Arts and Entertainment

  • 8/22 Museum Activity: Backyard Germ Safari

    The Connecticut State Museum of Natural History, part of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at UConn, presents “Germ Safari: Discover the Wild Microscopic World In Your Backyard.” Dr. Spencer Nyholm, Andrea Suria, and Michael Stephens from UConn’s Department of Molecular and Cell Biology will lead the program on Saturday, August 22, 10 am to 12 noon.

    Everywhere you look in your backyard, as far as the eye can see, life abounds. Much of this is obvious—plants and trees, insects and birds, turtles and snakes, and mammals—yet, just beyond the eye’s ability to see, there is a hidden world of living things thriving. This is the world of the microbes and they are everywhere.

    Join a team of microbiology researchers from UConn’s Department of Molecular and Cell Biology in this exploration of microbial life. Collect samples from the soil and ponds around campus with a team of UConn Molecular and Cell Biology scientists. Then, learn to use laboratory techniques to examine the microbes lurking in these samples and all around us. The researchers will discuss the importance of these microbes for the environment and how we all depend on their presence.

    The program fee is $15, $10 for Museum members/donors. Advance registration is required. This program is for adults and children ages 10 and above. Children must be accompanied by an adult. For registration information visit http://www.cac.uconn.edu/mnhcurrentcalendar.html or call 860.486.4460.

    The Connecticut State Museum of Natural History and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology are part of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at UConn.

    For more information, contact: Natural History Museum at 860.486.4460