The following programs have been scheduled by the Marion Natural History Museum for the Winter and Spring 2016 After School Programs:
February 3: Whales of Buzzards Bay with Woods Hole marine mammal biologist Dr. Michael Moore. With the excitement of a humpback whale spotted off our shoreline this fall, Dr. Moore will discuss the biology of this species and what we may or may not see in years to come. This program promises to be an exciting opportunity to ask Dr. Moore questions about these animals.
February 10: Gearing up for the Great Backyard Bird Count. The GBBC is an important citizen science exercise that we can participate in to help our birds. The GBBC is the weekend of February 12-15 and is an annual event anyone can participate in. Let’s explore the resources put out by the various organizations that collect our data and investigate other ways we can help our birds during the winter months. Please note – this is a half day for local schools. This program will start at 1:00 pm and end/pick up at 2:00 pm. If you’d like to have the director retrieve your child from Sippican School for this event, please send in a note to the director and the school.
March 9: “An Introduction to New England Archaeology” with professional archaeologist Craig Chartier. This program is limited, so please register as soon as possible to hold your spot. In order to cover program costs, registration for this program is $12/child for nonmembers and $10/child for members. Advance registration is required.
March 23: Introduction to Ocean Engineering with Lockheed Martin engineer Mark Whelan. With the use of experimentation, Mark will introduce us to some of the mechanics of propulsion, steering, and other engineering principles.
April 13: The power of pollinators with naturalist and environmental scientist Merilee Kelly. Merilee has been working on gardens specifically designed to draw in our native pollinators. She will be sharing some of her plants and expertise with us so we may learn how to help our winged friends.
May 4: Trip to Bird Island with the Marion Harbormaster’s office. Bird Island has been undergoing some changes during the winter to improve nesting habitat for our endangered shorebirds such as the Roseate Tern. Let’s go out and take a look at what’s been done.
May 25: Soda Bottle Rockets. Let’s save our 2-liter bottles and launch our rockets with Dr. William (Toby) Dills. This will be an exciting program on the mechanics of rocketry for our last day of after school programs till next fall.
Parents can visit the museum’s website to register, www.marionmuseum.org.