Sarah M. Dunifon
Life-sized whale sculpture suspended in American Museum of Natural History gallery hall beneath a blue glass roof
I’m back from my month of rest after completing my Doctor of Education, defending my dissertation, An Examination of Evaluation Policies and Funding Priorities in Informal STEM Education , and finalizing several large client projects. I am so grateful for this time and the ability to take time to recharge. Now that I’m back and feeling refreshed, I wanted to share some of the fun things I experienced with you!
Alongside some quintessential Northeast Ohio summer activities like campfires with neighbors, street festivals, buying from a lemonade stand using Venmo (it is 2024, after all), fireworks over Lake Erie, and lots of gardening (I’m currently tending milkweed and sunflowers), I also spent time traveling in other parts of the country and (naturally) exploring some STEM-related activities.
Acadia National Park
Acadia has been on my national park bucket list for several years now. My husband and I finally took the time to make it there and it did not disappoint. I spent lots of quality time in nature hiking, exploring, and clearing my head. One of my favorite experiences in Acadia was hiking the Ocean Path. The scenery was beautiful, and it was a great way to see the coast around Bar Harbor. The landscape was full of wildlife, and I had the chance to play naturalist. Some of my favorite flora and fauna were the gulls, lichens, and all the various forest mushrooms. I also caught a movie at the Criterion Theatre in Bar Harbor, a historic performance space and Art Deco theater built in 1932.
Being a STEM education professional/advocate/enthusiast, I am always scoping out new and innovative programs and messaging in the STEM learning sites I visit. In several locations I noticed signage from Friends of Acadia, the National Parks Service (NPS), and the Schoodic Institute about the changing climate zones and how Acadia is working to adapt.
I was glad to see climate change so plainly and specifically commented on as a fact of life. It was clear to me that the parks service is not only aware of and planning for real impacts, but that they are also prioritizing the communication of this message to their visitors. A huge number of people visit national parks each year, providing an opportunity to reach audiences who may not be regularly exposed to the real-life impacts of climate change. I also appreciated that the NPS combined messaging with a call to action that incorporates a participatory science app and logs. This allows visitors and non-scientists to be included in the data collection process and empowers them to be a part of crafting solutions.
I was generally impressed by the number of opportunities within Acadia to engage with informal learning opportunities. It is clear that the National Parks Service highly prioritizes engagement with visitors of all ages and interest levels. I also had the opportunity to speak with several rangers throughout the park who were knowledgeable about local wildlife, helped me to plan hiking and exploration routes, and helped me get my Acadia stamp in my NPS passport (nerd alert!). Overall, Acadia exemplified how national parks are not just places to enjoy nature, but are unique locations that provide opportunities to encounter impactful learning experiences.
American Museum of Natural History
A quick trip to New York City was also in order to see a few Broadway shows, eat some pizza, and check out the new renovations to the American Museum of Natural History. The architectural improvements to the Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation, designed by Studio Lang were stunning
New entrance hall for the Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation at the American Museum of Natural History
Also stunning were the interactive elements in the new space, including an enormous replica of a bee hive and a fascinating leaf-cutter ant display. The ants were hard at work cutting and carrying pieces of leaves to plant underground in their nest where they’ll feast on the fungus that grows on the leaf fragments.
Another favorite was the Insect Orchestra, an interactive wall of native New York insects. Here, users could select insect noises to hear and feel the vibrations.
I was surprised by the insect display areas that reflected on biodiversity in various habitats. Specifically, the signage stated, an acre of tropical rainforest has over 10,000 insect species, while an acre of suburban yard has approximately 1,500 species. A typical New York City apartment has up to 20 species.
Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Being a native Clevelander, I’m proud of our city and how developments in recent years have brought more attention to the cultural experiences that it offers. Off the back of this excellent piece by the New York Times, I wanted to check out the new renovation to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History which is undergoing construction through late 2024.
An ongoing favorite space is the museum’s open classroom area, adorned with Charley Harper tiled images. My family and I visited the museum together. We thoroughly enjoyed exploring the new renovations, and my 10-year-old niece tried out the cool AR flight simulator, where she got to experience flying as a butterfly.
We also observed the North American animals in the exterior space, including a facilitated talk in the Perkins Wildlife Center & Woods Garden about a rehabilitated crow living at the museum. The verdict from my niece? “Cleveland is the city of life.” I’ll take it!
Thanks for following along on my STEM-y sabbatical adventures. I hope you enjoyed and found some inspiration for ways to explore our world in your backyard, local communities, and beyond.
Until next time - thanks!
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