New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science

February 2010

1. Friday, February 5

Public Tour of the Geoscience Collections

3:00 PM–4:00 PM. Tour begins at the Information Desk.

Geoscience tour participants will gain entry to the Museum's prep lab facilities, see the largest collection of fossils in New Mexico, including over 50,000 specimens, and learn about important fossils of all ages collected from across the state.

Tours are limited to 20 people. All children under the age of 13 must be accompanied by an adult. No food or drinks are allowed on the tour.

Free with paid admission. Please check in at the Information Desk for more information or to reserve a spot on this tour.

First Friday Fractals

6:00 PM, 7:00 PM, 8:00 PM in the Planetarium

The Fractal Foundation and the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science invite you to a live fractal show in the Planetarium. Suitable for all ages, the show features both the science and the art of fractals, and includes dramatic animated footage of ultradeep fractal zooms, together with original, locally-produced music.

$10 adults, $7 seniors, $5 ages 3-12. Tickets can be purchased online here.

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2. Friday, February 19

Public Tour of Bioscience Collections

11:00 AM–12:00 PM. Tour begins at the Information Desk

The Bioscience tour includes an amazing collection of insects, plants, mammals, mollusks, and birds. Visitors will learn why museum collections are important, how specimens are prepared, and the vital role they play in research. Did you know that New Mexico has over 20 species of native orchids? Some highlights include a giant clam, a golden eagle, glittering beetles, a spotted bat, and birds' eggs of every size and color.

All children must be above age 7 and accompanied with an adult.

Free with paid admission. Please check in at the Information Desk for more information or to reserve a spot on this tour.

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3. Thursday, February 25

Lava Flows in New Mexico: Recent Research and Global Implications

9:30 AM in the Museum's M Café

Curator's Coffee: a café style program with Larry S. Crumpler, Ph.D.

How do lava flows actually erupt? Why is New Mexico important in this story? Recent research on two of the largest young lava flows in the world, both in New Mexico, has changed our ideas and assumptions about the way in which lava flows actually flow—and why they flow. The McCartys flow in El Malpais and the Carrizozo flow in the Valley of Fires are world-class long, young lava flows that are being used to define lava flow textures and processes. Dr. Crumpler is part of a major research effort funded by the Smithsonian and NASA to understand long lava flows on Earth and the other planets, with current field research in New Mexico and Hawaii.

Larry Crumpler's research includes the study of young volcanic terrains in the southwest and the geology of Mars. He has been an advocate of the importance of volcanoes in New Mexico through research papers and popular articles, including the newly published Telling New Mexico: A New History. And he is a member of the science teams for NASA's Mars Exploration Rover, Mars Odyssey Gamma Ray Spectrometer, and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter High–Resolution Camera. Dr. Crumpler holds a Ph.D. in Planetary Science from the University of Arizona (1984), an MS in Geology from the University of New Mexico (1977), and was a research scientist at Brown University for 12 years. He supports his affiliation with the Museum through his own research grants.

$7 public, members receive a 10% discount. Download registration form here or email programs.NMMNHS@state.nm.us to reserve your space.

Chaco Archaeoastronomy

7:00 PM in the Dynatheater

Lecture & Booksigning by Ron Sutcliffe

Did the exquisite masonry architecture of the monumental buildings in and around Chaco Canyon have a deeper meaning to the people who built them? What role did the Sun and Moon play in the cultural understandings in this ancient metropolis around 1100 CE? Ron will present evidence of building and rock art alignments that suggests an ancestral pueblo comprehension level that is similar to the way in which modern scientists understand orbital dynamics and the interaction of the Sun, Earth, and Moon. Moon Tracks will be available for purchase at NatureWorks between 6:15 p.m. and 7 p.m. before the lecture. Ron will be available to sign books after the lecture. Ron Sutcliffe has been studying and teaching ancient astronomy and naked-eye lunar phenomena in the Southwest since 1993. He is an affiliate professor with Northern Arizona University and has been a guest lecturer or adjunct professor at Colorado College, Fort Lewis College, Crow Canyon Archaeological Area and Southwest Indian Polytechnic Institute. Ron has served as an Interpretive Ranger at Chaco Culture National Historic Park and Chimney Rock Archaeological Area in southern Colorado. He is the author of Moon Tracks, which deals with the movements of the moon as observed from a horizon-based perspective.

Cost for lecture only: $5 public, $4 members, $3 students. Doors open at 6:15 PM. Tickets can be bought online here.
Questions: Chris Sanchez at 841-2872 or e–mail: chris.sanchez@state.nm.us


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March 2010

1. Friday, March 5

Museum Closed

To reduce current spending in the State of New Mexico, state employees will be furloughed and state offices, including the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, will be closed today.

The Lockheed Martin DynaTheater, Planetarium, M Café, NatureWorks Discovery Store, and Sandia Mountain Natural History Center will be closed as well.

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2. Saturday, March 6

First Saturday Natural History Hikes

Open 9:00 AM–3:00 PM with guided hikes from 10:00 AM–Noon.
At the Sandia Mountain Natural History Center (SMNHC).

SMNHC, the Museum’s Environmental Education Facility, is owned by APS and operated by the Museum to educate area 5th graders. On the first Saturdays from March through September, the SMNHC offers public programs that include self–guided hikes, geocaching, a bird viewing deck, as well as a special education program.

The SMNHC staff will lead groups on nature hikes, interpreting the flora, fauna and general ecology of the Sandia Mountains. Hikes range from an easy kid–friendly hike to a moderate 2–mile hike

Free. Register for guided hikes. Space is limited. Call ahead to register.

SMNHC is located at: 60 Columbine Lane (west of North 14), Cedar Crest, NM
Questions: Chris Modelski 281-5259 or e–mail chris.modelski@state.nm.us.

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3. Friday, March 12

Public Tour of the Geoscience Collections

3:00 PM–4:00 PM. Tour begins at the Information Desk.

Geoscience tour participants will gain entry to the Museum's prep lab facilities, see the largest collection of fossils in New Mexico, including over 50,000 specimens, and learn about important fossils of all ages collected from across the state.

Tours are limited to 20 people. All children under the age of 13 must be accompanied by an adult. No food or drinks are allowed on the tour.

Free with paid admission. Please check in at the Information Desk for more information or to reserve a spot on this tour.

First Friday Fractals

6:00 PM, 7:00 PM, 8:00 PM in the Planetarium

The Fractal Foundation and the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science invite you to a live fractal show in the Planetarium. Suitable for all ages, the show features both the science and the art of fractals, and includes dramatic animated footage of ultradeep fractal zooms, together with original, locally-produced music.

$10 adults, $7 seniors, $5 ages 3-12. Tickets can be purchased online here.

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4. Friday, March 19

Public Tour of Bioscience Collections

11:00 AM–12:00 PM. Tour begins at the Information Desk

The Bioscience tour includes an amazing collection of insects, plants, mammals, mollusks, and birds. Visitors will learn why museum collections are important, how specimens are prepared, and the vital role they play in research. Did you know that New Mexico has over 20 species of native orchids? Some highlights include a giant clam, a golden eagle, glittering beetles, a spotted bat, and birds' eggs of every size and color.

All children must be above age 7 and accompanied with an adult.

Free with paid admission. Please check in at the Information Desk for more information or to reserve a spot on this tour.

Spring Equinox at Chaco Canyon

Leave mid–afternoon Friday, March 19, return mid–day Sunday, March 21

Experience Chaco Canyon in a way that few visitors ever have with renowned Chaco researcher Tim Windes, Museum Educators, and Chaco Canyon staff. Spend two overnights roughing it at a Chaco Canyon group campsite (be prepared for primitive amenities such as portapotties). Enjoy a special Night Sky Program on Friday and a variety of guided tours and hikes from sunrise to sunset on Saturday, including the building alignment with which the Ancestral Puebloans marked the equinox. Trip leaders will include Chaco Canyon scholars, interpreters, and guides.

Tom Windes received his anthropology degrees from the University of North Carolina and the University of New Mexico He worked in the Chama River Valley and southeastern Utah before joining the Chaco Project in 1972. He has worked on Chaco–related archaeological survey and excavation projects since then; the results of his work have been published in Scientific American, American Antiquity, Kiva, Journal of Archaeological Science, and other journals, as well as the site reports of the Chaco Center. Tom's specialties include ceramic analyses, dating techniques (such as tree–ring and archaeomagnetic dating), a Chacoan shrine communications system, ant studies, turquoise craft activities, and the inventory of communities around Chaco Cultural National Historical Park

Space is limited to 15 participants.

$295.00, members receive a 10% discount. Participants must supply their own sleeping bags and tents. Transportation to and from the Museum to Chaco Canyon and professionally camp-cooked meals will be provided.

Questions: Call Tish Morris at 841-2882 or email tish.morris@state.nm.us
To Register: Download registration form here or email programs.NMMNHS@state.nm.us.

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5. Thursday, March 25

A Sober Look at Mass Extinctions

9:30 AM in the Museum's M Café

Curator's Coffee: a café style program with Spencer Lucas, Ph.D.

Paleontologists have identified many extinctions over geologic time; five stand out as much larger than the rest: end-Ordovician (~450 Ma or millions of years ago), Late Devonian (~ 374 Ma), end-Permian (~251 Ma), end-Triassic (~200 Ma) and end-Cretaceous (~65 Ma). Of these “big five,” the end-Permian extinction was the most severe mass extinction in the history of life. But what caused these extinctions? Study of the end-Cretaceous impact event made some scientists begin to think that extraterrestrial impacts might be a general cause of mass extinction. However, the end-Cretaceous extinction is the only one that coincides with a major impact event. In fact, the underlying cause(s) of each of the “big five” extinctions may actually be a uniquely different set of circumstances. What is the evidence for the events that caused each extinction; and what does that mean for our understanding of mass extinctions?

Spencer Lucas is Curator of Geology and Paleontology and Chief Scientist at the NMMNHS. He has worked at the Museum since 1988. A graduate of the University of New Mexico and Yale University, Lucas is a paleontologist who specializes in the use of fossils to determine the ages of geological and biological events in Earth history. He is the author of more than 1000 scientific articles, and has worked extensively on the mass extinctions at the end of the Permian, Triassic and Cretaceous.

$7 public, members receive a 10% discount. Download registration form here or email programs.NMMNHS@state.nm.us to reserve your space.

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6. Saturday, March 27

Earth Hour Family Extravaganza

6:00 PM–9:30 PM at the Museum of Natural History & Science and Planetarium

Join us as we celebrate this worldwide event where millions of people switch off their lights for one hour to raise awareness about global climate change. Explore the Museum and join in as we construct a large scale New Mexico map that records our personal pledges to the Earth. Experience the excitement and celebration as we switch off the lights and head outdoors to discover the night sky with the Planetarium staff. The observatory will be open and telescopes will be available.

Free, no registration required.

Information: Call Carolyn Gregory at 841-2814 or e–mail carolyn.gregory@state.nm.us.

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April 2010

1. Friday, April 2

Museum Closed

To reduce current spending in the State of New Mexico, state employees will be furloughed and state offices, including the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, will be closed today.

The Lockheed Martin DynaTheater, Planetarium, M Café, NatureWorks Discovery Store, and Sandia Mountain Natural History Center will be closed as well.

Return to the top

2. Saturday, April 3

First Saturday Natural History Hikes

Open 9:00 AM–3:00 PM with guided hikes from 10:00 AM–Noon.
At the Sandia Mountain Natural History Center (SMNHC).

SMNHC, the Museum’s Environmental Education Facility, is owned by APS and operated by the Museum to educate area 5th graders. On the first Saturdays from March through September, the SMNHC offers public programs that include self–guided hikes, geocaching, a bird viewing deck, as well as a special education program

The SMNHC staff will lead groups on nature hikes, interpreting the flora, fauna and general ecology of the Sandia Mountains. Hikes range from an easy kid–friendly hike to a moderate 2–mile hike

Free. Register for guided hikes. Space is limited. Call ahead to register.

SMNHC is located at: 60 Columbine Lane (west of North 14), Cedar Crest, NM
Questions: Chris Modelski 281-5259 or e–mail chris.modelski@state.nm.us.

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3. Friday, April 9

Public Tour of the Geoscience Collections

3:00 PM–4:00 PM. Tour begins at the Information Desk.

Geoscience tour participants will gain entry to the Museum's prep lab facilities, see the largest collection of fossils in New Mexico, including over 50,000 specimens, and learn about important fossils of all ages collected from across the state.

Tours are limited to 20 people. All children under the age of 13 must be accompanied by an adult. No food or drinks are allowed on the tour.

Free with paid admission. Please check in at the Information Desk for more information or to reserve a spot on this tour.

First Friday Fractals

6:00 PM, 7:00 PM, 8:00 PM in the Planetarium

The Fractal Foundation and the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science invite you to a live fractal show in the Planetarium. Suitable for all ages, the show features both the science and the art of fractals, and includes dramatic animated footage of ultradeep fractal zooms, together with original, locally-produced music.

$10 adults, $7 seniors, $5 ages 3-12. Tickets can be purchased online here.

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4. Tuesday, April 13

Volcanoes of New Mexico

Instructor: Larry S. Crumpler, Ph.D.

10:00 AM–12:00 PM. At the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science

New Mexico could be nicknamed the "Volcano State". Excellent examples of every type of volcano known to geologists occur within our state. In fact, New Mexico could be considered a museum of volcanoes…and did you know that some of them are still active?

Have you wondered about the eruption that created the Valles Caldera or the geological history of the Mogollon Mountains? Did you know that Mount Taylor and Sierra Blanca are both Mt. St. Helens style volcanoes? Have you wondered how Shiprock or Cabezon Peak were formed? This class will take you around the state without leaving your chair. Learn how New Mexico volcanoes have impacted the landscape and human history in our state. And, after this introduction to the dynamic geology of New Mexico, you will never again look at our spectacular landscape in quite the same way.

Larry Crumpler’s current research is divided between the study of young volcanic terrains in the southwest and the geology of Mars. He has been an advocate for the importance of volcanoes in New Mexico’s landscape through numerous research publications and popular articles, including the newly published Telling New Mexico: A New History, several video productions, and other regional books and periodicals. He recently co–authored and designed a set of educational posters published by the Museum about the volcanoes of New Mexico; and he is currently a member of a team of volcanologists, funded by the Smithsonian, studying long lava flows in New Mexico and Hawaii.

This is a two–session adults–only class. The second session is on Tuesday, April 20 from 10:00 AM–12:00 PM. Classes are held at the Museum. Class size is limited, and you must pre–register.

$30.00 public, members receive a 10% discount (cost includes museum admission for both sessions).

Questions: August Wainwright 505-841-2861 or email: programs.NMMNHS@state.nm.us. Download registration form here.

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5. Friday, April 16

Public Tour of Bioscience Collections

11:00 AM–12:00 PM. Tour begins at the Information Desk

The Bioscience tour includes an amazing collection of insects, plants, mammals, mollusks, and birds. Visitors will learn why museum collections are important, how specimens are prepared, and the vital role they play in research. Did you know that New Mexico has over 20 species of native orchids? Some highlights include a giant clam, a golden eagle, glittering beetles, a spotted bat, and birds' eggs of every size and color.

All children must be above age 7 and accompanied with an adult.

Free with paid admission. Please check in at the Information Desk for more information or to reserve a spot on this tour.

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6. Tuesday, April 20

Volcanoes of New Mexico

Instructor: Larry S. Crumpler, Ph.D.

10:00 AM–12:00 PM. At the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science

New Mexico could be nicknamed the "Volcano State". Excellent examples of every type of volcano known to geologists occur within our state. In fact, New Mexico could be considered a museum of volcanoes…and did you know that some of them are still active?

Have you wondered about the eruption that created the Valles Caldera or the geological history of the Mogollon Mountains? Did you know that Mount Taylor and Sierra Blanca are both Mt. St. Helens style volcanoes? Have you wondered how Shiprock or Cabezon Peak were formed? This class will take you around the state without leaving your chair. Learn how New Mexico volcanoes have impacted the landscape and human history in our state. And, after this introduction to the dynamic geology of New Mexico, you will never again look at our spectacular landscape in quite the same way.

Larry Crumpler’s current research is divided between the study of young volcanic terrains in the southwest and the geology of Mars. He has been an advocate for the importance of volcanoes in New Mexico’s landscape through numerous research publications and popular articles, including the newly published Telling New Mexico: A New History, several video productions, and other regional books and periodicals. He recently co–authored and designed a set of educational posters published by the Museum about the volcanoes of New Mexico; and he is currently a member of a team of volcanologists, funded by the Smithsonian, studying long lava flows in New Mexico and Hawaii.

This is a two–session adults–only class. Classes are held at the Museum. Class size is limited, and you must pre–register.

$30.00 public, members receive a 10% discount (cost includes museum admission for both sessions).

Questions: August Wainwright 505-841-2861 or email: programs.NMMNHS@state.nm.us. Download registration form here.

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7. Saturday, April 24

BioBlitz 2010

Bilingual family activities from 11:00 AM–3:00 PM; other events throughout the day at the Rio Grande Nature Center State Park

Join the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, The Nature Conservancy, Rio Grande Nature Center State Park, Los Griegos and Taylor Ranch Public Libraries, for a day of natural discovery! Throughout the day, scientific experts will lead walks to explore the middle Rio Grande ecosystem and find different groups of living organisms including plants, birds, insects, and reptiles. Walks will begin in the early morning and will continue into the afternoon hours and bilingual family activities will be available from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

Explore the biodiversity of your own backyard and learn about how climate change is impacting wildlife and ecosystems in central New Mexico. Bring cameras and upload photos as part of the Photo Sharing Slideshow station.

No registration required.

Free admission (Note: There is a $3 all-day parking fee at the Rio Grande Nature Center). The Rio Grande Nature Center is located at the end of Candelaria NW, west of Rio Grande Blvd.

Information: Call Eileen Everett at 841-2837 or EileenM.Everett@state.nm.us

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8. Tuesday, April 27

The Rear View Mirror: 2000 Years of People and Climate Change in the Southwest

Eric Blinman, Ph.D.

7:00 PM in the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science DynaTheater

Debates about climate change tend to lack a historical context. As we look back on the archaeological record of human and climate history in the Southwest, two conclusions are obvious: climate change will happen, and it will have consequences for our way of life. In the past 2000 years, there were at least seven changes in regional climate that required or allowed changes in Southwestern ways of life. Depending on your values and sense of sustainability, these changes were both positive and negative. Although we can debate the future of climate change, the past provides valuable perspectives on how it is inevitable and how we can shape our social and economic system toward resilience.

Eric Blinman is the Director of the Office of Archaeological Studies, Museum of New Mexico, NM Department of Cultural Affairs. His degrees are in anthropology from the University of California and from Washington State University. Since 1979 he has specialized in Southwestern Archaeology, with research interests in past environments, pottery technology, social history, textiles, and archaeomagnetism. In 1988 he began working in the Office of Archaeological Studies. For more information on the Office of Archaeological Studies, go to nmarchaeology.org.

$5 public, $4 members, $3 students
Questions: Chris Sanchez at 841-2872 or e–mail: chris.sanchez@state.nm.us

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