Polar-Palooza comes to Albuquerque in 2007
Why should people in New Mexico care about the Poles?
What explains why penguins live down south and polar bears only in the north?
How can thousand-year-old ice from the Arctic and Antarctic help us understand Earth’s future climate?
Who are today’s polar explorers, and why do they risk frostbite and crevasses to study some of the most extreme conditions on the planet?
The “International Polar Year” (IPY) began in February, 2007. IPY is a major international research program, similar to the IGY (International Geophysical Year) of the 1950s, that is sending research scientists to the poles to explore fundamental scientific questions concerning endangered species, the geology, chemistry, and physics of ice, and climate change. The scientists and their new discoveries will be presented to the general public here in the U.S. though a national education and outreach program, funded by the National Science Foundation, called POLAR-PALOOZA.
POLAR-PALOOZA will bring polar researchers to about 25 cities across the nation during the next year. Museum staff member, Jayne Aubele, is co-organizer (co-investigator on the NSF grant) of this national educational program, and the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science is the lead institution on this national program.
POLAR-PALOOZA ALBUQUERQUE will feature exciting educational events throughout the month of October at our museum, and at our partner institutions including Explora, UNM’s Maxwell Museum, and the Albuquerque BioPark. The Polar-Palooza events at the Museum, throughout October, will include every Tuesday-Thursday short talk throughout the month, evening lectures by New Mexico local research scientists currently working at the poles, Family Days for homeschool families and for the general public, and a teacher workshop.
The month-long celebration of polar science will culminate during the last week of October. On October 23, the people who know the poles best—some of the world's leading polar and climate scientists (working at the ends of the Earth) and an Alaskan Native (Athabascan)—will come to the Museum to present “Stories from a Changing Planet.” This science “performance” will be a high-energy family-friendly program, incorporating a “cool” multimedia presentation, up-to-date research from the Arctic and Antarctic, thousand year old ice cores, and much more. The grand evening extravaganza on October 23 (performances in the DynaTheater at 6:30pm and 8:15pm), will be a family-friendly science performance at the museum that you won’t want to miss!
Here is the complete list of all of the Polar-Palooza events at the Museum in October:
- Tuesday, October 2
- Up to My Knees in Arctic Bogs
- 2:00pm, New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science
A 15-minute Short Talk by Museum Educator Linda Fey.
- Free with Museum Admission.
- The World Without Us
- 7:00pm, New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science DynaTheater
- Voices in Science Lecture by Alan Weisman
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Imagine what would happen if humans were no longer on Earth, if we suddenly disappeared? What would happen to natural systems and our built environments? What would our legacy be? Drawing on the expertise of engineers, atmospheric scientists, art conservators, zoologists, oil refiners, marine biologists, astrophysicists, religious leaders from rabbis to the Dali Lama, and paleontologists--who describe a pre-human world inhabited by megafauna like giant sloths that stood taller than mammoths--from pole to pole, Weisman illustrates what the planet might be like today, if not for us.
Alan Weisman is an award-winning journalist whose reports have appeared in Harper’s, The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic Monthly, Discover, and on NPR, among others. A former contributing editor to The Los Angeles Times Magazine, he is a senior radio producer for Homelands Productions and teaches international journalism at the University of Arizona. The recent release of this book has earned articles and interviews nationally; as well as a place on the bestseller lists across the globe.
Co-sponsored by Bookworks.
- Admission: $2 general public, $1 members/students/seniors
Reservations recommended: Call Chris Sanchez at 841-2872 or email chris.sanchez@state.nm.us - Return to the top
- Thursday, October 4
- New Mexico’s Ice Age
- 2:00pm, New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science
A 15-minute Short Talk by Gary Morgan, Curator of Paleontology.
- Free with Museum Admission.
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- Tuesday, October 9
- All About Ice
- 2:00pm, New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science
A 15-minute Short Talk by Selena Connealy, Chief of Education.
- Free with Museum Admission.
- The McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica: harshest place on Earth or a polar oasis?
- 7:00pm, New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science DynaTheater
- Voices in Science Lecture by Cristina Takacs-Vesbach, Ph.D.
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Valleys have been ice-free for the past four million years. With less than 10 mm of moisture a year, the region is a cold, windy desert, often referred to as the harshest place on Earth. The stark landscape can be compared to Mars or the moon, but if you look closely enough, an unexpected level of biodiversity can be found. Striking pictures will give you a feel for the landscape, and the surprisingly complex food web of the region will be described.
Dr. Takacs-Vesbach is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at UNM and studies the microbial ecology of extreme environments. In her thirteen years working in Antarctica, her research has focused on the microorganisms that live in the lakes and soils of the dry valleys. She was one of the first American women to spend part of winter in a remote field camp in the region and first became involved in the International Polar Year as a member of the U.S. National Committee to the IPY.
- Admission: $2 general public, $1 members/students/seniors
Reservations recommended: Call Chris Sanchez at 841-2872 or email chris.sanchez@state.nm.us - Return to the top
- Thursday, October 11
- Living Fossils in the Arctic
- 2:00pm, New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science
A 15-minute Short Talk by Linda Fey, Museum Educator.
- Free with Museum Admission.
- Erebus Volcano, Antarctica: A model Strombolian Erupting Volcano
- 7:00pm, New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science DynaTheater
- Voices in Science Lecture by Philip Kyle, Ph.D.
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Scientists at The Mount Erebus Volcano Observatory are providing new insights into the behavior of this Antarctic volcano and other Strombolian volcanoes. Discover the activity of Erebus and take a tour of this fascinating volcano. Hear from Philip Kyle, who, for the last 12 years, has been director of the Mount Erebus Volcano Observatory. He is preparing for his annual expedition to Antarctica where he will manage a team of 12 scientists, students and staff who are studying all aspects of the plumbing and eruptive behavior of the southernmost active volcano in the world.
Philip Kyle is a Professor of Geochemistry in the Department of Earth and Environmental Science at New Mexico Tech where he has worked for 26 years. He has undertaken field work in Antarctica for 35 Austral summer field seasons studying volcanic rocks all over the continent.
The Observatory is operated by the Department of Earth and Environmental Science at New Mexico Tech on behalf of the National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs.
- Admission: $2 general public, $1 members/students/seniors
Reservations recommended: Call Chris Sanchez at 841-2872 or email chris.sanchez@state.nm.us - Return to the top
- Saturday, October 13
- Secrets of the Sevilleta Tour
- 8:00am–Noon, Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge
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How does Polar research related to New Mexico? Celebrate Polar-Palooza with a tour of the Refuge, where scientists are making comparisons to ecosystems around the world. Tour courtesy of the US Fish and Wildlife Service and UNM.
- Tour costs $7 and registration is required. Call 505-864-4021.
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- Tuesday, October 16
- Arctic Relics and Sky Islands
- 2:00pm, New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science
A 15-minute Short Talk by Dr. Dave Hafner, Chair of the Bioscience Department.
- Free with Museum Admission.
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- Wednesday, October 17
- Life in the Canadian Arctic
- 7:00pm, New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science DynaTheater
- Voices in Science Lecture by Shannon Rupert, Ph.D.
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From the beginning of May to the end of August of this year, a team of seven researchers lived at a remote research station on Devon Island in the Canadian High Arctic, in order to study the day to day changes in the active layer just above the permafrost. A multidisciplinary team of geologists, biologists, human factor and space scientists from all over the world remotely supported this work. The results of this project will contribute to our understanding of what is occurring on Devon Island today as it relates to global warming and environmental change.
Shannon Rupert teaches Environmental Science at Northern New Mexico College in Espaņola. She has led teams of researchers at Mars Analog sites worldwide and is Co-Principal Investigator of the Devon Island project.
- Admission: $2 general public, $1 members/students/seniors
Reservations recommended: Call Chris Sanchez at 841-2872 or email chris.sanchez@state.nm.us - Return to the top
- Thursday, October 18
- The Aurora Borealis
- 2:00pm, New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science
A 15-minute Short Talk by Jason Zermeno, Planetarium Manager.
- Free with Museum Admission.
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- Saturday, October 20
- EarthScience Week Polar Fun Day
- Noon–4:00pm, New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science
Celebrate Earth Science Week and Polar-Palooza with demos, displays, and hands-on fun…event offered in partnership with the New Mexico Bureau of Geology.
- Free with Museum Admission.
- An Inconvenient Truth
- 2:00pm, Explora
Explora hosts a showing of the Oscar-nominated film “An Inconvenient Truth.”
- Free with Admission.
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- Monday, October 22
- Native Science
- 1:00pm–2:00pm, Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
Orville Huntington (Athabascan)—wildlife biologist and member of the Alaskan Native Science commission, will speak on the hunter subsistence lifestyle of his people and how changes in the environment have impacted the traditional community.
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- Tuesday, October 23
- Polar-Palooza Members Only Q&A Breakfast
- 7:30am–9:30am, New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science
Members of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science are invited to join the nationally-recognized polar scientists visiting for Polar-Palooza for a special question and answer breakfast.
- Cost: $10. For reservations call 841-2821.
- HomeSchool Family Day
- 1:00pm–4:00pm, New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science
A great learning opportunity for all homeschool families, hands-on fun, crafts to take home, and a special face-to-face meeting with polar scientists.
- Free with Museum Admission.
- Just Back from the Poles
- 2:00pm, New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science
A 15-minute Short Talk by a Polar-Palooza National Speaker.
- Free with Museum Admission.
- PolarPalooza! Stories from a Changing Planet
- 6:30pm OR 8:15pm, New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science
Join us for an exciting multi-media event! Six people with extensive polar expertise will be here to share information and stories. These include leading polar and climate scientists and an Alaskan Native. They will present a high-energy, family-friendly program including the most current research and great stories from both the Arctic and Antarctic. A complete list of speakers is avaiable here.
- $6 general public, $5 members and seniors 60+, $3 students with ID.
Reservations recommended: Call Chris Sanchez at 841-2872 or email chris.sanchez@state.nm.us - Return to the top
- Wednesday, October 24
- Educators’ Workshop
- 4:00pm–7:00pm, New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science
A special workshop presented by a master educator and scientists just back from the poles. Offered for preK-12, homeschool, and informal education teachers. Learn how to use the new science being done at the poles in your teaching and explore the range of activities and materials. Experience hands-on activities about ice, endangered species, climate, and glaciers.
- Free. Participants will receive a stipend of $50 each, curriculum, materials, and dinner.
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- Thursday, October 25
- Penguins to Polar Bears—Life at the Poles
- 2:00pm, New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science
A 15-minute Short Talk by Tish Morris, Museum Educator.
- Free with Museum Admission.
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- Saturday, October 27
- Passport to People of the Bering Sea Family Day
- 1:00pm–4:00pm, Maxwell Museum of Anthropology, UNM
Celebrate the people of the Arctic. Hands-on activities for the entire family, related to the exhibit, “North by Southwest: Bering Sea Communities Collections and Collaborations” an exhibit of Alaskan Native life with artifacts, photographs, and prints from the Maxwell museum collection—on display now through June 2008.
- Free.
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- Sunday, October 28
- Polar Family Fun Day
- 1:00pm–4:00pm, New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science
Hands-on activities for the entire family, learn about the poles and their connection to New Mexico.
- Free with Museum Admission.
- An Inconvenient Truth
- 2:00pm, Explora
Explora hosts a showing of the Oscar-nominated film “An Inconvenient Truth.”
- Free with Admission.
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- Tuesday, October 30
- Polar Dinosaurs
- 2:00pm, New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science
A 15-minute Short Talk by Larry Rinehart, Museum Paleo Preparator.
- Free with Museum Admission.
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For info or reservations for any of these events: Call Chris Sanchez at 841-2872 or email chris.sanchez@state.nm.us
POLAR-PALOOZA is made possible by support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, and is an official International Polar Year activity. POLAR-PALOOZA is produced by Passport to Knowledge (P2K), which is solely responsible for its content.
