February 14, 3:30 – 4:30 pm, Owl Pellet Dissection. Owls do not have teeth to chew their food, instead, they swallow it whole. They commonly consume mice, voles, small birds, and other prey. Bones, teeth, fur, and feathers are formed into an oval mass that the owl later regurgitates as a pellet and are often found below owl roosting spots. Dissecting the pellets is important for scientific study because they give us a picture of what animals the owl has been consuming and in what frequency. We’ll be identifying the bones and teeth of the prey animals to get an idea of the types of prey the owl has been consuming. This program is limited to 10 and recommended for grades 2 and up. Each pellet is dry heat sterilized and gloves will be provided.
February 28, 3:30 – 4:30 pm, Protecting Terrapins. Deb Ewing oversees a diamondback terrapin conservation area in Marion and has partnered with the New England Coastal Wildlife alliance to protect Diamondback Terrapins. She will be sharing information regarding the efforts she and others have made to protect this threatened species. She has created a “turtle garden” on conservation land in Marion and joined forces with NECWA, New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance to conduct population studies, locate nests and to install protection equipment to protect these important animals from predators. Let’s learn about these animals and meet some of the people working to protect them.
March 13, 3:30 – 5:30 pm, Astronomy 101, Amateur astronomer Peter Marshall will be sharing his knowledge of our universe with our group. We will be focusing on the gigantic size of the universe and the distances to certain planets, stars, nebulas and galaxies. We’ll also be scanning his pictures for evidence of aliens.
March 27, 3:30 – 4:30 pm, Bird Nests and Eggs. The museum has a unique collection of birds’ eggs and nests. We’ll be taking a close look at these and using a variety of natural materials see if we can construct our own nests. We will also be looking at a variety of bird egg designs, colors and sizes, and why these features may be important. Program limited to 15 students.
April 10, 3:30 – 4:30 pm, Exploring Wetland Amphibians. Did you know that the small pools you find in the woods, the ones that usually dry up by late summer, start the whole forest food chain. Let’s take a look at these important local habitats and how they help nearly every forest animal and as well as ourselves. We will be conducting several hands-on experiments involving water, soils, and taking a close look at the small animals that provide so much to our forest ecosystems. Please dress to make a mess. Program is limited to 15 students.
Enroll in any and all of our upcoming programs through the Museum’s website: www.marionmuseum.org. See you soon.