Museum events

Natural History, July-August, 2006

EXHIBITIONS

LAST CHANCE! Darwin

Through August 20, 2006

Featuring live animals, actual fossil specimens collected by Charles Darwin, and manuscripts, this magnificent exhibition offers visitors a comprehensive, engaging exploration of the life and times of Darwin, whose discoveries launched modern biological science.

The American Museum of Natural History gratefully acknowledges The Howard Phipps Foundation for its leadership support. Significant support for Darwin has also been provided by Chris and Sharon Davis, Bill and Leslie Miller, the Austin Hearst Foundation, Jack and Susan Rudin, and Rosalind P. Walter. Additional funding provided by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Dr. Linda K. Jacobs, and the New York Community Trust-Wallace Special Projects Fund.

Darwin is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York (www.amnh.org), in collaboration with the Museum of Science, Boston; The Field Museum, Chicago; the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Canada; and the Natural History Museum, London, England.

Lizards & Snakes: Alive!

Opens July 1, 2006

Live lizards and snakes are the center of attention in this engaging exhibition that will explore these creatures' remarkable adaptations, including projectile tongues, deadly venom, amazing camouflage, and sometimes surprising modes of movement. Fossil specimens, life-size mad els, videos, and interactive stations will complement the more than 60 live animals representing 27 species.

Lizards & Snakes: Alive! is made possible, in part, by grants from The Dyson Foundation and the Amy and Larry Robbins Foundation.

Lizards & Snakes: Alive! is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York (www.amnh.org), in collaboration with the Fernbank Museum of Natural History, Atlanta, and the San Diego Natural History Museum, with appreciation to Clyde Peeling's Reptiland.

EXTENDED! Voices from South of the Clouds

Through January 2, 2007

China's Yunnan Province is revealed through the eyes of the indigenous people, who use photography to chronicle their culture, environment, and daily life.

The exhibition is made possible by a generous grant from Eastman Kodak Company. The presentation of this exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History is made possible by the generosity of the Arthur Ross Foundation.

Vital Variety

Ongoing

Beautiful close-up photographs highlight the diversity of invertebrates.

GLOBAL WEEKENDS

Indigenous Peoples' Day

Saturday, 8/12, 1:00-5:00 p.m.

The afternoon includes Native American cultural performances, films, and a special guest from the United Nations. Global Weekends are made possible, in part, by The Coca-Cola Company, the City of New York, and the New York City Council. Additional support has been provided by the May and Samuel Rudin Family Foundation, Inc., the Tolan Family, and the family of Frederick H. Leonhardt.

LECTURES

Adventures in the Global Kitchen: Rum

Tuesday, 7/11, 7:00 p.m.

Explore the rise, fall, and re turn of turn. This program includes tastings of rum-based cocktails.

Lessons of the Gecko

Tuesday, 7/18, 7:00 p.m.

The millions of tiny hairs on a gecko's feet are helping scientists develop new adhesives. Discuss the implications of this research and its potential uses.

FAMILY AND CHILDREN'S PROGRAMS

Wild, Wild World: Lizards & Snakes

Saturday, 7/1, 12:00 noon-1:00 p.m. and 2:00-3:00 p.m.

Live lizards and snakes, introduced by "Lizard Man" Clyde Peeling.

Wild, Wild World is made possible, in part, by Mortimer B. Zuckerman.

Free Event! How I Became a Herpetologist

Sunday, 7/9, 12:00 noon-1:15 p.m.

Join the co-curators of the exhibition Lizards & Snakes: Alive! to learn what inspired them to become scientists.

LIZARD SUN DAYS $25 each; $65 for all three (of the same age group)

Lizard Locomotion

Sunday, 7/16, 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (Ages 4-6, each child with one adult) and 1:30-3:00 p.m. (Ages 7-9)

Gecko adhering to glass

Lizards Who Lunch

Sunday, 7/23, 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (Ages 4-6, each child with one adult) and 1:30-3:00 p.m. (Ages 7-9)

Lizard Lore

Sunday, 7/30, 11:00 a.m.12:30 p.m. (Ages 4-6, each child with one adult) and 1:30-3:00 p.m. (Ages 7-9)

AMNH ADVENTURES: SUMMER CAMPS

Three- and five-day sessions engage children in fun investigations of different scientific fields:

* Monkey Business: Primatology

* Leapin' Lizards

* Meet the Beetles: Darwin Adventures

* Destination Space: Astrophysics

* Robotics

For details, visit www.amnh.org or call 212-769-5758.

HAYDEN PLANETARIUM PROGRAMS

TUESDAYS IN THE DOME

Virtual Universe Stars of Many Colors, Including

Red, White, and Blue Tuesday, 7/4, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

The Grand Tour Tuesday, 8/1, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

This Just In ...

July's Hot Topics Tuesday, 7/18, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

August's Hot Topics Tuesday, 8/15, 6:30-730 p.m.

Celestial Highlights

Midsummer Skies Tuesday, 7/25, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

The Triangle and the Celestial Sea Tuesday, 8/29, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

HAYDEN PLANETARIUM SHOWS

Cosmic Collisions

Journey into deep space--well beyond the calm face of the night sky--to explore cosmic collisions, hypersonic impacts that drive the dynamic formation of our universe. Narrated by Robert Redford.