Our goal for programming at the CSMNH is to enhance people's understanding of both natural and cultural history. We strive to develop engaging learning opportunities that showcase research, scholarship, and creativity for audiences of all ages, at the university and across the broader public.
The Museum's programs and events include field-learning activities, workshops, lectures, community outreach, and special events.
FIELD LEARNING ACTIVITY
Herp Walk at Allanach-Wolf Woodlands
Saturday, 7 September 2024
10am-Noon
Join herpetologist Dr. Susan Herrick from the University of Connecticut’s Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology to search for hidden herpetofauna, including frogs, salamanders, snakes and more in the field! The Connecticut State Museum of Natural History is partnering with Joshua’s Tract Conservation and Historic Trust to host a field-learning activity with Dr. Herrick to uncover common Connecticut herps in their native habitat.
Dr. Herrick is a Professor in Residence at UConn who studies herpetology and behavioral ecology, with particular interest in social behavior and acoustic interactions among frogs. During this guided walk, she will explain the ecology and behavior of the herps that people would commonly encounter in Connecticut. In addition, participants will learn about a new census of the herps that seek shelter in artificial habitats called coverboards.
*** This event is free and open to the public, but space is limited and registration is required! ***
View and download program flyer
View and download press release
EDWIN WAY TEALE LECTURE SERIES
Conceptual Frameworks and New Frontiers in Energy Justice
with Benjamin Sovacool
Professor of Earth and Environment, Boston University
26 September 2024
All Teale lectures are free, open to the public, and held on Thursdays at 4pm in the Konover Auditorium in the Dodd Center for Human Rights at UConn Storrs (unless noted otherwise).
Visit the Edwin Way Teale Lecture website for more information and the link to view recorded lectures.
EDWIN WAY TEALE LECTURE SERIES
Fire and Oil: Coming to Terms with a More Flammable World
with John Vaillant
Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-nominated author of Fire Weather: On the Front Lines of a Burning World
10 October 2024
John Vaillant is an author and freelance writer based in Vancouver, BC whose work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, National Geographic, and The Guardian, among others. His journalism, fiction, and non-fiction explore collisions between human ambition and the natural world. His latest book is the 2024 Pulitzer Prize Finalist in General Nonfiction, Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World (Knopf, 2023), a stunning account of a colossal wildfire and a panoramic exploration of the rapidly changing relationship between fire and humankind.
One of his earlier books, The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival (Knopf, 2010), won the B.C. Achievement Award for Non-Fiction and was lauded as a “masterpiece” by Outside Magazine: “What elevates The Tiger from adventure yarn to nonfiction classic is Vaillant’s mastery of language.”
All Teale lectures are free, open to the public, and held on Thursdays at 4pm in the Konover Auditorium in the Dodd Center for Human Rights at UConn Storrs (unless noted otherwise).
Although the talk will be in-person, it is also available to watch (live) on Kaltura. Visit the Edwin Way Teale Lecture website for more information and the link to stream or view recorded lectures.
EDWIN WAY TEALE LECTURE SERIES
Data Science to Address the Health Impacts of Climate Change
with Francesca Domenici
Clarence James Gamble Professor of Biostatistics, Population and Data Science, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University
17 October 2024
All Teale lectures are free, open to the public, and held on Thursdays at 4pm in the Konover Auditorium in the Dodd Center for Human Rights at UConn Storrs (unless noted otherwise).
Visit the Edwin Way Teale Lecture website for more information and the link to view recorded lectures.
FIELD LEARNING ACTIVITY
Vampire Folk Belief in Connecticut
Saturday, 19 October 2024
10am-Noon
Willington, CT
Celebrate Walktober by learning about colonial-era burial practices and vampire folk beliefs on this tour of a historic New England cemetery.
Join the CSMNH and Emeritus State Archaeologist Dr. Nick Bellantoni on a walking tour of Willington’s cemeteries! Dr. Bellantoni will tell the story of New England’s vampire folk beliefs by highlighting the Willington case and use existing tombstones to tell the history of New England burials from the Puritans to the present time.
This program is free and open to the public but registration is required and space is limited!
Registration is open to those aged 12+ and opens on Friday September 6
There is no waitlist for this event. Registration ends Wednesday October 16 or when all spaces are full.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH EVENT
Haunted HEEP
Wednesday, 23 October 2024
(Rain Date: Thursday October 24)
7-9:30pm
Hillside Environmental Education Park, UConn Storrs
The CSMNH is excited to be creating a scary, natural-history-themed vignette for this year's trail walk!
The Haunted HEEP is an annual Halloween trail walk established by UConn's Office of Sustainability in 2020. During this scary experience, groups of students plunge into the shadows, daring to explore the creepy scenes set up along the one mile Red Trail of the Hillside Environmental Education Park (HEEP). The HEEP is closely tied to UConn’s sustainability history – it contains a remediated landfill and provides miles of trails for the community to enjoy the physical and mental health benefits of nature.
The free event is first come, first served!
If you fill out the RSVP and liability form ahead of the event date, you will get access to the VIP entry line!
Open to those aged 18+, as this is a scary Halloween experience!
SPECIAL EVENT
Student Brown Bag Lunch
Wednesday, 6 November 2024
12-1pm
UConn Students: you're invited to join the Connecticut State Museum of Natural History for a lunchtime focus group and crafting session!
The Museum is very excited to be formally starting a student group! We are offering this opportunity for students to meet the Museum staff in an informal setting, learn about the work we do, and how you can get involved.
You bring your lunch and ideas, and the CSMNH will provide dessert and a field notebook that can be personalized and taken home!
We hope this will be an opportunity to unwind with some natural history themed crafting and good conversation!
This program is free and open to current UConn students — both grads and undergrads!
Registration is required and space is limited!