Press

ALBANY, NY – Visitors to the New York State Museum will have the chance to operate models of solar and fuel cell cars, build a 21-foot puzzle of the Hudson River, create new treasures out of recycled materials and participate in a wide variety of eco-friendly activities at Earth Day’s 40th anniversary celebration on Saturday, April 24.

There also will be presentations on environmental problems and solutions and opportunities to learn more about planet Earth and all that have inhabited it, past and present. The free event will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the main lobby and on the fourth floor.

Alternative energy applications of Nanotechnology, the science of the super small, will be discussed by Aline Gianfagna of the Center for Sustainable Ecosystems Nanotechnologies, College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering at the University at Albany. She will talk about how nanotechnology can be used to solve the world’s global ecosystem and environmental problems.

The puzzle of the Hudson River, available through the Hudson River Estuary Program, will allow visitors to explore the river’s history, physical features and wildlife. At this table they also can see a life-size model of a six-foot Atlantic Sturgeon and find out why these fish call the Hudson home. Bryan Weatherwax, of the State Museum’s Fish Lab, will invite visitors to examine live fish that use the various habitats of the Hudson River.

Smokey Bear and Ranger Karen Glesman will be on hand to provide information on what forest rangers do to protect the state’s forests.

Ralph Rataul, Janice Morrison and Susan Winchell-Sweeney, of the Museum’s

Anthropology Lab, will use ancient and recent objects New York State residents have left behind to demonstrate how archaeology is used to answer questions about how people once lived.

Michael Kossev of the Collected Seed Farm will provide advice on succession and companion planting, square-foot gardening, maximizing space and using other plants to ward off pests. There will be an opportunity to plant lettuce seeds to take home.

The Albany Vegetarian Network will have soy crayons available. Jan Lajeunesse will also distribute healthy recipes and information on how to help stop or reverse global warming.

Environmental educator Carol Morley will display State Museum specimens of Monarch Butterflies and provide tips on how to help the endangered insect, including information on how to raise them this summer, then tag and release them in the fall for their migration to Mexico.

Information about the state’s official mammal – the beaver – will be provided by Jennifer Brinker, Columbia Land Conservancy education coordinator, and Chelsea Benson, Mud Creek Environmental Learning Center education program coordinator.

Master Gardeners from the Cornell Cooperative Extension will share creative ideas on how to use objects found on nature walks to make mobiles, a field journal and placemats.

The Department of Environmental Education (DEC) will have staff from its Division of Air on hand to provide tips on reducing air pollution at home, saving energy and reducing waste. They’ll also show visitors how they can make flowers from old magazines. DEC’s Division of Lands and Forests will provide information on invasive insects and their effect on the state’s forests. They also will help participants create a mask from recycled cereal boxes. Staff from DEC’s Public Affairs and Education department will show visitors how to look for wildlife in their area using binoculars they make themselves. DEC’s Five Rivers Environmental Education Center will have an interactive display.

Adirondack artist Ryan Abrial will display sculptures he has made from recycled aluminum cans. Peggy Steinbach, the Museum’s art instructor, will teach visitors how to make a “flutter ball,” using recycled materials, and then create games to play with family and friends. Robin Tubolino of Nature Revealed will also show how to reduce, reuse and recycle, with lessons on making bird feeders, flowerpots, kites, sandals and jewelry.

Patrick Clear of the Environmental Clearinghouse will provide information on how to avoid poison ivy and what to do if one comes in contact with it. Alli Schweizer, environmental educator with Saratoga State Park, will have animal pelts and skulls that visitors can touch.

Information on how campers can have the least possible impact on the landscape will be

available from Ted Beblowski, master educator with the Leave No Trace program. Visitors will also be able to see and touch objects from the sea through activities led by State Museum staff members Nancy Berns and Paula Russo.

The State Museum is a cultural program of the State Education Department’s Office of Cultural Education. Located at the Empire State Plaza on Madison Avenue in Albany, it is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., except on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Admission is free and the Museum is fully accessible. Further information can be obtained by calling (518) 474-5877 or visiting the museum Web site at www.nysm.nysed.gov.