If you’re searching for some unique home entertainment for the weekend, we’ve got just the thing for you. Can’t go to the museum because it’s closed? No worries, enjoy the fabulous Museum of the Earth's Bee Exhibit online. For bee lovers, it is an amazing compilation of the history of bees. It is also an ideal learning opportunity for all people of any age, worldwide. The more we all learn about bees, the better, since we depend on them for every third bite of food we put into our mouths.
Prepare to BEE amazed…
(Ithaca, NY) The current special exhibit at the Museum of the Earth in Ithaca, New York, is “Bees! Diversity, Evolution, Conservation”, and while the Museum has made the decision to keep the physical building closed until further notice, they are pleased to announce that an engaging and informative online version of the exhibit is now available here so just click on this link.
This online version of the exhibit takes you through the fascinating world of bees and reveals amazing facts and new insights into an insect which is vital to the cultivation of the food we eat. Discover the diversity of the over 20,000 species of bees from all over the world. Learn about their co-evolution with the flowers they pollinate. Explore bee biology and behaviors. Find out what threats bees currently face, and what you can do to help.
See amazing macro photography, videos, and illustrations of bee anatomy and behavior. Get a closeup look at 100 million-year-old ancestors of bees preserved in amber. Watch videos of bee scientists at work. Discover how plants have evolved food sources for their pollinators.
This 1:27-minute video filmed in Western Australia shows one of the many fascinating insights you'll find in this exhibit:
The original physical exhibit was developed in conjunction with Bryan Danforth, professor and chair of the Department of Entomology at Cornell University with grant support from the National Science Foundation and the Tompkins County Tourism Program. The closing date for the Museum’s physical exhibit has been extended to August 30, 2020.
The Paleontological Research Institution (PRI), along with its Museum of the Earth and Cayuga Nature Center venues, also continues to develop their Learn at Home offerings which include great resources for Earth, life, and climate science education.
Highlights including the amazing Digital Encyclopedia of Ancient Life, 3D fossil images that you can look at close up and rotate fully, the Teacher Friendly Guides to Earth and Climate Sciences, nature guides, coloring pages, and a rapidly expanding list of You Tube videos on a number of topics.
PRI’s scientists and educators are also reaching out with fun activities, and updates on their virtual offerings, through social media. Connect with them on Facebook: (@museumoftheearth and @cayuganaturecenter ) Instagram (museumoftheearth and cayuganaturecenter ), and Twitter (@PRInstitution and @CayugaNature ).
Many museums and cultural institutions, including the Paleontological Research Institution, rely on having people visiting their public venues every day. While their physical doors may be locked, the scientists and educators at PRI are committed to developing and sharing their resources with everyone wherever they are. If you have learned something new or just simply enjoy what they are sharing, PRI would be grateful for a donation in any amount in support of their work. Donate here. Every gift helps the work of providing these free STEM education resources to those at home.
The above press release and image were printed with permission of the Museum of the Earth. All of us here at Bee Mission wish you a BEE WELL weekend!