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Afternoon at the Smithsonian II

This announces the second CE tour of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History developed and tailored for VMNs by FMN John Kelmelis.
What:
Interpretive Tour of the Museum of Natural History for Virginia Master Naturalists
When:
September 27, 2023 at 3:00pm
Where:
National Museum of Natural History in DC
Meet in the rotunda at the information desk beside Henry, the big elephant.
How long:
Approximately 2 hours.
Group limit.
6 individuals
To register:
1. Login to BI and click on your ‘Opportunities’ tab.
2. Select ‘Opportunity Calendar’ from the pull-down list.
3. Find event in the calendar and click on it to display event details.
4. To sign up, Click on the ‘Sign Up’ box in the lower right. This automatically signs you up and puts the event on your personal BI calendar.
5. To claim 2 CE hours: use All Continuing Education -> FMN All other Chapter Training

Once the tour fills, the event disappears from the Opportunity Calendar but remains on the Opportunity List and your personal BI calendar.
Feel free to take notes but no audio recordings please.

FMN Dr. Kelmelis will guide an interpretive tour of the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History relevant to Virginia Master Naturalists.  This tour will identify the relationship of some exhibits to the natural environment of Virginia including the geologic history, mineralogy, entomology, osteology, evolution, mammalogy, and many other topics.  Some of the take-aways will include an introduction of how the NMNH’s display collection can be used to enrich the naturalist’s understanding of science, the scientific method, and some techniques that are applicable to naturalists’ domain of interests; as well as some facts related to the natural condition and history of Virginia.

Dr. Kelmelis is former Chief Scientist for Geography for the U.S. Geological Survey, Senior Counselor for Earth Science at the U.S. Department of State, former Professor of Science, Technology and International Policy, and Founding Faculty of the School of International Affairs at Pennsylvania State University.  He holds a BA in Earth Science; MS in Engineering; and Ph.D. in Geography.  He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and has held positions in many national and international scientific organizations.  He is a volunteer and docent at the Smithsonian Institution and a Virginia Master Naturalist in the Fairfax County chapter.

Afternoon at the Smithsonian – Time Well Spent

Cover photo: Susan Martel

The first ‘Afternoon at the Smithsonian’ CE tour was a big success.

Ocean Hall. Photo – Sarah Miller

This tour identifies the relationship of some Natural History Museum exhibits to the natural environment of Virginia including the geologic history, mineralogy, entomology, osteology, evolution, mammalogy, and many other topics.  Some of the take-aways include an introduction of how the NMNH’s display collection can be used to enrich the naturalist’s understanding of science, the scientific method, and some techniques that are applicable to naturalists’ domain of interests; as well as some facts related to the natural condition and history of Virginia.

Photo – Sarah Miller

The CE tour was developed and led by FMN Dr. John Kelmelis. He is former Chief Scientist for Geography for the U.S. Geological Survey, Senior Counselor for Earth Science at the U.S. Department of State, former Professor of Science, Technology and International Policy at Pennsylvania State University.  He holds a BA in Earth Science; MS in Engineering; and Ph.D. in Geography.  He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and has held positions in many national and international scientific organizations.  He is a volunteer and docent at the Smithsonian Institution and a Virginia Master Naturalist in the Fairfax County chapter.

Talking bones. Photo – Susan Martel

While the tour inevitably talked ‘big picture’ natural science concepts, the attendees mentioned they appreciated how John tailored his discussions towards the Virginia area and even specific FMN course material when appropriate.
In general, tour topics covered and Halls visited include:
1. Geology Gems and Minerals Hall
2. Butterfly Pavilion (in passing) and Insect Zoo
3. Bones
4. Ocean Hall
5. Deep time
6. Mammals
7. Ornithology

Geology. Photo – Sarah Miller

Everyone walked away from the program feeling it was two hours very well spent. FMNs on the tour were: Susan Martel, Peter Mecca, Margaret Coffey, Ramona Bourgeois, Sarah Miller, and Liz Nalle. Thank you to Susan and Sarah for sharing photos of the event.

John will schedule more tours over the course of the next several months as his schedule permits.

Our world is a creation of inordinate complexity, richness, and strangeness that is absolutely fascinating. Come – see for yourself.

Keep an eye on upcoming FMN newsletters for CE announcements.

Keep learning with Smithsonian Museum of Natural History webcasts

Smithsonian Science How

Bring a Smithsonian Scientist into your classroom with Smithsonian Science How! Check out the Science How schedule below to get started, or preview our formats by watching a program from our video webcast archives.

Video Webcasts

These free, interactive, live video webcasts take questions from your students while introducing them to science concepts and practices through the lens of Smithsonian research and experts. The shows provide opportunities for your students to interact via live polls and Q&A with the scientist.

  • Grades 3-8; optimized for students in grades 3-5
  • Developed in collaboration with the Smithsonian’s children’s theater, Discovery Theater
  • Scientists take your questions
  • Complementary teaching resources
  • 30 minutes long
  • Aligned with national science standards

Schedule

Here is the webcast schedule for the 2019-2020 school year. Want to suggest a topic for a future show? E-mail us at [email protected].

Upcoming Shows

We’re moving our popular webcast series to video webinars to connect your learners to natural history science and careers more often. Webinars will be presented on Zoom video. All times are Eastern Time.

Completed Shows

Video Archives

We’ve produced 52 Smithsonian Science How webcasts over the last six years. They feature Smithsonian experts and cover specific topics in the disciplines of Earth Science, Life Science, Paleontology, and Social Studies.

Browse the video archives.

Ask Science How

Teachers and students: Do you have a question for our science experts? Send us your questions, either before or after a webcast. We’ll send you the answer. Ask Science How

Citizen Science: Leaf Survey

Participate in this component of the Fossil Atmospheres project with the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History

In order to understand how well the features of ginkgo leaves reflect the climate they grow in, scientists need to study leaves from trees growing in many different climates.

Ginkgos are the perfect plant for this. While their natural range is restricted to China, ginkgo trees can now be found all over the world, transported to new places by humans. Ginkgos also have a rich fossil record dating back to the Jurassic Period, meaning scientists can apply what they learn about reconstructing climates from today’s ginkgos to the past hundred million years through beautifully preserved fossil leaves.

How can you help?

The Smithsonian is looking for citizen scientists to send them leaves from their communities!

What you will need

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A Ginkgo tree that is at least 10 feet tall

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A smartphone or computer + camera

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A free account on iNaturalist

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Materials to mail in your leaves: a large envelope, cardboard, newspaper and tape

Watch the video or follow the instructions below to join in with the research. A PDF of the complete instructions is also available for download here and a one page version is available here.

If you are sending a sample from outside of the United States please follow this additional protocol to ensure the sample reaches us.

Questions? Email [email protected]

Read more from the Smithsonian Magazine