Campuses:
Museum Info: (612) 624-7083 Registration: (612) 624-9050 . www.bellmuseum.org
June 2, 2012 - September 2, 2012
We’ve combed through the Bell Museum’s more than 4 million specimens to find the most interesting and unusual creatures found on Earth. Satisfy your family’s natural curiosity by viewing things like a 400-pound clam or killer pine cones. In this summer-time show, there is a chance to learn about a different specimens’ story, see the oddities and giants of the natural world, observe vintage models and play a guessing game. It is a great time to learn about unexpected critters in our world!
June 2, 2012 - September 2, 2012
Lepidoptera – butterflies and moths – are renowned for their delicate beauty and amazing diversity. From the mysteries of metamorphosis to their intricate ecological interdependence with flowering plants, butterflies have provided insights into many biological concepts and inspired people throughout the ages.
Browse 25 panels and cases with real specimens that explore topics such as butterfly life cycles, warning coloration, butterfly gardening and conservation. The exhibition will also include small dioramas, build-your-own butterfly and moth models, photos and artworks. Put your new knowledge to use as you continue your own exploration in the museum’s courtyard butterfly garden.
Sunday, May 20, 2 p.m.
Bell Museum Auditorium
Cost: Free
One of Iceland’s most controversial films, Dreamland is a documentary about the politics, economics, and environmental concerns surrounding the proposed construction of a hydroelectric dam in the country’s eastern fjords. The dam, along with the aluminum smelting facilities it can power, would help the country’s depressed economy, but Iceland’s rugged, pristine landscape is a point of national pride. Directors Þorfinnur Guðnason and Andri Snær Magnason ask, “how much unspoiled nature should we preserve and what do we sacrifice for clean, renewable energy?” Their answer is a bleak one in this film about the preservation of nature and growth of business.
The screening will be followed by a short, informational speech by Harvey Thorleifson, a professor at the University of Minnesota and director of the Minnesota Geological Survey, and an interview with director/author Andri Snær Magnason, who also wrote the book upon which the film is based.
This film is presented in partnership with the Icelandic American Association of Minnesota
Opens June 2, 2012
Free with museum admission
We’ve combed through the Bell Museum’s more than 4 million specimens to find the most interesting and unusual creatures found on Earth. Satisfy your family’s natural curiosity by viewing things like a 400-pound clam or killer pine cones. In this summer-time show, there is a chance to learn about a different specimens’ story, see the oddities and giants of the natural world, observe vintage models and play a guessing game. It is a great time to learn about unexpected critters in our world!
Opens June 2, 2012
Free with museum admission
Lepidoptera – butterflies and moths – are renowned for their delicate beauty and amazing diversity. From the mysteries of metamorphosis to their intricate ecological interdependence with flowering plants, butterflies have provided insights into many biological concepts and inspired people throughout the ages.
Browse 25 panels and cases with real specimens that explore topics such as butterfly life cycles, warning coloration, butterfly gardening and conservation. The exhibition will also include small dioramas, build-your-own butterfly and moth models, photos and artworks. Put your new knowledge to use as you continue your own exploration in the museum’s courtyard butterfly garden.
Tuesday, June 5, 5 - 10 p.m.
Eisenhower Observatory
Free and open to the public
Venus travels across the sun in a pattern that repeats every 243 years—its most recent appearance occurred on June 8, 2004, and the next will be this June 5th! Come celebrate this rare phenomena with the Bell Museum. Eisenhower Observatory will be hosting festivities including ExploraDome journeys, hands-on activities, telescopes to observe the sky and simulcast coverage of the transit from Hawaii. Don’t miss this event—the next transit of Venus won’t take place until December 2117!
Friday, June 8, 5 p.m. - Saturday, June 9, 5 p.m.
Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve, Bethel, MN
Free and open to the public
Each year BioBlitz draws hundreds of families, individuals and scientists from around the state for a one-of-a-kind event! Volunteers of all ages and skill levels can take part in a 24-hour survey, working alongside biologists to collect plants and insects and live-trap animals, which are identified before being released back into the wild. Part contest, part festival, part educational event and scientific endeavor, BioBlitz is a unique race against time!
Participant information as well as a detailed schedule of BioBlitz events will be posted online as the event approaches.
Saturday, June 9, 9 p.m. - Sunday, June 10, 5:30 a.m.
Bell Museum events will take place at Weisman Art Museum
Free and open to the public
Join the Bell Museum of Natural History at the Weisman as we take part in Northern Spark, capturing the night using sound, light and art. Learn the stories of the stars in the ExploraDome and call in the creatures of the night for an artistic catalog of life. There will be activities all night ranging from capturing critters to flying through our universe. From sketching to detecting bats, we’ll be busy all evening! The full schedule of events along with specific times is available online at (insert http://2012.northernspark.org/art/artists)
Northern Spark is an active celebration of the creativity of artists and the creative programming of cultural organizations. The Bell Museum of Natural History will be participating thanks to support from Gary Smaby.