.
The Marsh Machine at Powdermill uses soil and living plants in an on-site greenhouse to purify waste water from the center’s drains and toilets all year round without the use of chemicals.
Water purified by the beneficial bacteria in the plants and soil of the greenhouse is put to use in a living stream exhibit, where the water is pure enough that organisms can thrive in it just as they would in Powerdermill Run, a nearby stream.
Re-using property treated waste water (for purposes other than drinking) can greatly conserve supplies of fresh water, which are often limited.
Take a break from the winter by stepping into the living forest of the Marsh Machine, and learn all about freshwater conservation at Powermill Nature Reserve in Rector, PA.
Identifying Macroinvertebrates
Did you know that macroinvertebrates are great indicators of stream quality?
Identify and learn about these tiny creatures using our online Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Collection resource, which was funded by the National Science Foundation and done in collaboration with Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh.
Zoom in, and explore amazingly detailed pictures of macroinvertebrates like the mayfly above to discover more about invertebrates living in your backyard!
Learn more at http://www.macroinvertebrates.org