Powdermill Nature Reserve, the scientific research station of Carnegie Museum of Natural History, will act as a partner for the Engineering Sustainability 2009 Conference that will run April 19-21, 2009 at the University of Pittsburgh.

This focused conference will bring together engineers and scientists from academia, government, industry, and nonprofits to share result of cutting-edge research and practice directed at the development of environmentally sustainable buildings and infrastructure.

Click here for the downloadable Call for Papers (PDF, 710 Kb)

Searchable databases of selected specimens from our scientific collections are available online. The CMNH Online Collections Database offers researchers access to some of the best scientific collections in the world.

Two new collections were added in the summer of 2007. From the Section of Anthropology, a new set of records covers the topic of South American Indian Ornamentation. From the Powdermill Bird Banding program, more than 570,000+ banding records collected since 1961 are available. Click here to explore all of the collections available online.

The Section of Amphibians & Reptiles has also made selected records available online via the HerpNET database. To access the site, follow the directions on the Herps web page: http://www.carnegiemnh.org/herps/index.htm

1907 AAM Meeting in Pittsburgh

William Jacob Holland, Director of the Department of the Museum, Carnegie Institute, was instrumental in the founding of the American Association of Museums in 1906. Its first meeting was held in New York City in 1906, and its second annual meeting was hosted in Pittsburgh in 1907.

For the 100th anniversary of the Pittsburgh meeting, the Section of Anthropology is attempting to identify the individuals represented in a photo of the attendees. Please click here to visit the Web site.

Photo: Dr. Elizabeth J. Letson, Director, Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences, 1907

Golden Eagle Project

Powdermill avian researchers Mike Lanzone and Trish Miller (at left, displaying wingspread of Golden Eagle) have collaborated with Dr. Todd Katzner of Pittsburgh's National Aviary to monitor the flight of Golden Eagles as they migrate through selected areas in southwest and central Pennsylvania. The eagles are outfitted with a transmitter, not unlike a tiny backpack, which will enable the team to follow the bird's flight activity. To learn more about the project, click here to visit the National Aviary Web site. To see more pictures, click here to visit Powdermill's Avian Research page.

Image: American Bittern from Atlas of Breeding Birds in Pennsylvania

Congratulations to the Common Loons, winners of the 2007 Shaver’s Creek Birding Cup!

Powdermill’s Mike Lanzone and Trish Miller, members of team “Common Loons”, competed and won this year’s contest among teams of birders to identify the most number of bird species in an area near State College, PA in a twenty-four hour period. Funds raised by the Loons will be used to support the Golden Eagle project on which Powdermill and the National Aviary are collaborating (learn more at the link below). Competing in the same event, 2nd PA Breeding Bird Atlas field crew staff member Lewis Grove of team “Birding the Midnight Oil” won first place in the County category. Grove listed the Surf Scoter and Henslow's Sparrow as two of his favorite sightings.

Click here for details of the contest: http://www.wpsu.org/radio/features.php; for a sound clip recently aired on NPR, click here: http://wpsx.ois.psu.edu/www/pspb.org/podcast/files/features/Birding.mp3.

BioForay 2008
Always fascinating and fun, BioForay continues June 4-6 at Powdermill Nature Reserve. Scientific experts from Carnegie Museum of Natural History, the State Museum in Harrisburg, and St. Vincent College join researchers and educators at Powdermill to lead amateur naturalists on expeditions through a 75-acre foray plot on the Reserve. Enthusiastic participants shadow the scientists as they collect, identify, and record specimens for study.

In the photo at left is Dr. Tim Pearce of the Division of Mollusks at CMNH, who discovered a new species of land snail parasite at a past BioForay!

Click here for the downloadable BioForay 2008 info sheet & registration form (PDF, 465 Kb)

Click here to see the BioForay 2005 slideshow

The annual North American Butterfly Association (NABA) Fourth of July Butterfly Count was held at Powdermill for the eighth year in 2007. The count program has been held annually across the country since 1975. Volunteers around North America select a count area with a 15-mile diameter and conduct a one-day census of all butterflies observed within that circle.

The count program is intended to promote interest in butterflies and provide scientific results for the monitoring of this beautiful and fascinating group of insects.

For more information:
– Click here to see the 2006 press release (Microsoft Word document, 28 Kb)
– Click here for the 2006 results table (PDF, 8 Kb - if you don't have Acrobat Reader, click here for the free download)

Programs for Educators
Give your students the opportunity to handle museum artifacts, meet live animals, and explore our world-class exhibits! To enhance your science curriculum and the students' learning experience, teachers can borrow exhibit-related materials or host an education programs at your location.

A new and exciting addition to our outreach programs is the IDEA Distance Learning Program, where students and teachers can interact with museum educators and CMNH scientists through videoconferencing. Click here to learn more about our Educational Programs through our Programs & Classes pages.

Also check out the programs for educators through Powdermill Nature Reserve, including In-Service credits and Homeschool programs. Located 60 miles east of Pittsburgh in Rector, PA, Powdermill is the biological research station of Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Click here to visit the Powdermill Educational Programs pages.