Celebrate 'NaturePalooza' at Morrill Hall Oct. 2

The University of Nebraska State Museum and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln School of Natural Resources will host the first-ever "NaturePalooza Nebraska" 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Oct. 2 at Morrill Hall, south of 14th and Vine streets on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln City Campus.

"NaturePalooza Nebraska" provides a day of discovery and hands-on activities throughout the museum with stations staffed by the school's faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduate students. Activities and games will help visitors better understand Nebraska's rich natural resources and ways to help protect them.

Scientists from various groups within the school will provide interactive stations that explain the science behind Nebraska's water, weather and wildlife. Topics covered will include birds, fish, plants, geography, conservation, climate change and more. Make birding journals to record species found in nature. Take a photo with "Pebbles," a larger-than-life piping plover. Identify different kinds of fish, as well as algae and insects that live in water. See live reptiles and amphibians on display. Learn about "alien invaders" in Nebraska -- the invasive species that threaten natives -- and how we can prevent their spread. Plant a soybean and observe its lifecycle. Investigate ground and surface water movements through demonstrations with "The Water Machine," a 6-foot flow model. Play games using a real-time weather station and test your knowledge about drought. Explore how geographers use mapping technology to understand Nebraska's climate. Scavenger hunts, giveaways and more will round out the event.

Mueller Planetarium will present a variety of fulldome shows throughout the day. Show times are 11 a.m., and noon, 1, 2, and 3 p.m.

The University of Nebraska State Museum is open 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Wednesday and Friday-Saturday; 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursdays; and 1:30-4:30 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $5 for adults (19 and over), $3 for children (5-18 years, 4 and under are free), and $10 for families (up to two adults and children). UNL staff, faculty and students are admitted free with valid NU ID. There is an additional charge for planetarium shows. Planetarium tickets are sold at the museum's front gate the day of the show.

Visitors should be aware that a UNL home volleyball game is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Oct. 2 at the nearby NU Coliseum. If parking is full in front of the museum, visitors will be directed to park in the 14th and Avery Garage, approximately three blocks north of Morrill Hall. Parking is free to museum visitors in front of the museum and in the 14th and Avery Garage and surface lot. For more information, contact Dana Ludvik at (402) 472-3779 or by e-mail, or visit www.museum.unl.edu.

WRITER: Dana Ludvik