MAY 2008–AUGUST 2008

Exhibits & Related Programs
Special Events
Field Trips
Family Programs
Cafe Scientifique
Film Programs
Science Trivia

museum info: 612-624-7083
registration: 612-624-9050
www.bellmuseum.org

EXHIBITS & RELATED PROGRAMS

The Lion’s Mane: Science in the Serengeti
May 10 through August 31
Why does a lion have a mane? Does the King of Beasts need his mane for protection, or is it a signal of his power and fitness? University of Minnesota researchers Craig Packer and Peyton West were the first to test these two theories—and their research reveals surprising facts about the mane’s true purpose and its role in attracting a mate.

Mysteries in the Mud: Climate Change in the Big Woods
Through August 31
Free with museum admission
Minnesota’s Big Woods has thrived for hundreds of years in a region dominated by prairies. University of Minnesota geologist Bryan Shuman is discovering that changes in the climate a long time ago may have given trees an advantage over prairies. Tag along into the field and then enter a research lab to discover climate change clues in the layers of mud from the bottom of a lake.

Behind the Diorama Glass
Through August 31
Free with museum admission
The Bell Museum is recognized as one of the great treasure houses of diorama art, with examples that trace the historical development of the diorama from its beginnings in the early 20th century to its peak in the 1940s and 1950s. Using historic images, artifacts, and film, this exhibition takes visitors behind the glass to see the people, processes, and cultural environment that led to the popularity of diorama exhibits.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Summer Discovery Day Camps
Weekly, June 9 through August 29
$225, $200 for members
Summer means ice-cream cones, boat rides, waterslides, and the return of the Bell Museum Summer Discovery Day Camps. These popular weeklong camps are packed with hands-on projects that encourage kids to explore the fields of science, art, and technology. Plus, Bell Museum camps are filled with great summer fun on the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities campus. To register, call 612-624-9050 or visit www.bellmuseum.org.

BioBlitz
Friday, June 13, 5 p.m. through Saturday, June 14, 5 p.m.
BioBlitz is part scientific survey, part community event, and part festival. This year, BioBlitz participants will help survey part of the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge. Newly acquired by the refuge, this beautiful land is a scientifically interesting site that is surrounded by the rapidly developing Carver County. The data collected will be used to help manage the site. Activities will take place all day. For additional information, visit www.bellmuseum.org.

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Evolution 2008 Conference
Thursday, June 19 through Tuesday, June 24
The University of Minnesota's Bell Museum of Natural History and the College of Biological Sciences will host “Evolution 2008,” the joint annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Evolution, the Society of Systematic Biologists, and the American Society of Naturalists, June 19–24 at the University. The meeting is the premier annual opportunity for sharing international scientific research related to evolution. Minnesota Citizens for Science Education is also a sponsor the event. For a complete list of conference activities, visit www.bellmuseum.org.

Public Lecture by Olivia Judson
The Art of Seduction: Evolution, Sex and Society
Sunday, June 22, 4 p.m., Free
Ted Mann Concert Hall
Headlining the “Evolution 2008” series of events is Olivia Judson, New York Times columnist and author of the 2005 best-selling book, Dr. Tatiana’s Sex Advice to All Creation. Judson’s light-hearted guide to the evolutionary biology of sex in the animal kingdom explains when necrophilia is acceptable, who should commit bestiality and with whom, how to have a virgin birth, and when and how to eat your mate. For a complete list of conference activities, visit www.bellmuseum.org.

FIELD TRIPS

Migrant Birds at Lebanon Hills Regional Park
Saturday, May 10, 7:30–11 a.m.
$10, $7 for members
We should be in the thick of spring songbird migration on this trip with many species arriving or passing through. Join bird leader Bruce Fall for a chance to see songbirds returning to Minnesota for the spring and summer. To register, call 612-624-9050.

Birds at Tamarack Nature Center
Wednesday, May 21, 7–8:30 a.m.
$10, $7 for members
Ramsey County’s Tamarack Nature Center offers a variety of habitats, where you can expect to see various birds associated with water, like herons and waterfowl, as well as woodpeckers, flycatchers, vireos, and sparrows. Late May and early June is a good time to observe breeding birds in full song. This is an excellent trip for bird lovers of all skill levels. Ann Kessen was previously the president of the Minnesota Ornithological Union, and she currently teaches at Century College. To register, call 612-624-9050.

Frogs and Frog Calls
Saturday, May 24, 6–10 p.m.
$10, $7 for members
Brush up on your frog biology by learning to identify local frogs by their calls with herpetologist Tony Gamble. We’re likely to hear wood frogs, spring peepers, chorus frogs, leopard frogs, gray treefrogs, and American toads. We will also discuss the courtship, natural history of each species and learn about amphibian declines and frog conservation. To register, call 612-624-9050.

Wolsfeld Woods
Sunday, June 8, 2–4 p.m.
$12, $8 for members
Wolsfeld Woods is a premier example of the original “Big Woods” forest that once covered the south-central part of Minnesota. Due to urban expansion and industrial development, few remnants of the area remain. Join popular Bell trip leader and University of Minnesota professor Ed Cushing for a close-up at this fading region filled with red oak and butternut trees, trilliums, bloodroot, and other species growing within the forest. To register, call 612-624-9050.

Exploring Cedar Creek
Sunday, June 29, 2–4 p.m.
$12, $8 for members
The Cedar Creek area is home to some of the greatest diversity of habitats in Minnesota. Join University of Minnesota ecology professor Ed Cushing for an exciting exploration of the area’s wooded uplands, abandoned fields, lowland swamps, and open marshes. To register, call 612-624-9050.

FAMILY PROGRAMS

Nature Play
A drop-in family program from 1–3 p.m. on the 2nd Saturday of each month. Free with museum admission. For families with kids ages 4 and older.

Pop-Bottle Aquarium, May 10—Come learn about life under the waves as you make your very own colorful, moving, underwater scene in a pop bottle!

Wolves, Coyotes, Foxes, and Dogs, June 14—Touch real pelts and skulls and make a howling great wolf mask. A scavenger hunt will help you explore the wolf, coyote, and fox dioramas.

Slithery Snakes, July 12—Come slither hither and meet our many resident snakes! Discover how snakes survive attacks from predators and how they catch their prey. At the end, we will make a scaly bookmark.

Trash Art, August 9—What can we do with all our trash? What happens to our garbage after we put it in our trash or recycling bins? Bring in stuff from home that you would normally throw away, clean it up, and wear your creativity cap to inspire your artwork.

Nature Tots
A program for toddlers and preschoolers with their parents, held the first Thursday of every month from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. Free with museum admission, but registration is required. Call 612-624-9050.

Pond Life, May 1—Life abounds in and around a pond! Come join us as we learn about the variety of animals that have adapted to live in this habitat. Listen to a fun book, leap along lily pads in a froggy game, and create a colorful pond scene to take home.

Creepy Crawlies, June 5—What creeps and crawls on six or eight legs? Yes, insects and spiders! We will learn about these creepy crawlers through songs and get to see insects and tarantulas up close. Nature Tots and their parents will also look for insects and spiders outside.

Bears, July 3—Come learn about Minnesota’s black bears. Dress up like a bear, look at a bear skull, feel its pelt, and visit a bear’s den. We will also sing songs and work on a fun bear craft.

Art in Nature, August 7—Explore the many colors, shapes, and textures found in nature through outdoor games and songs. We will make a unique piece of art with bits of nature found outside and in the museum.

CAFE SCIENTIFIQUE
A forum for science and culture held at Kitty Cat Klub and Bryant-Lake Bowl. Come early for a good seat and enjoy happy-hour specials.

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Does Evolution Make You Selfish?
Tuesday, May 13, 6 p.m.
Kitty Cat Klub, Dinkytown
Free ($5 suggested donation)
If evolution is all about getting ahead, does it ever pay to be generous? Anyone who has watched a backyard bird feeder might not believe that blue jays can cooperate. Yet research at the University of Minnesota reveals that jays do cooperate—and that they also cheat. How can evolution select for both these behaviors? Or does evidence of self-sacrifice demonstrate that evolution is a flawed theory? Join behavioral ecologist David Stephens for a discussion about how evolution might or might not explain why animals do what they do.

Can Darwin Make You Healthy?
Tuesday, May 20, 7 p.m.
Bryant-Lake Bowl, Uptown
$5–$10 (pay what you can)
Advance Tickets Available. Visit bryantlakebowl.com.
Darwin wrote about the competition between individuals that results in the survival of the fittest. But what about competitions within individuals, between the cells inside our bodies? In that struggle, cancer cells could be considered the most successful since they are the most prolific. Can Darwin provide us with a novel approach to understanding cancer? How might Darwin explain the degenerative diseases of old age? Some biologists suspect that evolution actually favors diseases of old age. In fact, an evolutionary approach to studying longevity, scrutinizing the lowly roundworm, may yield secrets to a long and vigorous life. Explore these and other medical applications of Darwinism in a discussion with Mark Decker, an evolutionary biologist in the University’s Biology Program.

FILM PROGRAMS

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Summer Sci-Fi Film Series
Research to the Rescue!
Thursdays, August 14–28, dusk
Is your global climate in peril? Got alien invaders? Is a meteor threatening to end civilization as you know it? These campy sci-fi films put researchers up against natural disasters, unexplained phenomena, political bureaucracy, and even romance—will they save the day with science? Join the Bell Museum and Take-up Productions for the second annual Summer Sci-Fi Film Series featuring free outdoor films and related activities.

Films are free and start at dusk—popcorn and soda will be available for purchase. In the event of rain, films will be moved indoors to the Bell Museum Auditorium and begin at 8:30 p.m.

Fantastic Voyage (1966)
August 14
A medical team is miniaturized and injected into a scientist's brain in order to save his life.

The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms (1953)
August 21
A ferocious dinosaur awakened by an Arctic atomic test terrorizes the North Atlantic and ultimately New York City.

The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961)
August 28
British reporters suspect an international cover–up of a global disaster in progress—and they are right.

SCIENCE TRIVIA
Do you love science news? Can you name the first person to eat in outer space? Do you own copies of "Blade Runner" or watch "Star Trek" reruns? Then join the Nomad World Pub and the Bell Museum of Natural History for Science Trivia, hosted by Doomtree MC and self-professed science geek, Dessa. Test your knowledge of science and nature with questions ranging from current events to biology 101 to science fiction. Gather a group of up to 5 friends and compete for gift certificates, Bell Museum memberships and other prizes. Pre-registration is recommended but not required. Call 612-626-1897 to secure your spot!

Nomad World Pub, 501 Cedar Avenue S
$10 Registration Fee Per Team

Wednesday, May 21, 8 p.m.

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Location: The Bell Museum is located at the corner of University Ave. & 17th Ave. SE in Minneapolis, on the University of Minnesota campus.

Children under 3 & U of M students/staff/faculty: free
Free admission for all visitors on Sundays

Program Registration Policy:
We accept payment for programs requiring advance registration by Visa, MasterCard and Discover. We can1t reserve places without payment. Phone registrations require credit card payment. Send check or money order to the Bell Museum Registration Office, 10 Church St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455-0104.

Museum Information: Call 612-624-7083.
Registration: Call 612-624-9050.

Receive discounts on programs by becoming a Bell Museum member.