MEDIA CONTACT:
Sally Anne Giedrys
Communications Manager
sgiedrys@ecotarium.org
(508) 929-2738
(WORCESTER, MA)&emdash; The EcoTarium is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a 2004 Museums for America grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) in the amount of $146,711. The grant recognizes the need for traveling exhibits that match the financial and space needs of small-to medium-sized environmental science museums. In September 2003, the EcoTarium banded together with the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center in Holderness, New Hampshire, and the ECHO at the Leahy Center for Lake Champlain in Burlington, Vermont, with advisory support from the Montshire Museum in Norwich, Vermont, to create a series of traveling exhibits that fill this need.
In December 2003, the formation of the Environmental Exhibits Collaborative was supported with a grant from Jane's Trust to develop five exhibits over the next four years. The first of these exhibits, Turtle Travels, will open at the EcoTarium in February 2005. The exhibit is currently in development.
The IMLS funds will allow the Collaborative to conduct visitor research to determine the most compelling topics and approaches for the exhibits being developed, to explore marketing ideas, conduct visitor research to assess the effectiveness of the traveling exhibits in attracting an audience, and to develop and implement marketing materials and strategies for use by members of the collaborative and other museums that might rent the exhibits in the future.
"The EcoTarium and its partners are notonly working together to fill a niche in the museum community, but also creatively working to provide environmental science exhibits that engage families and individuals in learning about the region," said EcoTarium Executive Director Laura H. Myers. "We are thrilled that the IMLS has recognized our initiative with this important national support."
"Museums for America grants invest not only in museums, but in the people and the communities they serve," said Dr. Robert S. Martin, Director of the Institute. "These grants will advance these institutions' role as trusted resources that create and sustain a nation of learners."
IMLS is a federal grant-making agency located in Washington, D.C. that fosters leadership, innovation and a lifetime of learning by supporting museums and 122,000 libraries.
The EcoTarium is an indoor-outdoor museum dedicated to exploring the natural world. The museum offers three floors of interactive exhibits, wildlife habitats, nature trails, ponds, an award-winning meadow, a planetarium, and a narrow-gauge railroad. The museum is located at 222 Harrington Way in Worcester, Mass. For more information, email us at info@ecotarium.org.
About the Collaborative Partners
EcoTarium is an indoor-outdoor museum dedicated to exploring the natural world. The museum and its extensive grounds offer three floors of interactive exhibits, wildlife habitats, nature trails, ponds, an award-winning meadow, a planetarium, and a narrow-gauge railroad. The museum, located at 222 Harrington Way in Worcester, Mass., is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sundays 12 to 5 p.m. Open selected Monday holidays and Mondays during school vacation weeks.
Contact: Sally Anne Giedrys, (508) 929-2738, sgiedrys@ecotarium.org.
ECHO at the Leahy Center for Lake Champlain (www.echovermont.org) is Vermont's premier lake aquarium and science center, located on the Burlington Waterfront encompassing nearly 30,000 square feet and featuring over 60 species of fish, amphibians and reptiles in addition to 100 hands-on interactive exhibits. ECHO is open daily from 10 a.m. &endash; 5 p.m. and until 8 p.m. on Thursday nights with a gift shop and seasonal café.
Contact: Katrina Roberts, (802) 864-1848 ext. 127, kroberts@echovermont.org.
The Squam Lakes Natural Science Center (www.nhnature.org) is a private, non-profit educational institution located on a 200-acre sanctuary in Holderness, N.H., at the south end of Squam Lake. This natural science center with 3.5 miles of interpretive and live animal trails featuring otters, bobcats, raptors, deer, black bears and mountain lions in enclosures similar to the animal's natural habitats provides visitors with an opportunity to see wildlife close up and learn about their habitats. Through trails, programs and lake cruises, the Center educates the public about the importance of our natural world.
Contact: Lori Healy, (603) 968-7194 ext. 34, lori.healy@nhnature.org.