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February 2, 2022 by Erin Southerland

Groundhog as Archaeologist

by Dr. John R. Wible

Groundhogs (Latin name: Marmota monax) are mostly solitary; they dig and spend a lot of time in elaborate burrows. There is usually a main burrow entrance, a foot across with a mound of excavated dirt marking it, and several auxiliary exits. The burrow is designed with twists and turns so that it will not flood. Side chambers serve as suitable places to hibernate and as latrine, which when “full” is sealed off. Because of their digging pastime and the holes they create, groundhogs are seen as pests by many homeowners, fearing property damage, and horse owners, fearing injury to their steeds.

illustration of a groundhog standing near the entrance to a groundhog burrow

Once a year, in early February, the pest label for groundhogs is ditched for that of a weather prognosticator, our own Punxsutawney Phil is the prime example. However, for Western Pennsylvanians, the so-called pest activity of one groundhog led to one of the most important scientific discoveries of our region: the renowned archaeological site of Meadowcroft Rock Shelter in Washington County. As a child growing up on the property, Albert Miller believed that Native Americans had been there. But proof did not come until 1955 when he was investigating an animal burrow and discovered stone and ceramic artifacts. The rest is local history so to speak!

Early on, the burrow was said to belong to a badger. But there is only a single record of a badger in Pennsylvania, believed to have been transported by train to Indiana County. Now, a groundhog is the suspected culprit responsible for the true discovery of artifacts at Meadowcroft. Perhaps Meadowcroft marmot would be an appropriate name!

John Wible, PhD, is the curator of the Section of Mammals at Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Museum employees are encouraged to blog about their unique experiences and knowledge gained from working at the museum.

“Mush-room” for Exploration

by Sara Klingensmith

Mushrooms are becoming popular! Visitors to Powdermill Nature Reserve often bring photos of colorful mushrooms in hopes of learning the identity of each. On nature hikes, the appearance of eccentric mushrooms such as viscid violet cort (Cortinarius iodes), stinky squid (Pseudocolus fusiformis), and some of the color-changing boletes (family Boletaceae) expand perspectives of what exists in nature. People are beginning to pay more attention to these understudied organisms and discovering that fungi do more than decompose. Fungi assist in many ecological processes such as symbiotic partnerships, carbon storage, primary colonization, and parasitism.

How Do We Know When and Where to Find Mushrooms?

Across this vast Kingdom of organisms, only some fungi deploy the charismatic spore-bearing structures we casually call mushrooms when certain environmental conditions are met. Scientifically speaking, these recognizable structures are termed macrofungi (visible sporocarps or fruitbodies). Among the various groupings of fungi, two produce macrofungi we are likely to notice during nature walks: Basidiomycota (external spore production or “club fungi”) and Ascomycota (internal spore production or “sac fungi”).

A mushroom is only the reproductive structure of a fungus. For many species, spores produced within hymenophores (reproductive structures such as gills or pores) are released through an active process called ballistospory. Wind, rain, and animals may help further spore dispersal. The bulk of a fungus lies in the root-like mycelial network within a nourishing substrate (its food). Leaf litter, soil, plants, scat, and even other fungi are all different types of substrates for fungi.

Determining when we will see the most mushrooms erupting from their substrates is challenging because there are multitudes of factors influencing fungal communities. Like many organisms, certain species will thrive better in certain habitats and elevations. Some fungi are tied to their host’s health, phenology, and life stage, which may also be influenced by forest management practices and climate change. Because fungi are fundamentally interwoven with their environment, these organisms undergo succession along with whole forest communities, and even on a single growth substrate.

four different mushrooms held in a hand — Examples of Basidiomycete mushrooms; left to right: coral-shaped fungi (probable families: Clavulinaceae and Gomphaceae), waxy cap (*Hygrocybe sp*.), viscid violet cort (*Cortinarius iodes*), and Eastern black trumpet (*Craterellus fallax*)

collage of three different mushrooms — Examples of Ascomycete mushrooms; top left: morel (*Morchella sp*.), bottom left: yellow fairy cups (*Calycina citrina*), and right: eyelash cups (*Scutellinia sp*.).

Through general observations, we have determined certain species have seasonal fruiting periods. Experienced foragers learn from experience when to search for morels, and we’ve likewise learned when to expect the fruiting of many other fungi species. Some fruitbodies are ephemeral, whereas others produce mushrooms that may persist on trees for years. While the presence of mycelium is generally linked to the appearance of mushrooms, some studies have observed an uncoupling of factors equating abundant mycelium with high sporocarp production. These findings apply particularly to fungi that form symbiotic relationships with plants—the ectomycorrhizal fungi (symbiotic macrofungi)! This fungal phenomenon has been observed in a few ectomycorrhizal species. For example, research that examined the relationship between mycelial and sporocarp abundance of Boletus edulis, also known as the king bolete, found no correlation between sporocarp production and distribution and the abundance of below-ground mycelium. This means some species of mycorrhizal fungi can appear abundant above ground, but lack a robust underground network expected to support such a high sporocarp population. Therefore, aboveground species richness may not reflect mycelial productivity for some species.

Current research suggests that soil moisture and temperature highly influence the appearance of mushrooms. For example, a dry spell may reduce sporocarp production by 50% in pine forests, yet the mycelial networks presumably continue their cryptic business below the soil surface. Research in the Mediterranean region suggests that precipitation is a limiting factor for sporocarp production for both mycorrhizal and saprotrophic fungi; however, more research is needed to examine these factors in different regions and habitats.

While fungi lack the mechanisms to use photosynthesis, light plays a role in growing mushrooms. Many fungi species show phototropic responses by growing towards light sources, with certain species failing to produce mushrooms in the absence of light.

While the appearance of mushrooms can be seasonal and highly variable, searching after a good rainy period might improve your chances of finding some fantastic fungi! Listed below are a handful of species found at Powdermill, along with simple charts of their seasonal observation trends obtained from iNaturalist, a free online site and app promoting community science. Thanks to participating community members, these graphs reflect observation frequencies across seasons in the state of Pennsylvania. The green line represents research grade observations, meaning more than two-thirds of the identifiers agree on the identification. The gray line represents verifiable observations that have yet to attain research grade status. Because observations are on-going, these graphs may change as more data accumulates.

purple jelly disk mushrooms and graph showing seasonality — Purple jellydisk (*Ascocoryne sarcoides*) – saprotrophic fungi that are typically found on decaying hardwoods.

violet webcap mushrooms and graph showing seasonality — Violet webcap (*Cortinarius violaceus*) – mycorrhizal fungi found in beech and oak forests.

honey mushrooms and graph showing seasonality — Honey mushroom (*Armillaria mellea*) – parasitic/saprotrophic fungi found in oak dominated forests.

birch polypore and graph showing seasonality — Birch polypore (*Fomitopsis betulina*) – parasitic/saprotrophic fungi commonly associated with birch trees.

Sara Klingensmith is an Environmental Educator and Naturalist at Powdermill Nature Reserve. Museum employees are encouraged to blog about their unique experiences and knowledge gained from working at the museum.

Sources

Alday, J., Martínez de Aragón, J., de-Miguel, S. et al. Mushroom biomass and diversity are driven by different spatio-temporal scales along Mediterranean elevation gradients. Sci Rep 7, 45824 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/srep45824

Binion, E. Denise, et al. Macrofungi Associated With Oaks of Eastern North America, West Virginia University Press, 2008.

Ekblad, A. et al. The production and turnover of extrametrical mycelium of ectomycorrhizal fungi in forest soils: role in carbon cycling. Plant Soil (2013) 366: 1-27.

De la Varga, Herminia & Águeda, Beatriz & Martínez-Peña, Fernando & Parladé, Javier & Pera, Joan. Quantification of extraradical soil mycelium and ectomycorrhizas of Boletus edulis in a Scots pine forest with variable sporocarp productivity. Mycorrhiza. 22. 59-68. (2011) 10.1007/s00572-011-0382-2.

De la Varga, H., Águeda, B., Martínez-Peña, F. et al. Quantification of extraradical soil mycelium and ectomycorrhizas of Boletus edulis in a Scots pine forest with variable sporocarp productivity. Mycorrhiza 22, 59–68 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00572-011-0382-2

De la Varga, H., Águeda, B., Ágreda, T. et al. Seasonal dynamics of Boletus edulis and Lactarius deliciosus extraradical mycelium in pine forests of central Spain. Mycorrhiza 23, 391–402 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00572-013-0481-3

Štursová M, Kohout P, Human ZR, Baldrian P. Production of Fungal Mycelia in a Temperate Coniferous Forest Shows Distinct Seasonal Patterns. Journal of Fungi. 2020; 6(4):190. https://doi.org/10.3390/jof6040190

iNatualist.org

MushroomExpert.com

Lodge, D. J. et al. Terrestrial and Lignicolous Macrofungi. 2004. 10.1016/B978-012509551-8/50011-8.

How Do Minerals Get Their Names?

by Debra Wilson

The naming of minerals has changed over time from its alchemistic beginnings to the advanced science of today. During this span minerals have usually been named for their physical characteristics, the locality where they were discovered, or a person. I have often been asked, “why do most mineral names end in ite?” The suffix “ite” is derived from the Greek word ites, the adjectival form of lithos, which means rock or stone.

In antiquity, distinctive physical characteristics were often the source for the mineral name. One of these properties is color. For example, Malachite probably comes from the Greek word malakee or malache, used to describe the green leaves of the mallow bush. Azurite comes from azure, the Arabic word for blue, and Kyanite comes from kyanos, the Greek word for blue.

With the advancement of science, some minerals have been named for their chemistry or their structure. For example, Cavansite is named for its chemistry (calcium vanadium silicate), and Pentagonite is named for its five-fold symmetry (a pentagon is five-sided).

blue and white mineral specimen with red background — Cavansite

bright blue mineral specimen — Pentagonite

Minerals named for the first locality where they were found are quite obvious for those with a knack for geography: Elbaite was found on the Isle of Elba, Italy; Goosecreekite was found in the New Goose Creek Quarry in Leesburg, Virginia, and Ilmenite was found in the Ilmen Mountains of Russia; to name a few.

mineral specimen with white, pastel blue, pale pink, and mossy green coloration — Goosecreekite (white crystals)

mineral specimen on a stand that says Ilmenite Norway — Ilmenite

Minerals have also been named for people. Prehnite was the first mineral named for a person, Colonel Hendrik Von Prehn (1733-1785), who is credited with discovering the mineral in 1774 at the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. Cordierite, a mineral known for its iolite gem variety, was named in 1813 for French mineralogist Louis Cordier (1777-1861), a pioneer in the field of microscopic mineralogy, and in honor of her pioneering research on radioactivity, Marie Sklodowska Curie (1867-1934) had two uranium minerals named for her, Sklodowskite (discovered in 1924) and Cuprosklodowskite (discovered in 1933).

yellow and white mineral specimen — Sklodowskite

Today new minerals, including the proposed species name, are approved by the Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification (CNMNC), under the purview of International Mineralogical Association (IMA), which was formed in 1958. As of November 2021, the IMA recognizes 5,762 official mineral species. In October 2021, one of those species, Oldsite, was named in honor of one of our own museum scientists, Travis Olds, Assistant Curator of Minerals, for his contributions to uranium mineralogy.

Congratulations Travis!

Oldsite (yellow crystals). Photo by Dr. Anthony Kampf.

More information on Oldsite

More information about Dr. Travis Olds

Debra Wilson is the Collection Manager for the Section of Minerals at Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Museum employees are encouraged to blog about their unique experiences and knowledge gained from working at the museum.

Spider Craft Activity

by Riley Riley

For this simple craft, you will need 5 pipe cleaners, scissors, and any (optional) decorative items to create a spider that you can place or hang around your space. This activity requires a grown-up!

Spiders are an incredibly diverse group of arthropods that come in nearly every color, so don’t be afraid to get creative with the colors and decorations you use for your spider creation!

If you would like to know the names of some colorful and unique spiders, please check the list at the end of this guide to use in your future spider exploration!

Required materials for the craft activity and examples of optional decorative items like pom poms and googly eyes.

Instructions

Spiders, like all arachnids, have eight legs. So, the first step is to cut four pipe cleaners in half to make eight pieces that will be used as your spider’s legs.
We will use the remaining full pipe cleaner to create the spider’s body. First form a circle with the pipe cleaner and twist the ends together so that the circle remains closed.
Spiders have two body segments, the abdomen and the cephalothorax. To create these two segments, pinch and twist the circle so that it forms a figure eight.
Now it is time to attach the legs of your spider! All eight of a spider’s legs are attached to its cephalothorax, so choose one side of your figure eight to designate as the cephalothorax and begin attaching the legs. To do this, take one of the leg pieces and hook it around the side of the body. Twist the end of the leg piece to secure it to the body. Repeat this step seven more times until you have four legs on each side of the body.
At this stage, your spider is finished being constructed! You can leave your spider like this or you can bend the legs to create more of a 3-dimensional creature. This is when you can add any embellishments like pompoms, beads, or eyes to your spider as well.

Four pipe cleaners cut in half and one full length pipe cleaner

Full length pipe cleaner folded into a circle to make the body of the spider

Pipe cleaner twisted into a figure eight to form the body of the spider

spider made of pipe cleaners — Finished pipe cleaner spider with its legs bent

Finished pipe cleaner spider with yarn and decorative pompoms added at the end of each leg

If you would like to hang up your spider, you can represent its spinnerets – the silk producing organs – by tying a piece of string or yarn to the end of the abdomen (the body segment without the legs).

Finished pipe cleaner spider hanging from a piece of yarn

The Spider Rainbow

Red – Dominican Spider (Alcimosphenus licinus)

Orange – Shamrock Orb-weaver (Araneus trifolium)

Yellow – White-banded Crab Spider (Misumenoides formosipes)

Green – Green Huntsman Spider (Micrommata virescens)

Blue – Singapore Blue Tarantula (Lampropelma violaceopes)

Purple – Ecuadorian Purple Tarantula (Avicularia purpurea)

Pink – Pink Crab Spider (Thomisus onustus)

Newton, B., & Bessin, R. (2009, November 19). Spider Anatomy. Kentucky Critter Files – University of Kentucky Department of Entomology. Retrieved September 30, 2021, from https://www.uky.edu/Ag/CritterFiles/casefile/spiders/anatomy/spideranatomy.htm.

World Spider Catalog (2021). World Spider Catalog. Version 22.5. Natural History Museum Bern, Retrieved September 30, 2021, from http://wsc.nmbe.ch doi: 10.24436/2

Riley Riley is a Gallery Experience Presenter in CMNH’s Learning Department. Museum staff, volunteers, and interns are encouraged to blog about their unique experiences and knowledge gained from working at the museum.

September 14, 2020 by Kathleen

Super Science: What’s an Ornithologist?

Today on the blog we’ll be talking all about birds, so thanks for joining me. If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about birds but didn’t know where to begin, then you’ve come to the right place. Whether you’re a young person just starting to take an interest in science or an adult looking to delve deeper, I think you’ll find some interesting surprises on our adventure. What do we call a scientist who studies birds? If you guessed ornithologist, you’re right! The word comes from the Greek for “bird” and “discourse on;” ornis and logos respectively.

So, with that info in mind, can you guess what an ornithologist’s cereal says when they pour milk over it at breakfast? Hint: Think bird names. Give up? “Snipe, Grackle, Peep!”

Tools Ornithologists use to observe birds

A notebook to record your careful observations.
A a bird field guide. If you don’t have one, check one out from your local library to expand your knowledge. You can use such a guide to confirm which birds you’ve observed and documented in your notes. You should also consult the Cornell Lab of Ornithology online. If you’ve ever heard birds chirping in our Hall of North American Wildlife, those recordings came from Cornell University’s archive!
Binoculars! These are a must, whether you’re someone who wants to take your birdwatching to whole a new level of detail, or a kid who wants to tackle a fun project with their adult.

Make Your Own Binoculars!

Supplies Needed

Two cardboard toilet paper tubes
Scissors
Stapler
Clear tape
Paint, magic markers, stickers, and/or wrapping/construction/scrapbooking paper

Directions

Decorate your two cardboard tubes. Be creative! You can paint them, cover them with stickers, draw on them—you name it! If you choose to wrap your cardboard tubes with paper, make sure to ask your adult for help. They’ll help you measure the paper and cut it to size so that it will cover each tube just right. Your adult can also help you to tape the newly sized paper to each tube accurately.
Have your adult safely staple the two tubes together with one staple at each end of your new cardboard binoculars. Voila! You’re ready to have fun using your imagination as you learn about birdwatching and the roles birds play in our everyday life.

Whether you live in the city, suburbs, or in a rural area, birds are a major part of your environment. The Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, home to Carnegie Museum of Natural History, is no exception. Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias) are no strangers and Peregrine Falcons (Falco peregrinus) are known to nest at the very top of the Cathedral of Learning.

In the autumn at twilight you’re bound to see clouds of starlings and crows getting ready to migrate. As for the crows and starlings, don’t worry, you’re not in a Alfred Hitchcock movie, it is a perfectly natural formation. These birds flock together for protection from another bird that calls Pittsburgh home, the Great Horned Owl. As humans we’re slowly becoming more conscious of the fact that we share our urban spaces with birds. Carnegie Museum of Natural History is doing its best to keep birds safe as we strive to coexist with the natural world around us. Last year, in 2019, the museum in conjunction with Birdsafe Pittsburgh began applying experimental films to its windows to help birds see the glass and avoid death from a collision.

I hope this blog has either encouraged you to give birdwatching a try for the first time, or rekindled an interest of longstanding. Birding allows all of us to more deeply explore our local ecosystems and to appreciate our indelible link with the natural world.

Nicholas Sauer is a Gallery Presenter and Natural History Interpreter in Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s LifeLong Learning Department.

June 20, 2020 by Kathleen

History of Teddy Bears

We’ve all played with one at some point; stuffed animal bears are rooted in our country’s childhood. But did you know that we have these stuffed bears because a certain man immersed himself in the natural world in the early twentieth-century?

Theodore Roosevelt, commonly known as Teddy, became the 26th President of the United States in 1901. Being an avid outdoorsman and naturalist, Roosevelt loved to explore the natural world. In his presidency he was even able to protect over 200 million acres of public land, and establish the U.S. Forest Service, as well as five National Parks! But what does this have to do with the stuffed animal bears?

In the fall of 1902, Teddy Roosevelt accepted a hunting invitation from Mississippi governor, Andrew Longino. Their guide was a man named Holt Collier, who knew the land well. Collier was determined to help an eager Roosevelt find a black bear. On the second day of their excursion, Collier came across one. Collier, who knew Roosevelt was significantly behind him with Longino, decided to tie the bear up for Roosevelt. However, when Roosevelt arrived on the scene, he was astonished. Roosevelt exclaimed that such an act would be unsportsmanlike.

The news of this act of compassion from the President spread so quickly around the United States that Clifford Berryman of the Washington Post produced the sensational cartoon at the top of this blog.

Then, a couple in Brooklyn, N.Y., Rose and Morris Michtom, saw the cartoon. They owned a penny candy shop and decided, for fun, that they would make a stuffed plush bear and display it in the window to honor the President. Rose cut out some pieces of fabric and sewed on some button eyes and put it in the window with the name, Teddy’s Bear. It was an overnight hit. So much so, that the Mitchtoms had to ask if they could use Roosevelt’s name for the bear. Roosevelt obliged, and their business took off! Instead of selling candy the couple decided to start the Ideal Toy Company, which went on to produce a multi-generational love of Teddy Bears.

Roosevelt’s children were some of the first to play with the Teddy Bear. Although not confirmed, It is said that as a gift the Michtom’s gave the above bear to Kermit Roosevelt, who was thirteen at the time. The bear was a constant reminder to the children of the tenderness of their father and his deep connection to the natural world.

June 19, 2020 by Kathleen

Stuffed Animal Safari – Library Storytime

We’re joining Erin, a children’s librarian at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, who’s reading One Day in the Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus Tree by Daniel Bernstrom, Wild About Us by Karen Beaumont, and Old Mikamka Had a Farm by Rachel Isadora

June 17, 2020 by Kathleen

Stuffed Animal Safari: Scat Song Sing-a-Long

The scat song is from Brandon Lyle, a museum educator at Carnegie Museum of Natural History. For more educational songs by Brandon, visit his youtube.

June 14, 2020 by Kathleen

Stuffed Animal Safari: Coloring Pages

Download Stuffed Animal Coloring Page

Download Animal Habitats Coloring Page

June 14, 2020 by Kathleen

The Meaning of Safari

Watching a gorgeous sunset over the South African terrain, I’ve never felt more connected to my life’s calling of conserving wild animals and wild places. I was half-way around the world, experiencing nature in a way that I never had before. This experience has shaped the very core of who I am, what I believe in and what I fight for.

Not only do safaris provide a safe way for guests to observe nature, but they also actively contribute to local conservation efforts. The Aquila Private Reserve, located in Touws River–two hours outside of Capetown, SA–is a 10,000-hectare conservancy that protects Africa’s natural wildlife. Many animals call this place home; they find safety and protection here. The lions that live on Aquila’s reserve were rescued from the ‘canned hunting’ industry, a practice in which animals are bred specifically to be hunted and then drugged and forced into small enclosures. Elephants living on the reserve were rescued from culling practices that segregate animals from their herds for hunting. It became clear that every animal had a story. The safari guides’ passion for sharing these stories deeply inspire me.

The meaning of the word ‘safari’ has changed over the last few hundred years. The term ‘safari’ originally referenced large scale game hunts, with participants often hunted Africa’s ‘big five,’ which includes the lion, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros, and Cape buffalo. These animals were on the verge of extinction by the late 1700s. Through the decades, the term has taken on new meaning. Today’s safaris focus on observing, photographing, or recording wildlife in its natural state. Safaris provide us a chance to appreciate and experience our wild spaces it in a completely different way.

In 2011, poachers attacked three rhinos at the Aquila Reserve, two of whom succumbed to their gruesome injuries. Rhino poachers seek illegal body parts, like rhino horns, to sell to the highest bidder. Poachers are only interested in adult animals with large horns, often leaving juvenile rhinos to die without a care giving parent. In response to the 2011 attack, Saving Private Rhino was born. This non-profit organization has grown over the years to be a vital resource for the rhinos of South Africa. Saving Private Rhino provides many critical resources including telephone support; rhino ‘carer’ dispatches to reserves; transportation of orphaned rhinos to orphanages; training on orphan care; and reconstructive surgery performed by a veterinarian–all free of charge. This 24-hour service is offered to reserves in South Africa. Saving Private Rhino has also launched its first training course designed to train rangers in anti-poaching tactics with a goal of having two trained rangers working at every reserve.

I began to care deeply for this place that provided safety and protection to local wildlife and the positive effects that has had on their community. I’ll never forget the time I spent there; I grew so much. Unplugged from technology and focused on the magnificent beauty right before my very eyes. Seeing the stars and the moon from the other side of the world. Listening to elephant trumpets reverberate off the surrounding hills. Watching baby rhinos jump and play in the sun under their mothers’ watchful eye. Smelling the cool night air as I listened to the sounds of nighttime on the reserve.

But my experiences went far beyond just viewing nature. My idea of a ‘safari’ had changed forever. Aquila isn‘t just a space where you can observe wildlife; it’s a place where an entire community is working together towards a sustainable future, providing the resources and education needed to protect and conserve local wildlife. It reminds me that we all have power with our choices. And we can use our power to support organizations that contribute to sustainability, conservation and community advancement.

In Swahili, safari merely means, ‘journey.’ I visited Aquila in 2017, but a new chapter of my journey had just begun.

Leslie Wilson is the On-Site Program Manager and Veterinary Technician for Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Museum employees are encouraged to write about their experiences so they can be shared on the blog. Leslie wrote this blog specifically for our Super Science Saturday: Stuffed Animal Safari program.

May 11, 2020 by Kathleen

Super Science Days: Bug Bonanza Coloring

Download Prince with Butterflies Coloring Page

Learn more about our Geoffroy’s Cat

Download Cupcake the Cockroach on Cupcake Coloring Page

Learn more about our Cockroaches

September 7, 2018 by Erin Southerland

BirdSafe Infinity Scarf

Pittsburgh artist Ashley Cecil created the art for the beautiful BirdSafe Infinity Scarf. Cecil was inspired by the work of BirdSafe Pittsburgh, a group that is actively working to reduce bird mortality due to collisions with glass.

The scarf features six bird species that are native to Pittsburgh and the Pennsylvania State Flower, Mountain Laurel.

Available in the museum store.

September 4, 2018 by Erin Southerland

Birds on a Wire Mug

Brighten up your day with this mug featuring birds on a wire. Pull the mug from the cabinet and all 18 birds will be black shadows. But once you pour your hot coffee or tea into the mug, a rainbow of colorful birds will appear like magic. Available for $17 in the museum store.

August 27, 2018 by Erin Southerland

Bird Bingo

Learn to identify different bird species by playing Bird Bingo. It’s a fantastic learning tool for kids that’s fun for adults, too. Pick it up for $16 in the museum store.

August 23, 2018 by Erin Southerland

Identiflyer Bird Caller

Learn bird songs quickly and easily with the Identiflyer Bird Caller. In lyric mode, learn how bird calls sound like English words that help you commit bird calls to memory. An ideal gift for the new birding enthusiast. $56 in the museum store.

August 20, 2018 by Erin Southerland

Dinosaur Ceramic Planters

No more boring terra cotta pots. Grow your plants in these classy yet quirky dinosaur ceramic planters. Raise herbs in an herbivore on your kitchen counter or decorate your desk at work with a ferocious (but adorable) T. rex.

These planters are ideal for succulents or other plants that don’t require drainage. Dinosaur ceramic planters are $37 each in the museum store.

August 16, 2018 by Erin Southerland

Summer Adventure Series: Members Only Discount During Meowfest!

Visit the museum store for a cat-themed souvenir during Super Science Saturday: Meowfest!

Four cat items will be discounted just for members on Saturday August 18 from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Members will receive an extra 5% off (a total of 15% off) on our Large Lion Plush, Leopard and Baby Plush, Hug ‘ems Snow Leopard, and 12” Smilodon Plush.

August 8, 2018 by Erin Southerland

Campfire Bow Drill Kit

Inspire your kids to spend time outdoors with the family by building a campfire with them. Cook dinner in the fire, make s’mores, and put away technology more complex than this Campfire Bow Drill Kit. The kit includes kindling, a wooden bow, a fire board, a bearing block, a spindle rod, and full instructions on how to use these basic tools to start a fire.

$29, available in the Museum Store.

August 3, 2018 by Erin Southerland

Tiny Terrarium

Grow a tiny cactus in the “world’s smallest terrarium.” Cacti thrive with just a little water and lots of sunlight. They live for years with minimal care, the ideal plant for someone with a “black thumb.”

The Tiny Terrarium is great for small spaces. While the Giant Saguaro Cactus can grow up to 40 feet tall, this one will only grow to this miniature terrarium.

$5.50 each, available in the Museum Store.

July 18, 2018 by Erin Southerland

Special Member Discounts During Summer Adventure Series

Planning to join us for this weekend’s Summer Adventure Series: Reptile Meet and Greet? After you get up close and personal with live reptiles, stop in the museum store to check out some souvenir reptiles.

Two of our plush reptiles will be discounted just for members on Saturday July 21, 2018 from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Members will receive an extra 5% off (a total of 15% off) on our Large Anaconda Plush and our Large Sequin Snake Plush.

February 10, 2016 by wpengine

Powdermill Nature Reserve

Ruby-crowned Kinglet bird
“Our nets are like a box of chocolate, you never know what you’re going to get.
Our January morsel: a Ruby-crowned Kinglet.
The only other time we’ve ever caught a Ruby-crowned Kinglet in January was in 1993 when 2 were banded, one which was re-caught 2 more times. Our lovely lady was first banded in late October and re-caught twice in November, last on November 21st.
We’re looking forward to finding more goodies in our nets this year, but we’ll pass on the cordials please.”

Visitor Info

by Dr. John R. Wible

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by Sara Klingensmith

How Do We Know When and Where to Find Mushrooms?

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by Debra Wilson

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Instructions

The Spider Rainbow

Tools Ornithologists use to observe birds

Make Your Own Binoculars!

Supplies Needed

Directions

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