Bat Zone's Rob Mies Book Signing
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Friday, November 29
11am to 12pm
Meet Organization for Bat Conservation Director Rob Mies and get an autographed copy of his new book Bats A to Z. CIS members receive 20% off the cover price. This is a great holiday gift giving idea!
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� 2013 Colton Graub
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Despite the fact that first snow fall at Cranbrook arrived almost a week earlier than the average of November 17, this month tends to inspire a feeling of thanks at the Institute.
Thanks to our fans, donors, visitors, volunteers, and the thousands of school children who flow through the Institute each year. You support what we do and we are very grateful to you. There's often talk these days that people are less interested in doing and learning. We can assure you, based on our experience with our constituencies, that natural curiosity flourishes. Many of you are regulars at our lectures, and special events, bringing family and friends. We appreciate your enthusiasm in keeping science and learning alive. It's always especially gratifying to see so many adults with children. We know that inspiring a love of science early is something that lasts a lifetime.
Our speaker at this month's lecture is a good example of that. John Hankla discovered his love of paleontology early in life and molded his passion into a career that helped manifest our current exhibition Dinosaurs-The Lost World which includes many fossils from the Hankla Collection. You won't want to miss hearing about the assistance he now gets from harvester ants.
We close the month by "giving thanks for Dinosaurs," the ancient ancestors of the traditional main course at Thanksgiving dinner. During the weekend following the holiday, we'll offer unique activities to complement our current exhibition, including the chance to help excavate actual fossils. We hope you will join us.
Go Science!
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The Institute Lecture Series Presents: John Hankla: In the Shadow of the Dinosaurs!
The Institute's Fall Lecture Series explores the science behind the Institute's Dinosaurs-The Lost World exhibition through the experiences of the curators and scientists who contributed to its creation. On Friday, November 15 at 7pm Paleontologist and Adjunct Curator of Paleontology at Cranbrook Institute of Science John Hankla will review his twenty years of exploration of the prolific Late Cretaceous fossil beds of the Lance Formation of eastern Wyoming in a lecture titled In the Shadow of the Dinosaurs. John will discuss how one of the last dinosaur communities on Earth lived, and the critical role played by his diminutive field crew - the western harvester ant - in recovering the teeth and other bones of the small animals in the community. This lecture is free with admission and seating is available on a first come, first seated basis. Stay after and tour Dinosaurs-The Lost World.
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Give Thanks for Dinosaurs this Thanksgiving
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After enjoying your dinner of avian dinosaur, also called turkey, and cranberry sauce, visit the Institute of Science for special activities related to Dinosaurs- The Lost World. Special free-with-admission include Exploration Stations where visitors can observe and handle real dinosaur bone, egg shells, coprolites, casts and sculptures and the chance to sit on a real Apatosaurus tail bone. We'll offer a rare opportunity to touch a sample of the actual fall out layer from the asteroid impact that wiped out the non-avian dinosaurs 66 million years ago! On Saturday, November 20, a Dino Prep Lab will allow visitors to play paleontologist and take part in supervised preparation of real dinosaur bones still in the rock matrix from the Late Cretaceous Lance Formation in Wyoming! Make-and-take activity tables, and outdoor programming in the Institute's authentic longhouse, are also part of the experience. Daily planetarium and bat Shows will be offered at an additional charge.
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The Discovery Center Seeks Volunteers
Cranbrook's Discovery Center offers an exciting learning experience to feed the curiosity of children ages 3-8. Designed to inspire a love of science through adult/child interaction, the Center offers more than a dozen discovery "module" boxes each containing unique information and activities focused on a specific subject, as well as plants, taxidermy, scientific specimens, microscopes, the chance to play "dress up" using international costumes, and much more. The Discovery Center is currently looking for volunteers to help staff the Discovery Center. Volunteers help engage visitors with the vast Institute resources and ignite their passion to learn. They create a comfortable space where children can explore real objects and scientific methods. There are openings to encourage young learners as docents, to share knowledge through activities, and to create new content. Volunteers should be able to dedicate 4 hours per month to the Discovery Center. If you think you'd enjoy working as a Discovery Center Interpreter, please click here.
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New Faces and Spaces at the Bat Zone
The Bat Zone recently welcomed two new friends to its Animal Ambassador team. Roddy, a Rodgrigues Golden Bat, came to the Bat Zone from the San Diego Zoo Safari Park just in time to celebrate his 9th birthday on October 26. After suffering injuries, Roddy wasn't able to fly any longer and needed special care from our wildlife sanctuary team. He will now get the care he needs while helping to teach kids and adults about the fascinating world of bats. This month also marked the reunion of our newest skunk, Seymour, with his sister, Raspberry. Seymour, Raspberry and our third skunk, Sebastian, participate in our nocturnal animal and biodiversity programs. Outside the Bat Zone, you may have seen our Barred and Great Horned Owls enjoying the fresh air. Now, our owls have a new space to call home. The rebuilt enclosures offer Sam, Arguile, Autumn and Lord Nelson warming boxes along with more loft and floor space to move around. Come see our new additions! Bat Zone tours are open to the public on Saturdays at 12:30pm and 2:30pm and Sundays at 1:30pm and 2:30pm. Daily program also will be offered during the Thanksgiving weekend November 29-December 1.
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Dinosaurs-The Lost World Brings the Cretaceous to Cranbrook!
The Institute's much anticipated Dinosaurs-The Lost World continues to dazzle our visitors. Taking the visitor back to the Cretaceous Period, The Lost World reveals the incredible diversity of dinosaurs, pterosaurs, and marine reptiles of western North America and includes many specimens never before exhibited in Michigan. Assembled from one of the world's most significant private fossil collections, The Hankla Collection, The Lost World features more than 60 complete skeletal mounts of research quality casts and several real skeletons, five types of fossil eggs, skin impressions, plants, and invertebrates displayed in three galleries covering over 6,000 square-feet. Traveling through time guests will marvel at a 36 foot long molded track way of four dinosaurs and traces of other contemporary animals, discover a slab of sandstone loaded with real fossil bones preserved in coastal lagoon storm deposits, including numerous Edmontosaurus and T. rex bones and teeth, venture into the children's area where excavation activities focus on the work of paleontologists and geologists, and much more!
Dinosaurs-The Lost World runs until June 29, 2014. The Lost World was developed by Cranbrook Institute of Science in collaboration with John and Jack Hankla, who have assembled one of the world's most significant private fossil collections, The Hankla Collection.
The Lost World is presented by TruVista Wealth Advisors, a financial advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial, and supported by ITC, Denso and Meadowbrook Insurance Group.
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