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Education

August 30, 2024 by

Home school Classes

Homeschool classes

Explore the natural world in Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s homeschool classes! Students ages 5-18 from the Western Pennsylvania homeschool community are invited to attend interactive, engaging sessions designed to complement homeschool science curriculums.  Read on below to learn more about the schedule and descriptions of all our classes and to register your student today – classes fill up quickly!

2025 Homeschool Classes listed below meet at the museum on the following Mondays.

Session 1: Winter 2025 Dates

  • January 27, 2025
  • February 3, 2025
  • February 10, 2025
  • February 17, 2025
  • February 24, 2025

Last day to register for Winter:
January 20, 2025

Session 2: Spring 2025 Dates

  • March 31, 2025
  • April 7, 2025
  • April 14, 2025
  • April 21, 2025
  • April 28, 2025

Last day to register for Spring:
March 24, 2025

Spring 2025 Classes

Backyard Biology (Spring)
 Ages 5-7
 1 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

children gathered looking at specimens

Discover the amazing creatures living in and around your home! Explore the museum’s exhibits and backyard to look for critters, search for insects in leaf litter, and go on a mammal scavenger hunt. Create your own birdfeeder to attract birds to your yard, plus craft a bug hotel and make art from nature. Conduct plant pigment experiments and dissect fruits and vegetables. Uncover backyard micro mysteries using magnifiers and a video microscope.

Dino Discovery (Spring)
 Ages 8-10
 1 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

children looking at dinosaur bones

Explore the world of massive plant eaters and vicious carnivores! Discover dinosaurs and the world they lived in with hands-on activities including digging for fossils and making a fossil cast. Take a hike around the museum and nearby Schenley Park to compare life in the Mesozoic Era to your world today. Investigate how modern animals compare to dinosaurs and other animals from millions of years ago. Piece together evidence from the past to design and replicate dinosaur habitats.

Invasive Species (Spring)
 Ages 11-13
 1 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

kids observing a magnified view of a specimen

Investigate the environmental impact of invasive species, including plants, animals, insects, and mollusks. Explore nearby Schenley Park to find and identify invasive species in our area, and learn what factors make a species thrive. Discover how scientists and environmentalists combat harm caused by invasive species. Complete a “Wanted: Ecological Outlaws” project to create your own plan to prevent and deter invasive species where you live.

Life Science 3 (Spring)
 High school
 9 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

two museum goers look at taxidermied birds

The spring session of Life Science focuses on adaptations, human interactions with ecosystems, natural selection, and evolution. Investigate animals from the past and connect them to their modern relatives. Identify key evidence in the process of evolution and how natural selection leads to adaptations of populations. Explore the museum to identify endangered and extinct animals, and make connections to climate change and human impact on the environment. Model climate change scenarios and discover their impacts.

For cancellations to a single session, participants are eligible for a full refund minus a $10 processing fee if canceling more than one week before the session begins. For cancellations made less than one week before the session starts, but before the second class in the session, participants are eligible for a refund minus a $10 processing fee and the pro-rated cost of the first class. No refunds will be issued after the second class meeting.

For cancellations to the three-session bundle, the above refund policy applies. If a bundle is cancelled after a participant completes a session, the participant will be charged the price of the attended session and will be refunded the price of the following session(s), minus a $10 processing fee.

Special note: The school year package savings apply per learner, not per family. It will be applied to the cost of one learner for all three sessions.

Inclement Weather Policy

For children’s programs scheduled to occur December through March, the following inclement weather policy will be used: Should hazardous conditions result in cancellation of classes, announcements will be made on local Pittsburgh television stations including KDKA, WTAE, WPXI, and FOX. Decisions are based on the needs of all students and instructors, some of whom drive considerable distances to Oakland. Makeup days may be scheduled for missed classes. During any inclement weather, please use your own discretion to attend for your own safety and that of your student.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Education, Homeschool Classes

May 22, 2024 by Erin Southerland

Botanists Gone Wild! Perspectives from the Record-Breaking Finish for City Nature Challenge 2024

by Jessica Romano

Every spring people all over the world join in the City Nature Challenge, a global effort to safely document and identify nature through the free and easy-to-use iNaturalist app. For the seventh consecutive year, Carnegie Museum of Natural History staff were among the participants taking on the challenge in and around the Pittsburgh region – and in 2024, the results were record-breaking! Totals for regional participants, identifiers, observations, and number of species hit their highest in the history of the challenge, thanks to a combination of warm, dry spring weather and dedication from participants. Observations and identifications made during the challenge are shared with scientists around the world, helping to both document and better understand the diversity of species around us.

Here are the totals from the Pittsburgh Region City Nature Challenge 2024 (CNC) – which are all records for this region’s participation! 

Total participants who made observations: 643

Total participants who made identifications: 562

Total observations made: 10,050

Total species identified: 1,753

Total identifications: 16,875

Plants topped the list for observed species, with about 46% of the total, followed by insects with about 27% of the total. Other species identified but in smaller totals include fungi, birds, arachnids, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and mollusks. 

Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) took the top spot overall. This native plant species sprouts early in spring with long stems and umbrella-like leaves. The rest of the top 10 species are all plants, with the exception of the Red Admiral (Vanessa Atalanta), a beautiful butterfly with red bands on the wings. The most observed bird, the American Robin (Turdus migratorius),took spot 17, and at spot 26, the White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) was the most observed mammal. 

The lovely Common Blue Violet (Viola sororia) came in third place on the list of observed species.

With plants claiming nine of the top ten spots, it’s fitting to get perspective from the museum’s Section of Botany, who not only participate, but whose dedication puts them at the top of the list. Although they are literally professionals at looking for plants, the common message from the Botany staff is that anyone can do this challenge! The objective is to document nature all around us, from parks to neighborhood streets to city blocks and beyond. 

Reflections from the Section of Botany Scientists

Curatorial Assistant Alyssa Landa made a point to visit similar spots that she visited last year, as well as around her yard and street to look at things she walks past every day. “CNC is a great reminder to check out places near me,” Alyssa said. “The big thing for me this year is just the number of new-to-me species I was able to log, just by taking that little bit of extra time to pay attention to what’s around that I might not otherwise be drawn to or notice! This time of year is always really exciting to me, and CNC is a fun reminder that there’s still so much to learn. It’s also a reminder to revisit my old, well-known (plant) friends too.” And her efforts made a difference! Alyssa logged the second highest total identifications, putting her expertise to excellent use.

A steadfast champion for the City Nature Challenge, Associate Curator of Botany Mason Heberling uses the challenge to check out the woods nearby where he lives. “I get caught up in other things and forget to appreciate the hyper-local diversity, within walking distance,” Mason said. “I make it a point to visit the same woods by my house every CNC.” Despite travelling out of the area for much of the challenge, Mason logged nearly 100 local observations!

And then there’s Bonnie Isaac, the section’s Collection Manager. Although City Nature Challenge is not a competition, it’s worth noting and applauding Bonnie’s efforts – she logged the highest number of both observations and identifications in the Pittsburgh region this year! She made 607 observations, which totaled 343 different species, and identified a whopping 1,697 entries! Bonnie shared her reflections about the challenge and described why it’s so important to her.

“When I was young, I could not spend enough time outdoors. I was outside from sunup till sundown or until my folks came looking for me. My curiosity led me to want to know what everything I encountered was. One year one of my sisters gave me a Peterson field guide for Christmas. This led me to discover that there was a whole series of Peterson field guides. Thus began my collecting career. I had to have every Peterson Field Guide that came out. (I now have a complete set of Peterson Field Guides, leather bound editions.)  With these guides I could go out and try to identify everything I saw. I was in heaven. I am also a very competitive person. The City Nature Challenge takes what I love to do and makes it into a bit of a competition. I don’t live in the Pittsburgh City Nature Challenge region. I live in Lawrence County. During the pandemic the best I could do was help with identifying observations. Now that I can travel to the Pittsburgh region during the City Nature Challenge. Game on!” – Bonnie Isaac

Of Bonnie’s impressive collection of field guides, the first one she received was not plants, but animal tracks! It was written by Olaus J. Murie, a former employee of Carnegie Museum of Natural History who became a world famous biologist. Image credit: Bonnie Isaac.

For this year’s challenge, Bonnie visited Raccoon Creek State Park, Moraine State Park, Bradys Run Park, and Brush Creek Park. “The City Nature Challenge gives me a chance to get outside and see how many different things I can find,” Bonnie said. “Every year I challenge myself to find more species than I did the previous year. I also find identifying observations made by others somewhat satisfying. I get a chance to hone my identification skills and I get to see what others have found.”

Even for a botanist with decades of experience like Bonnie, each year brings surprises. “Every year there are surprises that I didn’t expect. I’ll discover that something is blooming that I didn’t think would be blooming yet, or I might find that someone found a plant growing in an area where I wouldn’t have expected it.”

Bonnie has never seen an all-white Blue-eyed Mary (Collinsia verna). She was excited to see that iNaturalist user “bquail” found some during the challenge. Image credit: © bquail via iNaturalist, CC BY-NC

Bonnie continued, “The top observations tend to be some of the same things, many plants that are not native to the area. It’s the things with only a couple observations that I find the most interesting. It’s these unusual observations that keep me eager to see what nifty things are being found basically in our own backyards. It also keeps me energized to get out and find more and to look closer for the minute details that might separate one species from another.” 

The iNaturalist app also allows for recordings of bird song, frog calls, and other sounds. Bonnie connected with a user who identified a unique feature on one of her uploaded recordings. “One of the surprises for me was someone contacting me to let me know that one of my bird recordings had gray tree frogs singing in the background.”

Bonnie’s favorite observation of 2024 was this Goldenseal, just coming into bloom. Image credit: Bonnie Isaac.

A Global Effort with Big Results

City Nature Challenge 2024 was not just a success in Pittsburgh – globally the number of cities participating increased to 690 this year, a big jump from 482 cities in 2023! Here are a few of the worldwide stats:

Total participants: 83,528 in 690 cities in 51 countries

Total observations made: 2.4 million

Total species identified: 65,682

The big winner across the board, with most observations, species, and participants is La Paz, Bolivia!

The City Nature Challenge returns next spring. Let’s see if we can build on the truly remarkable success of 2024!

Jessica Romano is Museum Education Writer at Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

Related Content

Snags, Logs, and the Importance of a Fallen Tree

City Nature Challenge: A 2022 Reflection

The City Nature Challenge Family Experience

Carnegie Museum of Natural History Blog Citation Information

Blog author: Romano, Jessica
Publication date: May 22, 2024

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Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Alyssa Landa, Bonnie Isaac, Botany, City Nature Challenge, Education, Jessica Romano, Mason Heberling

April 19, 2024 by Erin Southerland

City Nature Challenge: Noticing Invasive Plants 

by Rachel Reeb and Jessica Romano

This spring, thousands of people will join the City Nature Challenge, a global effort to document biodiversity safely and easily on the free iNaturalist app. Participating in the challenge is fun and rewarding – simply make observations of nature, take photos, and upload them to the app. The data collected during the challenge is shared with scientists around the world and helps them both document and better understand the diversity of species around us. This year’s challenge takes place April 25 through 28 for the observations, with a follow-up identification period from April 29 through May 1 when scientists and naturalists help observers properly identify the species they found. Participants will observe plants, insects, mammals, birds, mollusks, reptiles, amphibians, and more, right in their own neighborhoods. 

Alliaria petiolate, common name Garlic Mustard, is very commonly spotted during the City Nature Challenge and is easy to identify by its broad leaves and small white flowers. Credit: Katja Schulz from Washington, D. C., USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

To help get us ready for this year’s challenge, Rachel Reeb, postdoctoral fellow in the Section of Botany at Carnegie Museum of Natural History, created this guide to finding and understanding invasive species of plants, including species like garlic mustard that is repeatedly one of the most often observed plants during the challenge. To get started, Rachel provided helpful definitions: 

Native or Indigenous species: Species that exist within an area due to natural evolution.

Introduced species: Species that have been introduced, by humans, to an area outside of its indigenous range. Roughly 25% of plant species in our environment are introduced.

Invasive species: A subset of introduced species which cause significant harm to the environment or human well-being. 

Naturalized species: A subset of introduced species which do not have demonstrated impacts on the environment or human well-being.

Lonicera maackii, known as the Amur Honeysuckle, originated in temperate areas of eastern Asia. Credit: Jay Sturner from USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Observing Invasive Plants

When is the best time to spot invasive plants? In the early stages of spring! Since introduced invasive plants evolved in a different part of the world, they often have unique life cycles that start and end at a different time than the rest of the plant community. Invasive species like garlic mustard, lesser celandine, periwinkle, multiflora rose, and Amur honeysuckle are some of the first to start their life cycles in the spring, providing a surprising pop of greenery to an otherwise dormant forest understory. This ‘head start’ in the growing season gives invasive plants an advantage because they gain priority access to soil nutrients and sunlight, while other plants are still dormant. 

Ficaria verna, or Lesser Celandine, blankets the ground in Frick Park. Credit: Rachel Reeb.

Unfortunately, what serves as an advantage for invasive plants is often a disadvantage to their neighbors, which now have a delayed start in the race to capture limited seasonal resources. Environmental experts in Pittsburgh are especially worried about the survival of rare native wildflowers, such as large white trillium, mayapple, and yellow trout lily. These plants, which have very specific habitat conditions and cannot easily relocate to new areas, are highly sensitive to changes in the environment and often cannot survive in areas where invasive plants are present.

During this year’s City Nature Challenge, we encourage you to take note of everything in nature, including the weeds. What do you notice about invasive plants in your area, like the timing of their life cycle, or how they interact with their neighbors? Have you ever wondered how these organisms came to be here? Many unwanted invasive plants were first introduced as popular garden center products. While some invasive species are now banned from sale, many can still be found in stores, like English ivy and Periwinkle vines.

Podophyllum peltatum, common name Mayapple, is a native species in Pennsylvania and sprouts early in spring, resembling little umbrellas on the landscape. Credit: Jessica Romano.

Here are helpful lists of species you may encounter in our area:

Invasive Species

  • Garlic Mustard 
  • Lesser Celandine
  • Knotweed 
  • Multiflora Rose
  • Amur Honeysuckle
  • Periwinkle / Vinca 
  • English Ivy 
  • Japanese Barberry 
  • Tree of heaven

Naturalized Species

  • Common Dandelion
  • White Clover

Native Spring Wildflowers 

  • Mayapple
  • Large White Trillium
  • Dutchman’s Breeches
  • Virginia Bluebells
  • Common Blue Violet
  • Yellow Trout Lily

How many of these species can you spot? Get your camera/phone/device and join the City Nature Challenge, April 25 through 28!

Rachel Reeb is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Section of Botany at Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Jessica Romano is Museum Education Writer at Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

Related Content

What’s in a Name? Japanese Knotweed or Itadori

Snags, Logs, and the Importance of a Fallen Tree

Using iNaturalist in the City Nature Challenge and Beyond

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Botany, City Nature Challenge, Education, Jessica Romano, Rachel Reeb, Uprooted

April 9, 2024 by Erin Southerland

Snags, Logs, and the Importance of a Fallen Tree

by Jessica Romano

As the seasons change from winter to spring here in western Pennsylvania, a common sight on a recent walk included fallen and decomposing trees. Interesting to look at and begging to be photographed, these fallen trees also hold a very important role in the ecosystem. 

This uprooted tree shows the roots still attached, along a hiking trail in Hartwood Acres Park.

Dead and fallen trees are host to many forms of wildlife, some of which are easy to spot, like squirrels, woodpeckers, and snakes, while others may require a closer look to identify, including fungi, insects, and salamanders. These organisms use the trees for food and shelter, and as the tree decomposes further, the nutrients absorb into the soil and set up favorable conditions for new growth. This cycle is crucial to the health of forests – in fact, numerous species rely on this process to thrive. According to the National Wildlife Federation, “Dead trees provide vital habitat for more than 1,000 species of wildlife nationwide. They also count as cover and places for wildlife to raise young in the requirements for Certified Wildlife Habitat designation.” 

Dead trees are identified two ways:

Snag – a dead tree that is still standing upright while decomposing

Log – the part of a snag that has fallen or partially fallen to the ground

Snags and logs each contribute to a thriving ecosystem in different ways. Snags can have cavities that house mammals, birds, and insects, and can be used for storage or look-out points. Logs on the ground can also act as hiding spots and nests, and as they decompose they provide the nutrients that recycle back into the soil. For those curious for more details about which species in PA utilize snags and logs, Penn State Extension has a thorough list.

This group of logs shows varying points of decomposition and provides lots of spaces for wildlife to shelter.

The photos used here were taken at Hartwood Acres, one of the Allegheny County Parks located in Hampton Township, north of Pittsburgh. Some trees appeared to be freshly uprooted, with the circumference of the base of the tree standing several feet high, while others had clearly been decomposing for quite some time, with the trunk completely hollowed out. 

This log is almost completely hollowed out, providing shelter for various types of wildlife. 
A close-up view shows the variety of textures from varying points of decomposition.

When a tree is uprooted from some type of disturbance event like a storm, it makes space for another topographical feature, pits and mounds. A pit forms in the space where the roots and soil are pulled up. Over time, the root mass decays and falls to the ground, creating a mound on the surface. This is called a micro-topographical feature because it forms around the base of a single tree. Pit-and-mound features create new habitats for wildlife and can often be used as breeding grounds for amphibians when water collects in the pit from runoff. The amount and frequency of mounds in forests can give clues to what caused the trees to fall, and even age of the forest as mounds form over extended periods of time.  

A close-up view of an uprooted tree shows the decaying roots and soil that form a pit underneath and will become a mound over time.

It’s not a coincidence that there are varying types of fallen trees in one park; forest experts monitor these fallen trees and follow guidelines for how many to leave in an area, at times clearing them to help control pests or other safety factors.

Keep in mind it can be dangerous to touch or climb on these fallen trees, especially if they appear rotted. The structure of the wood breaks down slowly but surely and the logs can be weaker than they appear. For that reason it’s better to admire the interesting sight from a distance or at least without touching it. As spring arrives and the tree canopy and forest understory fill in, a return trip will hopefully provide opportunity to spot some of the species benefitting from these fascinating snags and logs.

A perfect opportunity to search for fallen trees and the wildlife that utilizes the newly-created ecosystem is the City Nature Challenge. Using the free app iNaturalist, take and upload photos of nature from April 26 through 29, 2024 and help safely document biodiversity where you live! Learn more about the City Nature Challenge.

Jessica Romano is Museum Education Writer at Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

Sources

  1. National Wildlife Federation
  2. The Wildlife News
  3. Penn State Extension

Related Content

Using iNaturalist in the City Nature Challenge and Beyond

Teaching About Local Wildlife with the City Nature Challenge

Evidence Counts for Absent Creatures – City Nature Challenge

Carnegie Museum of Natural History Blog Citation Information

Blog author: Romano, Jessica
Publication date: April 9, 2024

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Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: City Nature Challenge, Education, Jessica Romano

February 29, 2024 by Erin Southerland

Scientific Names Matter in March Mammal Madness 

by Erin Southerland

March Mammal Madness (MMM) bracket advice: look up the scientific names of species on the MMM website before you make your predictions. While MMM can be silly and ridiculous, it is an educational tool and the details matter. Let’s explore why by looking at the Pitcher Plant (7) vs. Northern Short-tailed Shrew (10) match.  

Pitcher plant isn’t a specific species of plant, rather it describes plants with a modified leaf that resembles and acts like a pitfall trap. 

Nepenthes rajah, a species of pitcher plant. © Thibaud Aronson, (CC BY-SA)

Bonnie Isaac, Collection Manager of Botany, says:

Generally, when we use the term pitcher plant, we are referring to a member of either Sarraceniaceae or Nepenthaceae. Both pitcher plant families evolved in areas where essential nutrients for plants are lacking. They needed to find a way to get their nutrients by other means. Enter carnivory.

Pitcher plants in both families primarily eat insects, but they are generalists that will catch and digest anything that comes along. However, one of these families is more likely than the other to be able to digest the Northern Short-tailed Shrew. 

Bonnie tells us:  

Sarraceniaceae are normally ground dwelling plants with trumpet-shaped leaves that are used to capture their prey. Many of these pitcher plants have hairs on the inside of the tube that point downward to keep the prey from crawling out. They may also have clear areas near the top of the tube to attract insects.  

Members of Nepenthaceae are tropical plants that frequently have a climbing stem. The modified pitcher leaves on these plants are normally of two types: one grows up in the trees that support the vine, the other grows near the ground. The trap leaves near the ground are normally larger than the aerial trap leaves and can digest larger prey. With two types of traps these plants are opportunists and ready to capture whatever may happen into the traps. 

The pitchers of Sarraceniaceae are normally not large enough to hold a Northern Short-tailed Shrew. Nepenthes on the other hand has pitchers that are large enough to hold shrews. Some Nepenthes species attract rodents by giving them a reward. The rodent in turn gives the plant nutrients either by defecating into the toilet-shaped leaf or by falling into the pitcher and being digested. Species of Nepenthes are known to trap and digest vertebrates, including rats and mice. If by chance a Northern Short-tailed Shrew happened upon a Nepenthes and fell into the trap the shrew wouldn’t stand a chance.  

Since the species of pitcher plant selected for March Mammal Madness is Nepenthes rajah, it has a chance to beat the Northern Short-tailed Shrew (Blarina brevicauda).  

Short-tailed Shrew (Blarina brevicauda)

Sue McLaren, Collection Manager of Mammals, also notes that either competitor has a chance (it is March Mammal Madness, after all):  

When I think of the short-tailed shrew, I think of a fierce temperament when confronted by something dangerous. They are good climbers (I’ve seen them climb a tree trunk to a point at least eight feet off the ground). Even though their claws seem a little puny, they are more fossorial (adapted for digging and burrowing) than any other shrew so they can dig their way through densely compacted leaves and easily move through some types of soil (probably not heavy clay).  Finally, they have salivary glands that produce a toxin that can subdue prey that are larger than themselves – salamanders, frogs, mice, and even birds!  However, their climbing ability is probably their best defensive from inside a pitcher plant. 

Anything could happen in this sure-to-be-exciting match! But if the pitcher plant was from the family Sarraceniaceae it wouldn’t be nearly as exciting.  

Want to play March Mammal Madness?  

Get started with these links: 

Get your bracket  

Look up the Latin binomials  

Learn how to play 

Fill out your bracket by March 10, 2024 to play this year. The competition kicks off March 11 with the Wild Card: Rainbow Grasshopper (Dactylotum bicolor) vs. Sparklemuffin Peacock Spider (Maratus jactatus).

Erin Southerland is Communications and Social Media Manager at Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

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March Mammal Madness and Middle School Science Class

Wolverine: Status Check for a Tournament Champion

Carnegie Museum of Natural History Blog Citation Information

Blog author: Southerland, Erin
Publication date: February 29, 2024

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Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Botany, Education, mammals, March Mammal Madness

December 29, 2023 by Erin Southerland

Happy Retirement, Pat McShea!

If you’ve read our blog before today, you have almost certainly encountered the work of Museum Educator Pat McShea. Pat has written more than 125 blog posts over the past seven years and in 2020 took on the role of editor. Pat is retiring today, and we couldn’t think of a more fitting tribute than a blog post. His work has only changed our blog for the better and we are so grateful for all the time and effort he has put in over the years. 

Pat McShea sitting next to a boulder with binoculars on his lap and hiking gear (backpack, hat, jacket) scattered around him.
Zion National Park, 2013.

The earliest post tagged with Pat’s name was published in February 2016 and is called Blue Fleece Jacket. It links field work to life in Pittsburgh with a piece of clothing – a blue fleece jacket. And that’s fitting because one of Pat’s great skills is connecting. Whether it’s scientific topics, people, or random ideas, if there’s a relevant connection, Pat can find it and will share it. 

But Pat has done so much more than write for and edit this blog. His primary role is as Program Officer for the Learning Collection (known for many years as the Educator Loan Collection). He was hired in 1985 as a part-time assistant for the Learning Collection and shortly thereafter as part-time gift shop staff. He took over full-time management of the Learning Collection in 1986. He has loaned items to thousands of teachers, librarians, naturalists, park rangers, artists, and home school parents over the years, and in the process has created lasting relationships while giving learners who might never make it to the museum the opportunity to engage with natural history. 

Pat and his wife Amy Henrici, Collection Manager of Vertebrate Paleontology, are retiring and the museum won’t be the same without them. They are both kind, generous with their time and knowledge, and always a joy to talk to. We will miss them!  

Memories and Stories 

Pat has made a significant impact on the museum community and beyond. When asked the best advice he can share with his education colleagues, he quoted poet and author Mary Oliver: “Pay attention.” And it’s clear from the stories collected below that when Pat is around, people pay attention. Please note, there are many, many people who could contribute here; this is a small sampling of Pat’s impact. 

“Pat has always guided students of all ages (myself included) to observe the traits and behaviors of plants and animals first; then later discover their names. In the fast-paced world of “what is this/that?” Pat shows us that if we slow down and focus our attention, we will begin to discover the amazing intricate details of our natural world and be better suited to tell stories about what we observe.” -Joe Stavish, Director of Education at Tree Pittsburgh (former senior environmental educator at Powdermill Nature Reserve) 

“I met Pat in the winter of 1984-85 [I think] through a mutual friend, relying on his outdoor expertise to buy my first cross country skis at a shop in Shadyside where he worked. I hired him in October 1985 to be my part time assistant in the Educator Loan Collection – mostly moving all the heavy cases around for me. So I was his first supervisor, but also his last(!), because he was hired full-time as head of the collection when I decided not to return from maternity leave in May 1986. 

My son Paul felt like he grew up at the museum as I worked on various freelance projects there, due largely because Pat always made time to share with him interesting info and the occasional cast-off from the collection. Coming full circle, when Paul was a high school senior, Pat took him on and mentored him for a weeks-long senior project.  

Always kind, always the educator, always radiating gentle humor – that’s Pat McShea!” – Laura Beattie, Program Specialist for The Leonard S. Mudge Environmental Education Program, 1981-1985, then Program Specialist for the Educational Loan Collection 1985-1986, freelancer for the museum from 1986-1996 

Pat McShea working at a desk
In the Learning Collection office.

“One of the most enduring lessons that Pat has shared with us is to be more curious and less afraid. This wisdom came to light secondhand from a 5-year-old summer camper who, in an end-of-camp reflection, was asked by their camp instructor what was most memorable about their time at camp. They said it was the day that Mr. Pat came to teach about bees, and explained that when he is afraid of something it makes him feel better to ask questions about it. During the camp visit, Pat spoke to a common concern that prevents many people from looking more closely at insects: fear. By making space to talk about feelings, then inviting all kinds of questions, Pat helped all of the campers learn something new. As a colleague, Pat models curiosity in the face of scary subject matter all the time. It’s been essential for the projects on climate change education that he’s worked on over the last 15 years. During the Covid-19 pandemic, this philosophy was essential. Even as we planned for his retirement, Pat has provided reassuring answers to our many questions about how to manage the Learning Collection – most importantly that the curiosity of the educators and students has always pointed the way and will continue to do so.” – Laurie Giarratani, Director of Learning and Community 

“I think ALL of the time about the lasting impact that Pat had on both young learners and adult staff when he encouraged a group of 5-year-old summer campers who were expressing some fear and anxiety about bees to lean into curiosity when they find themselves scared of something (because when you ask questions and learn more, it’s usually going to calm your fears).  That moment (maybe 5 years ago now?!) was the genesis of the ongoing summer camp mantra of “more curious = less afraid.” -Breann Thompson, Associate Director, Learning and Community Programs  

Pat McShea presenting to a group of kids in a classroom
Pat McShea teaching a group of summer campers about bats.

“One of Pat’s talents that made him so successful in his job is his ability to absorb information quickly. When I was getting my Master’s in Geology at the University of Pittsburgh, Pat would help me study for tests by quizzing me. I can still remember him asking me for the eight or so characteristics of deep-sea sediments. As I was slowly trying to come up with the list, I realized that Pat didn’t have to check my notes to see if I was correct, because he already had memorized the information ahead of me. Pat thus acquired considerable knowledge about geology while helping me study for tests.” – Amy Henrici, Collection Manager of Vertebrate Paleontology (and Pat’s wife) 

“Pat is a naturalist poet who reminds us that every hike promises revelations around every corner, as long as we’re patient and observant. After encountering Pat’s words and work, you don’t look at the world with the same eyes. In the words of Norman MacClean, it’s a world with dew still on it. 

Pat, thank you for reminding so many of us that it’s a world with dew still on it waiting for us to make our own discoveries.” – Sloan MacRae, Director of Marketing and Communications

Pat McShea outdoors in a field with cows and hills in the background
Wyoming, 1982.

“It’s impossible to talk about Pat without noting his incredible generosity. He doesn’t just learn and retain information – he eagerly shares it, without fail, with friends, family, colleagues, visitors, learners, everyone. He observes, he listens, he remembers, and he follows up. When a colleague marvels over something he’s written, or remembers a special moment when Pat sought them out to share something, or receives a word of encouragement from Pat during a hard time, that’s the magic of Pat McShea. He’s the most genuine, generous person, and we are all better for working and learning alongside him.” – Jessica Romano, Museum Education Writer

“So one random week last year, Pat KEPT repeating the fact to me that the Haudenosaunee people waited until their corn plants were the size of a squirrel’s ear before planting the beans.  

Over and over and over again. It was really odd but I pushed it out of my brain.  

That was a mistake.  

When he was leading his workshop at the start of the next week, he got out a piece of corn, made a remark about how plants, animals, and natural cycles all tie together. He turns to me and goes “JOHN!  When did the Haudenosaunee plant their beans!?”   

He’s all smiles. He KNOWS I’ve got this. He’s trained me for this.  

And I completely utterly flopped. No idea. Brain blank. No lights on. The hamster is gone and all that’s left is a goldfish flopping around.  

So this madman pulls out a taxidermy of a squirrel. I don’t know where it came from, probably summoned it out of the Aether.  

He holds it up in front of me and goes “a SQUIRREL’S EAR, John!  Come on!!” and everyone starts laughing.” – John Bitsura, Offsite Program Manager 

Pat McShea at his desk
In the Learning Collection office.

“Pat’s retirement represents the loss of a significant voice for Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Contemplating the museum’s future without Pat led me to revisit some of his blogs on the web. One of my personal favorites is “A Gorilla For Our Imagination”. It relates the back story of the silverback male lowland gorilla in the Hall of African Wildlife, “George” who died of natural causes at the Pittsburgh Zoo in 1979. Pat wrote that the important role of this taxidermy ‘is as an educational tool capable of holding eye contact, and thereby encouraging contemplation. In staring contests that the glass-eyed mount never loses, the gorilla represents all its wild kind, the entire population of our planet’s largest primates, close relative of modern humans, and a group whose continued existence is increasingly threatened by illegal hunting, habitat loss, and disease.’ Pat’s insightful words speak volumes about the museum’s exhibits.” – John Wible, Curator of Mammals 

“I worked with Pat McShea in education at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History for ten years and continued to work with him for the next twenty years while using “his” amazing educational loan collection and other resources he provided in my classroom. The museum and community were lucky to have Pat in education for many years because he took a wonderful program like the loan collection and made it even better. Adjectives that describe Pat include kind, inquisitive, kind, helpful, kind, smart, kind, organized, kind, dependable, fun, and did I mention kind? If you are around Pat, it is guaranteed that you will learn something and I would say that a lot of what I know about wildlife and nature is because of Pat. Knowing him and working with him made me a better teacher. He loves the natural world and all the creatures in it and shares his knowledge in many creative ways. (He also makes the best Irish soda bread you will ever taste!)” – Linda Vitale, Natural history docent and teacher from 1983-1993, Museum on the Move volunteer until 2020 

Pat McShea next to an icy river
Allegheny River, 2015.

“Pat’s wealth of knowledge has been invaluable to us as the Allegheny County Park Rangers. His dedication and passion for education shows in everything he does. From suggesting loan materials to use for a specific program to sharing educational resources and articles, Pat has made an immense impact on all of our staff members. I think it is shown best by the number of seasonal Park Rangers who move on from being Rangers but continue to use the loan collection and Pat’s expertise at other positions. It has been an honor and a privilege to be able to work with Pat.” – Elise Cupps, Education & Outreach Coordinator at Allegheny County Parks 

“Amidst the museum’s larger than life history, exhibits, collections and research, Pat’s attention has always been for the learner’s engagement with some aspect of what the climate, plants, animals, and humans might be doing in any season. For example, when working on tabletop exhibits about climate change, Pat noticed that people like to find their homes on maps. He connected that interest to a phenomenon that he and Amy were seeing on their drive to and from work, the morning exodus of crows from the city and evening return of the noisy birds in their dark flocks. He made a climate connection to the urban heat island effect that makes city roosts especially desirable. Given their daily flight patterns, numbers and vocal presence, Pat figured a small prompt “Where have you noticed crows?” might help people become curious about the connection. The regional map, combined with a heat map, crow specimen from ed loan collection and some fun stories about how crows roost and who gets the lower, poopy branches of the trees, came together as a prototype activity in Basecamp where Pat continued to observe people’s responses and chat with those who wanted to share.  

His quiet, thoughtful approach to finding openings for thinking like a naturalist, being inspired by nature around us, and drawing on museum resources, are treasured memories of my time at CMNH. An email in the morning from Pat, with a quote, article of interest, or photo causes me to pause and reflect on Pat’s awe for nature and his constant desire to understand what inspires others. Can’t wait to see how this continues in his future endeavors!” – Mary Ann Steiner, Research Associate with the Climate Rural Systems Partnership (CRSP)  

Pat McShea holding large antlers

“I was asked to share something about Pat from the time I worked with him, which was through 1999 when I left CMNH. If there were dramatic or funny stories to tell, I’ve forgotten them. This, however, attests to Pat’s character. He isn’t one to look for ways to draw attention. He’s steady, reliable, always helpful, generous in sharing his knowledge, and appreciated by educators throughout the area and staff throughout the Carnegie. This was true when I worked with Pat and I’m sure it continued. Oh yes, there was that time when I was greeted with a life-sized human skeleton model at my desk when I arrived at work on my 40th birthday. Quite a sight, courtesy of Pat!” – Judi Bobenage, former Chair of the Division of Education 

“As Pat held up the miniscule mink skull, I knew this lesson would be ‘gold’ for my students. It’s rare to find professional development in the Life Sciences that’s so engaging, informative, and relevant, and Pat’s class on identifying and studying mammal bones sparked a lesson which I still use with my middle school students every year! Though he’s leaving CMNH, Pat’s passions for all things outdoors will live on in classrooms around the Pittsburgh area and beyond. Thanks for all you’ve done, Pat. You will be missed!” – Christian Shane, North Allegheny educator 

Blog Highlights  

If you’re looking to read more of Pat’s own words, here are a few of our favorite blog posts he’s written. Happy reading!  

Learning From Misinterpretations
We Get Questions: Climate Change, Hope, and Action
Building Birding Skills
Echoes of Freedom in an Owl’s Call
Sharing a City Park With a Resident Reptile
Holiday Stowaway: Northern Saw-whet Owl

Carnegie Museum of Natural History Blog Citation Information

Blog author: Carnegie Museum of Natural History
Publication date: December 29, 2023

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Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Education, Pat McShea

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