Little Owl’s Night Little Owl loves the night, and so do many of his friends. Follow Little Owl as he flies through the night, observing other nocturnal creatures. As morning approaches, he heads back home to Mama, and she shares with him how night ends as he falls fast asleep. After the story, we will […]

A Living Museum: A History of the Land at Powdermill Nature Reserve The land at Powdermill has a long history even before the establishment of the nature reserve in 1956. Pamela Curtin, Education Coordinator at the Westmoreland Historical Society, will share an historical overview of Powdermill and how people have used the landscape over time. […]

Speaker: Jeffrey M. Marcus University of Manitoba The Marcus laboratory studies the genomic origins, development, evolution, and diversification of butterfly and color patterns, with a particular focus on the buckeye butterflies (genus Junonia). This system is a wonderful model for understanding butterfly biology because it permits the integrated study of phenotypic traits at many levels […]

Tales and Trails: Halloween at Powdermill Explore the spooky side of Powdermill in the evening at this family-friendly Halloween event! Drop in anytime between 5 and 8 pm to see how apple cider is made, listen to a fireside ghost story, decorate a pumpkin, and even meet animals from the museum’s living collection! Please note […]

Learn about the field of archaeology at Carnegie Museum of Natural History! Participate in a mock dig and help prepare an archaeological exhibit for display. Learn about the traditional dwellings, clothing, and crafts of the Iroquois in the Alcoa Foundation Hall of American Indians. Merit Badge pre-requisites: Archaeology 4 and 5 Merit Badge requirements met […]

6–6:30 p.m. Live performance of old miners' movement songs from Appalachia by Joe Uehlein. 6:30–8:30 p.m. Panel discussion The history of Appalachia is tightly bound to the history of coal, and the material and sentimental attachments to this history presents a predicament for the environmental movement. On one hand, the history of coal is a […]

Join us in investigating the creepy and awesome creatures that call the museum home! Meet live animals, learn spooky facts about our tarantula, and enjoy a Halloween movie on the big screen! Trick-or-treat around dinosaurs and mummies at stations throughout the museum and wear a costume* to receive a small prize! *Please, no masks, weapons, […]

2–3 p.m. Screening of animated film Fire Underground 3–4 p.m. Panel discussion with artist/filmmaker SCREENING Fire Underground is an animated film by artist Nick Crockett, built in a game engine, which presents an alternative version of the 300 million year history of coal. Hovering between homage and parody, fantasy and documentary, cinema and simulation, it […]

Help your students contribute to science! Join us at Powdermill Nature Reserve, the Environmental Research Station of Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Rector, PA as we explore different tools to observe and sample biodiversity in natural landscapes. Learn techniques for recording and analyzing nature observations in the woodlands surrounding Powdermill, and sketch with pencil […]