EUGENE, Ore. -- (Feb. 7, 2011) - The University of Oregon's Museum of Natural and Cultural History is inviting families to explore animals and nature in honor of Charles Darwin's birthday on Saturday, Feb. 12, from noon to 4 p.m. The event is part of International Darwin Days, which features events around the world celebrating Darwin, science and humanity.
The UO event offers a variety of activities for children of all ages. Participants may create an animal mask with art teachers and recycled materials from the Materials Exchange Center for Community Arts. Masks may feature extinct, living or made-up creatures depending on each artist's preference. Families may enter their creations in a juried competition that will be used to select masks featured in an upcoming exhibit, "Making Faces," which is part of the museum's Northwest Artist's Series.
Edward Davis, the museum's fossil collections manager, will be on hand at the Darwin celebration to show and discuss fossils from the collections vault, including the claws of a giant ice age sloth and parts of an ice age mammoth.
The event will also include a scavenger hunt for animal images in the exhibit. Children will collect letters at each stop that can be arranged to spell a mystery animal. Each scavenger hunt participant will receive a prize upon completion.
Families can also try an art project to camouflage an animal in its habitat. The activity is designed to help children consider how natural selection helps animals survive in their specific environments.
A birthday cake will be cut at 1 p.m., and families will sing "Happy Birthday" to Darwin, who would turn 202 on Feb. 12. He published his theories on the diversity of life and evolution by natural selection in his work, "On the Origin of Species," in 1859.
"I think Darwin would be very proud to see people continue to learn about, question and explore the world around us," says Ann Craig, the museum's assistant director for education. "Our goal is to offer activities that help families be part of this investigation in fun interactive ways."
Admission is $5 for families, with MNCH members admitted free. Yearlong memberships are offered at half price on family days.
The UO Museum of Natural and Cultural History is open Wednesday through Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $3 for adults, $2 for seniors and youths ages 17 and under, and $8 for families (two adults and up to four youths). Museum members and university faculty, staff and students are admitted free. Admission is free for the public on Wednesdays.
About the University of Oregon
The University of Oregon is among the 108 institutions chosen from 4,633 U.S. universities for top-tier designation of "Very High Research Activity" in the 2010 Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The UO also is one of two Pacific Northwest members of the Association of American Universities.
Contact: Ann Craig, assistant director of education, 541-346-3116, acraig@uoregon.edu