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Cranbrook Institute of ScienceMay 2013
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Special Hours
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Lecture Series
Summer Camp Registration
Summer Group Programs
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Special Hours at the Institute

 

Saturday, May 18 Open at 5pm

Saturday, June 1 Open at 5pm

Sunday, June 9 Closed to the Public

 

Due to special school-related events during the busy spring season at the Institute of Science we will offer public evening hours only on May 18 and June 1, and will be closed to the public on June 9. We apologize for an inconvenience this may cause. 


 

Greetings!

 

May is one of the busiest months at the Institute of Science.  The waning school year brings many field trip visits during the week with upwards of 800 students daily! Inside the learning labs and galleries are full of students immersed in scientific study.  Outside, May is the month that we can usually count on being able to do programming outside as well. Whether it's a nature walk or a water program, Cranbrook's 319-acre outdoor 'laboratory" is coming to life after the long winter.

 

Longtime friends of the Institute will recall the landmark white oak once located near the reflecting pool. Losing this magnificent specimen of Quercus alba was a great disappointment.  Due to the generosity of a donor, a new tree was planted just this week to replace its predecessor.  A new specimen Ginkgo biloba now graces the Institute's grounds near Edison House.  We're very excited about these two new additions to the nature experience on the grounds of the Institute of Science.

 

As you begin to plan your own garden for the season, please stop by the Institute and visit the Erb Family Science Garden for landscape ideas using native plants. Low- maintenance, low-water gardening is "green" and frees up more time for summer fun. Visit Cranbrook House on May 14 and 15 to purchase trillium, ferns, bleeding heart or other natives, as well as heirloom tomato and domestic plants, during their 41st Annual Plant Sale. You may run into Institute staff shopping for their own gardens!

 

As we approach summer and the opening of Dinosaurs - The Lost World on July 12, Extreme Deep and Dive Deep close on May 26.  We'd like to offer our thanks to the many visitors who helped in the cleaning of the cannon featured in the exhibition during Winter and Spring Break. Once the exhibition closes, the cannon will return to Detroit Historical Society for final conservation.

 

Finally, our open-on-Mondays summer hours begin June 3 following our Memorial Day closure.  Also please note that there will be a change in our regular hours three days over the next few weeks while we accommodate special weekend school events.  We appreciate your consideration of this.

 

Go Science!

Inforum Welcomes Nature Conservancy CEO Mark Tercek as Annual Meeting Speaker 


Inforum, the leading professional organization focused on creating strategic connections and accelerating careers for women throughout Michigan and the Midwest, welcomes The Nature Conservancy CEO Mark Tercek as keynote speaker at its 51st Annual Meeting on Tuesday, May 21, 2013 - 11:30am - 1:30pm at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center.  The public is welcome to attend.  

 

As a former managing director for Goldman Sachs, where he spent 25 years, Tercek brings deep business experience to his role leading the Conservancy, which he joined in 2008. Tercek argues that conservation is not only the right thing to do -- it is also the smart thing to do. He demonstrates how investments in nature can produce big returns for businesses, governments and society -- and that saving nature is one of the smartest investments we can make.


Following his remarks, Tercek will be joined on stage by Tom Walsh, business columnist at the Detroit Free Press.  Walsh will continue the conversation and facilitate questions from the audience. As a longtime friend of Cranbrook Institute of Science, Inforum is inviting Institute supporters to this special event. Use promo code CISINF2013 to receive Inforum's member ticket price of $40; tickets are $25 for students; table of 10 with reserved seating is $700.  To register, click here.
 

Lecture Series Presents: Tiny Bird, Big Story

 

Cranbrook Institute of Science welcomes author William Rapai and Abigail Ertel of Huron Pines who will present Tiny Bird, Big Story, an examination of the Kirtland's warbler on Thursday, May 23 at 6:30pm.  Kirtland's warbler, a ground nesting species, specifically seeks out the dense jack pine found in Northeast Lower and Upper Peninsulas of Michigan that range from 5 to 20 years in age - an age class that was historically maintained by wildfire. With settlement and human populations now sharing the landscape used by the warbler, natural wildfire is suppressed leaving humans to manipulate the jack pine ecosystem to mimic natural processes. In addition, management to reduce the impact of nest predation by the brown-headed cowbirds is critical in species management.

 

The work is paying off. Once at a low of 167 singing males in 1987, the numbers now top 2,000 - an indication that the population is strong enough to consider delisting from the Endangered Species List. This bird, North America's rarest songbird, is a Michigan success story of partnerships across political and ecological boundaries.

 

Tickets are $5. Register by calling 248 645.3210, visit the front desk at the Institute or online.  Huron Pines is a nonprofit conservation organization with a mission of conserving the forests, lakes and streams of Northeast Michigan. More information at http://www.huronpines.org/

Register Now for Summer Camp! 

 

It's almost summer and the Institute of Science will be full of wizards, electronics, dinosaurs, galaxies and more in 2013!  

 

Due to the popularity of its Harry Potter-Themed Science Camp, the Institute has developed "Year II" to give muggles the chance to return to The Cranbrook Institute of "Nature and Methodology" for another exciting week exploring the science behind the Harry Potter series. Hack this Camp! offers 5th-7th graders the opportunity to join the maker movement by learning the fundamentals of electronics, mechanics, programming and more.

 

Popular summer camp classics such as Explorer Camps and Museum Boot Camp offer Campers ages 5-14 the chance to utilize Cranbrook's 319-acre "outdoor laboratory" and the resources of a museum to discover science and create a lifetime of learning experiences and memories. 

 

Week-long camps begin June 24 and run through August 16. Registration has begun! To review camp selections visit http://science.cranbrook.edu and click on "Find Programs" or call 248 645.3210 for a 2013 Summer Explorer Camp Guide. 

Now Booking for Summer Group Programs 

 

Summer Group programs for camps, day care, senior facilities, or even neighborhood play groups, offer discounted access to the Institute of Science and its programs. Choose a  Museum visit, or a visit and up to four programs, with prices starting at just $8 per person. Optional programs include planetarium or Bat Zone shows for just $1 more. Programs are offered week days June 17 - September 1, 2013. 

 

Minimum group visit size is twenty paid attendees. One Chaperone is admitted Free for every five children. Due to space limitations additional chaperones may not be able to attend programming. Member Discount does not apply to group visits. Lunch spaces are not scheduled and will be available on a first come, first served basis. To register visit here or call 248 645.3210