The New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science will bring its educational programs to the Albuquerque community this fall while the museum is closed for renovations. The museum’s educators plan to hold events in Bernalillo County libraries and other public spaces, offering activities for all age groups.
“Our Education team sees this as an opportunity to not only build on existing partnerships, but also to explore new ways to help our communities learn about natural history and scientific inquiry in the spaces they’re already spending time,” said New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science (NMMNHS) Education Director Stephanie Lukowski. “We’re grateful to all of our partners as we begin this new adventure.”
Starting in September, the education team will host a variety of programs at local libraries. For children ages 0 to 8, “Dino Discoveries” will feature story readings about dinosaurs along with hands-on fossil displays. Tweens between 9 and 12 can participate in “Journey through the Solar System,” which uses virtual reality technology to explore planets and space stations. Teenagers from 13 to 18 are invited to develop their observation and art skills through field journaling sessions that use live animal and insect specimens as models.
Adults can attend lectures called The Geological Story of the Albuquerque Area, presented by Jayne Aubele, geologist and adult program educator at NMMNHS. These talks focus on Albuquerque’s geological history as revealed by local rocks, rivers, and mountains. In addition, visitors aged three and older may take part in night sky viewing sessions using a portable planetarium system provided by The Albuquerque Astronomical Society; these interactive shows allow audiences to choose topics such as planetary travel or constellation viewing.
The programs will rotate among various public libraries throughout metro Albuquerque during the fall and winter seasons. More information about event dates and locations is available at nmnaturalhistory.org.
Libraries interested in hosting these programs can contact Stephanie Lukowski for scheduling details.
The New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science operates under the Department of Cultural Affairs with support from its Board of Trustees and Foundation donors. Since its establishment in 1986, it has focused on preserving New Mexico’s natural heritage through collections, research, exhibits, and public programming related to geoscience—including paleontology—bioscience, mineralogy, space science, a planetarium, and a large-format theater.
