May 2013
Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
Seattle – Discover how mushrooms are saving the world! From new, eco-friendly packaging, to oil spill clean-up, come see the power of fungi at the Burke Museum’s mushroom programs in May.
Talk: Solutions from Underground: How Mushrooms Can Heal the Planet, with Paul Stamets
Friday, May 10, 2013, 7 pm, Kane Hall 120, UW Campus
FREE for all
Pre-registration is full! Additional seating available on a first-come, first-served basis, sign up begins at 6:15 pm at Kane Hall.
Paul Stamets is a groundbreaking Mycologist whose research demonstrates how fungi can help with oil clean-up, habitat restoration, insect control, and the treatment of smallpox. In this talk, he discusses how our close evolutionary relationship to fungi can be the basis for better health for ourselves, and a sustainable future for our planet.
Special Event: Mushroom Maynia!
Saturday, May 11, 2013, 10 am – 4 pm, Burke Museum
Fungi play an important role in the ecological life of the Pacific Northwest. Mycology—the study of fungi—is intimately connected to the studies of forestry, botany, ecology, medicine, and the culinary arts. Come explore these marvelous mushrooms and leave with recipes, mushroom adventure plans, and a new appreciation for these funky fungi.
Talks include:
10:30 am "How to Collect Wild Mushrooms," with Hildegard Hendrickson
11:30 am "Fungi as Nature's Recyclers" with Milton Tam
12:30 pm “Mycoremediation, Restoration, and the Potential for Combined Biological Technologies to Heal the Environment” with Howard Sprouse from The Remediators
1:30 pm “What is a Mushroom?” with Marian Maxwell
2:30 pm “New and Innovative Uses for Fungi,” with Rory Pease
Mushroom Maynia! is included in the price of admission and is FREE for Burke members.
Presented by the Burke Museum, the Puget Sound Mycological Society, and the Daniel E. Stuntz Memorial Foundation.
Weekend Activities @ the Burke: Washington Plants
Saturdays & Sundays in May, 11 am – 3 pm, Burke Museum
Every weekend in May, explore the plants of Washington at the Burke. See native plants from the collections, make your own plant press to take home, and tour the Erna Gunther Ethnobotanical Garden. Included with museum admission; FREE for Burke members.
High resolution images available, contact burkepr@uw.edu.
]]>Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
Seattle—The University of Washington Herbarium at the Burke Museum, the authors of Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest, and High Country Apps have partnered to produce the new Washington Wildflowers wildflower identification app for iOS and Android mobile devices. The app provides images, species descriptions, range maps, bloom period, and technical descriptions for more than 850 common wildflowers, shrubs, and vines that occur in Washington and adjacent areas of British Columbia, Idaho, and Oregon.
Designed for both budding wildflower enthusiasts and experienced experts, Washington Wildflowers will appeal to individuals who travel to wildflower areas and are interested in knowing the names and natural history of the plants that they encounter. Washington and its adjacent areas are home to diverse landscapes containing a wealth of wildflowers, shrubs, and vines. Washington Wildflowers is also a great educational tool for learning more about plant communities, botanical terms, and how to identify plants in general.
"The identification key is simple to use, the outstanding photos make distinguishing between different species easy, and the number of species covered across different habitats is really impressive," said Catherine Hovanic, Executive Director of the Washington Native Plant Society.
The majority of species included are native, but introduced species common to the region are covered as well in order to expand the usefulness of this resource. Once downloaded, the app does not need an internet or network connection to run so you can use it no matter how remote your wanderings take you.
The Washington Wildflowers app that covers 870 plants is now available at Amazon, Apple, and Google app stores for $7.99. A free intro version of the app that features 32 Washington wildflowers is also available at these stores. A portion of revenues from the app supports conservation and botanical exploration in the region.
The number of species covered and wealth of information included sets a new standard for wildflower identification apps. Users can browse the species list by common or scientific name, or by family, to locate a plant and access the related information. However, most users will likely use the identification key that is the core of the app to identify a plant of interest.
The key's user-friendly interface is broken down into nine simple categories: growth habit (e.g., wildflower, shrub, vine), flower color, month of year, geographic region, habitat, leaf arrangement, leaf type, duration (annual, biennial, perennial), and origin (native or introduced).
Washington Wildflowers includes supporting documents with extensive information on the ecoregions of Washington. Users will also find an extensive glossary of botanical terms, along with labeled diagrams. Finally, detailed descriptions can be found for each family contained in Washington Wildflowers. Tapping on a family name brings up a list of images and names for all species in the app belonging to that family.
High resolution images available, contact burkepr@uw.edu.
Links to the App:
Free Trial Version:
Amazon
Google Play
Apple
Full App ($7.99):
Amazon
Google Play
Apple
Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
June 12, 2013 – October 27, 2013
Seattle – One Moroccan artist teaches a village of women to read. An embroiderer from India takes out her first loan. A Hutu woman from war-torn Rwanda works with a Tutsi woman to make "peace" baskets.
Empowering Women: Artisan Cooperatives that Transform Communities, a traveling exhibit coming to the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, provides an intimate view of the work of ten women-run artisan cooperatives from across the world. The exhibit features the artists’ personal stories and stunning examples of the cooperatives' handmade traditional arts. The objects these women create hold power. Each object represents the power of women working together to transform their lives—and the lives of their families, their children, and their communities.
Each co-op has a different motivation: preserving a weaving tradition, sustaining the environment, providing a safe haven from violence. Art binds them, but the market drives them. Cooperatives help women survive, and thrive. They work collaboratively to create products, develop distribution networks, and decide how to distribute or invest revenues. In doing so, they not only take control of their own lives but ensure a better future for their children and their communities.
“Empowering Women is about success stories. It is about incredible perseverance. These women are overcoming significant challenges with integrity, grace, and creativity,” Dr. Julie K. Stein, Burke Museum executive director, said. “The artisan-made objects are certainly beautiful, but the stories behind them are even more beautiful. They are truly inspiring.”
The Burke Museum will add to the traveling exhibit with its own “Empowering Objects” display, where visitors can discover how local philanthropists, local co-ops, and local organizations are supporting artisans and transforming communities, in the Pacific Northwest and across the globe. These Empowering Objects will be available for purchase, with the proceeds going to support grassroots cooperatives.
Meet artists featured in the exhibit at the Burke’s Empowering Women Artisan Market, July 20-21, from 10 am – 3 pm. Watch as members of the women-run artist cooperatives from Laos, Rwanda, Morocco, and Bolivia demonstrate their craft. (Pieces available for purchase)
Empowering Women showcases the transformative power of women working together to provide for their families, educate their children, steward their environment, promote equality, and give back to their communities. Join the Burke to discover how the intersection of art, commerce, and culture is changing lives across the globe—and in our own backyard.
Photo: Textile artisan Kakuben Jivan Ranmal at home in her village, India, 2010. Photograph courtesy of SEWA.
High resolution images available, contact burkepr@uw.edu.
Empowering Women is a traveling exhibition organized by the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with guest curator Dr. Suzanne Seriff. The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture is hosting the exhibit with support from: 4Culture, Microsoft, Quest for Truth Foundation, Kym Aughtry, Hugh and Jane Ferguson Foundation, Marella Fund, Tulalip Tribes, and U.S. Bancorp Foundation.
April 2013
Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
Seattle, WA
Seattle – The Burke Museum is pleased to offer a variety of programs featuring the groundbreaking artwork of Coast Salish artists. In April, attend a discussion panel with practicing artists, see art demonstrations and talk to artists about their work, and view Coast Salish art from the Burke Museum collections.
Discussion Panel: Coast Salish Art in the 21st Century
Friday, April 5, 2013 • Kane Hall 120, UW Campus • 7 pm
Coast Salish artists are using computer graphics, laser cutters, and glass hot shops, as well as adzes, knives, and looms to bring traditional forms into the 21st century. Join a panel of artists lead by Shaun Peterson as they share the challenges and rewards of transporting the vision of their grandparents into the modern world.
Panelists include artists Heather Johnson-Jock, lessLIE, Luke Marston, and Danielle Morsette.
FREE for all and open to the public. Pre-registration recommended. Reserve your seat today at www.burkemuseum.org/events.
Special Event: Coast Salish Art & Artists Day
Saturday, April 6, 2013 • Burke Museum • 10 am – 3 pm
Explore artwork and demonstrations by notable Coast Salish artists in mediums such as weaving, sculpture, and print-making. Attend film screenings, and try your hand at a communal weaving piece on a large loom.
Art demonstrations include:
Participating artists include Bill and Fran James, Heather Johnson-Jock, lessLIE, Luke Marston, Danielle Morsette, and Karen Reed.
Included with museum admission; FREE for Burke members.
Coast Salish Art programs are supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts and 4Culture.
Weekend Activities @ the Burke: Coast Salish Art
Saturdays & Sundays in April • Burke Museum • 11 am – 3 pm
Every weekend in April, enjoy Coast Salish art activities at the Burke. See Coast Salish weaving pieces not normally on display, and try your hand at a large weaving loom. Also enjoy guided exhibit tours every Saturday at 1 pm.
Included with museum admission; FREE for Burke members.
Photo: First Woman. Yellow Cedar. By Luke Marston. Photo by Armstrong Creative.
High resolution images available, contact burkepr@uw.edu.
# # #
The Burke Museum is located on the University of Washington campus, at the corner of NE 45th St. and 17th Ave. NE. Hours are 10 am to 5 pm daily, and until 8 pm on first Thursdays. Admission: $10 general, $8 senior, $7.50 student/ youth. Admission is free to children four and under, Burke members, UW students, faculty, and staff. Admission is free to the public on the first Thursday of each month. Prorated parking fees are $15 and partially refundable upon exit if paid in cash. Call 206-543-5590 or visit www.burkemuseum.org. The Burke Museum is an American Association of Museums accredited museum.
To request disability accommodation, contact the Disability Services Office at: 206.543.6450 (voice), 206.543.6452 (TTY), 206.685.7264 (fax), or email at dso@u.washington.edu. The University of Washington makes every effort to honor disability accommodation requests. Requests can be responded to most effectively if received as far in advance of the event as possible, preferably at least 10 days.
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Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
Through May 27, 2013
Seattle –This spring, the Burke Museum offers several programs on plastics as part of the Plastics Unwrapped exhibit. With events ranging from a plastic bag ban debate to a recycling fair, explore why plastics are so convenient and beneficial to use, and what happens after we throw them away.
Plastics Unwrapped Programs and Events:
Art for Social Change Craft Workshops – Bottles and Bottle Caps
Saturday, March 30, 10 am – 2 pm
with Zero Waste Seattle and Art for Social Change
Included with museum admission; FREE for Burke members
Everyone is invited to join the fun and help build a kid-friendly giant trash monster out of recycled bottles and bottle caps. Meet the Bag Monster at 10 am and at 12:30 pm when this Yeti-like creature makes a rare appearance to help us discover ways we can decrease our negative impact on the planet. And then go to the Fremont Solstice Parade and see your bottle creation come to life!
Plastic: A Toxic Love Story, with Susan Freinkel
Wednesday, April 3, 7 pm
Kane Hall 120, UW Campus
FREE for all, pre-registration recommended at www.burkemuseum.org/events
A century into our love affair with plastic, the romance is starting to fray. Plastics draw on dwindling fossil fuels, leach harmful chemicals, litter landscapes, and destroy marine life. We’re trapped in an unhealthy dependence—a toxic relationship. Join Susan Freinkel, author of the book Plastic: A Toxic Love Story, as she treks through the history, science, and global economy to assess the real impact of plastic on our lives.
Ms. Freinkel’s work appears in: The New York Times; Discover; Smithsonian; Reader’s Digest; OnEarth; Health; and Real Simple. In 2005, she was awarded an Alicia Patterson Fellowship, and in 2008 a National Outdoor Book Award.
This talk is the first in a weekly seminar series from the Burke Museum and the UW Program on the Environment called “Plastics Unwrapped: The Good, the Bad, the Debate.”
Plastics Unwrapped: The Good, the Bad, the Debate
Wednesdays, 6 pm, April 10 – May 22, 2013
Burke Museum
$5 at the door; FREE for UW students, staff, faculty with UW ID
The Burke Museum and the UW Program on the Environment seminar series will continue with lectures and panel discussions each Wednesday at the Burke Museum at 6 pm, covering such topics as the benefits of plastics, the challenges of recycling and reuse, the effect of plastic waste on marine life, and the international debate on electronic plastics. Come to one talk, or come to all; all lectures are open to the public!
Recycling Fair
Saturday, April 13, 2013 10 am – 3 pm
Burke Museum
Included with museum admission; FREE for Burke members
The Recycling Fair will showcase public and private recycling solutions and methods from throughout the Puget Sound region. Learn the life cycle of plastic, what to do with that odd bit of trash, and how to behave when confronted with a “recycling desert.” Also attend “Trashion” shows with beautiful clothing made from discarded plastics. Participating organizations include Seattle Public Utilities, Total Reclaim, Cedar Grove, UW Recycling, Waste Management, and many more.
High resolution images available, contact burkepr@uw.edu
Plastics Unwrapped is organized by the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture with support from: The Boeing Company, University of Washington, Cedar Grove, Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation Special Grant Program in the Chemical Sciences, Seattle Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, Snoqualmie Indian Tribe, Society of Plastics Engineers, Horizons Foundation, and Waste Management. Media Sponsor: KUOW.
]]>Burke Museum researchers and collections aid in understanding the plight of the world’s amphibians
Seattle—Amphibians are one of the most threatened animal groups in the world; almost one third of all species are under acute threat. One of the main reasons for their decline is a chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) with a nearly worldwide distribution. In a collaborative effort between Burke Museum researchers and other scientists from across the globe, close to 1,000 amphibians belonging to over 60 species were tested for the disease. The report was recently published in the science journal PLOS ONE.
Chytridiomycosis, the disease caused by the fungus, is known to be highly lethal to frogs and is believed to be responsible for the worldwide amphibian decline. In infected individuals, the fungus attacks the skin and blocks respiration, eventually killing the animal. Chytrid is widespread in Africa, and every year new positive records are reported from countries in southern, eastern, and central Africa. The current study by an international team of biologists and herpetologists did not detect chytrid in West Africa despite extensive tests of 62 species from seven countries. This is especially remarkable because environmental factors clearly show that the fungus would find suitable conditions in West Africa.
Two co-authors of the study, Burke Museum Curator of Herpetology Dr. Adam Leaché and University of Washington biology graduate student Matt McElroy, traveled to Ghana in 2011 to collect specimens for the project. Of the nearly 1,000 amphibians analyzed in the study, a significant portion were collected on this 17-day Burke expedition, representing over 40 different species. All are at the Burke Museum and are available to the public for future research. McElroy conducted genetic tests on over 100 individual frogs to detect the chytrid fungus, all of which were negative (no fungus detected).
One hypothesis is that the chytrid fungus originated in Africa and dispersed globally via the pet trade. This makes the study’s finding—that chytrid is not present in West Africa—all the more unusual and interesting.
The researchers used both genetic and histological tests to analyse the samples collected from the field. The consistently negative (chytrid free) results they found stand in stark contrast to what models of environmental parameters might predict. One explanation for this incongruence, according to Johannes Penner, the lead author on the study, is the Dahomey Gap; an arid region in Togo and Benin that naturally divides the rain forests in West Africa from Central Africa and in turn acts as a natural barrier for the dispersal of the fungus.
“Chytrid is having negative impacts on amphibian communities on a global scale, and our study provides hope that at least one highly diverse region of Africa may remain unaffected by this pathogen,” Dr. Leaché said. “Fieldwork and research conducted by Burke graduate students and undergraduates was instrumental to this study. Their efforts made a significant contribution.”
It now appears that West Africa is the last tropical region beside Madagascar where chytrid does not exist, potentially sparing West Africa from the great amphibian decline affecting the rest of the world. Unfortunately, according to many experts, destruction of natural habitats, which happen on a large scale in West Africa, can easily rival the devastation of even chytrid.
To prevent chytrid from spreading into West Africa via the trade of frogs for the food market, the researchers suggest various precautionary measures. For example, the transport of potential fungus infected materials between the regions should be controlled and materials prophylactically disinfected. In addition, an early warning system would be useful to detect the appearance of the fungus in Ghana, a potential entry point. These actions could eliminate a significant threat to the amphibians of West Africa, and be utilized by conservationists to help other amphibian populations across the globe.
Image: Leopard running frog, Kassina arboricola. Photo by Duncan Reid.
For high resolution images or to request interviews with Dr. Leaché or Matt McElroy, contact burkepr@uw.edu.
Study Information:
Johannes Penner, Gilbert B. Adum, Matthew T. McElroy, Thomas Doherty-Bone, Mareike Hirschfeld, Laura Sandberger, Ché Weldon, Andrew A. Cunningham, Torsten Ohst, Emma Wombwell, Daniel M. Portik, Duncan Reid, Annika Hillers, Caleb Ofori-Boateng, William Oduro, Jörg Plötner, Annemarie Ohler, Adam D. Leaché & Mark-Oliver Rödel (2013) Title: West Africa - A Safe Haven for Frogs? A Sub-Continental Assessment of the Chytrid Fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis). PLOS ONE http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0056236
Dino Day, T. rex Talk, and Dino-Themed Weekend Activities
March 2013
Seattle – Do you dig dinos? Join the Burke Museum for exciting programs all month! Get an up-close view of the Burke Museum’s paleontology collections and uncover the secret lives of dinosaurs.
Dino Talk: The Life and Times of Tyrannosaurus rex, with Dr. Thomas Holtz
Friday, March 8, 7 pm, Kane Hall 120, UW Campus
FREE for all
Recent discoveries reveal new clues about the evolution of T. rex from a small fuzzy carnivore to one of the largest predators ever to walk the Earth. Studies of the tyrant king’s eyes, nose, brain, claws, jaws, teeth, and legs create a clearer picture of how T. rex lived, fed, and fought. We can now map changes in growth and behavior that Tyrannosaurus went through from birth to death.
Dr. Thomas R. Holtz, Jr., Senior Lecturer in the Department of Geology at the University of Maryland, is a dinosaur paleontologist specializing in the origin, evolution, and adaptations of carnivorous dinosaurs. In this talk he will show us how recent studies of T. rex as well as other dinosaurs, animals and plants that shared his world, reveal how the last of the giant dinosaur predators ruled North America at the end of the Age of Dinosaurs.
This lecture is FREE and open to the public. Advance registration required; space is limited. To register, go to www.burkemuseum.org/events.
Lecture sponsored by Nathan Myhrvold and Rosemarie Havranek.
DINO DAY
Sunday, March 10, 10 am – 4 pm, Burke Museum
Included with museum admission; FREE for Burke members
Discover the secret life of dinosaurs at Dino Day! Find out how paleontologists know what dinos looked like, how they lived, and what they ate.
Dino Day activities include:
Dino Day is included with museum admission and is FREE for Burke members. Burke members receive priority admission at 9 am; doors open to the general public at 10 am. Parking is available in several UW lots and is free on Sundays.
Dino Day is presented in partnership with the Northwest Paleontological Association and the Stonerose Interpretive Center of Republic, WA.
Dino Weekend Activities
Saturdays and Sundays in March, 11 am – 3 pm, Burke Museum
Included with museum admission; FREE for Burke members
Every weekend in March, enjoy fossil-themed activities at the Burke. Uncover fossils in the Dino Dig Pit, touch fossils from the Burke collections, and make a monstrous “Potatosaurus” to take home!
Image: Illustration © Luis Rey.
High resolution images available, contact burkepr@uw.edu.
]]>Saturday, February 9, 2013, 1 – 3:30 pm
Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
Seattle – What do you collect? Along with objects from the natural and cultural world, the Burke Museum collects experts. Join us for Artifact ID Day, the one day a year where all of our experts are in one place to help you delve more into the objects that matter to you.
Past Artifact ID Days have uncovered such rare items as a 5,000-year-old stone tool, a twined basketry doll made by a Tlingit weaver, and a drinking cup made from a walrus’s tusk. What do you have?
The Burke is prepared to provide information about Native American, Pacific Island, Asian and Southeast Asian baskets, blankets, and cultural artifacts as well as archaeological materials, fossils, rocks, minerals, and bones. No appraisals will be given. The Burke Museum does not authenticate items for sale.
Artifact ID Day is included in museum admission and is free for Burke members. Please bring in a limit of three items per visitor due to the event's popularity.
Photo: Burke Museum experts examine a mask likely from Mexico at a past Artifact ID Day. Photo © Jack Storms/Storms PhotoGraphic, 2012.
High-resolution images are available, contact burkepr@u.washington.edu
]]>Plastics Unwrapped
Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
December 20, 2012 – May 27, 2013
Seattle – Can you imagine a time when there were no waterproof raincoats? No plastic buckets? Humans existed without plastics for centuries. Now, we rely on them to meet our basic needs. Plastics help keep us safe and healthy. They make our daily lives convenient in so many ways, it’s nearly impossible to imagine a world without them.
Only 50 years ago, we hardly used plastics. How did they go from being rare to being everywhere? Plastics Unwrapped, a new exhibit from the Burke Museum, explores how material culture was changed—rapidly and perhaps permanently—by plastics. Learn what life was like before plastics, how they are made, why they’re so convenient and beneficial to use, and what happens after we throw them away.
The exhibit explores how plastics have changed the world, through topics ranging from life before plastics to the effects of plastic on our health and the environment. See pre-plastic objects from the Burke Museum’s collection, understand what the recycling numbers mean on plastic items, and learn about promising breakthroughs in science that are changing the role of plastic in our lives.
Plastics were marketed as the “material of the future.” Now, that prediction has come true. They will stay in landfills and oceans for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. In order to counter the impact of plastic waste, we need to rethink our relationship with plastics. Discover how, at Plastics Unwrapped.
Plastics Unwrapped Programs and Events
The Burke Museum will host a variety of programs and hands-on activities in the exhibit’s “Plastics Studio Lab,” an interactive space with plastic activities such as art projects and experiments.
The museum is also partnering with the Seattle Theatre Group on February 5, 2013 to present an evening of “Short Takes on Plastics.” Ten experts from UW and beyond will have six minutes and 20 slides to discuss a range of topics, covering the benefits and unwanted side effects of plastics on our health, cultures, and environments across the globe.
Evening plastic programs include a collaboration with the UW Program on the Environment to present a seminar series, running weekly from April thru May. Plastics Unwrapped: the Good, the Ugly, and the Debate will offer an opportunity to further explore exhibit topics and related social, economic, and environmental impacts of the use and fate of plastics.
Plastics Unwrapped is organized by the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture with support from: The Boeing Company, University of Washington, Cedar Grove, Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation Special Grant Program in the Chemical Sciences, Seattle Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, Snoqualmie Indian Tribe, Society of Plastics Engineers, Horizons Foundation, and Waste Management. Media Sponsor: KUOW.
High resolution images available, contact burkepr@uw.edu
# # #
The Burke Museum is located on the University of Washington campus, at the corner of NE 45th St. and 17th Ave. NE. Hours are 10 am to 5 pm daily, and until 8 pm on first Thursdays. Admission: $10 general, $8 senior, $7.50 student/ youth. Admission is free to children four and under, Burke members, UW students, faculty, and staff. Admission is free to the public on the first Thursday of each month. Prorated parking fees are $15 and partially refundable upon exit if paid in cash. Call 206-543-5590 or visit www.burkemuseum.org. The Burke Museum is an American Association of Museums accredited museum.
]]>7th Annual Family Day Event
Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
Saturday, November 17, 10 am – 4 pm
Seattle – Ever wanted to touch a bat? Or get close to a tiger? Meet hundreds of specimens from the Burke Museum’s extraordinary mammalogy collection.
Meet the Mammals is the only opportunity of the year for visitors to see hundreds of specimens from the mammalogy collection on display. There will be hands-on activities for the whole family; many of the specimens can be held or touched. Mammal experts are on hand all day long to answer questions and talk about the amazing diversity of mammals!
Meet the Mammals is included with museum admission and is FREE for Burke members.
Want More Mammals?
The Burke Museum is hosting mammal-themed activities and “Best of the Burke” tours every weekend in November, see www.burkemuseum.org for details.
On Wednesday, November 14 at 7 pm, hear from Senior Vessel Captain Dave Ellifrit at the Center for Whale Research, about how scientists use photos of dorsal fins to learn about Puget Sound orcas. Dave will share highlights from the photographic library of Puget Sound orcas, what it has revealed about these animals, and how it affects policy and research. Tickets are $5 at the door and are free for Burke members, UW students, staff, and faculty with UW ID. Pre-registration available online at www.burkemuseum.org/events.
Photo: A young visitor examines a sea otter skull from the Burke Museum’s mammalogy collection. Photo © Storms Photographic, 2008.
High resolution images available, contact burkepr@uw.edu.
# # #
The Burke Museum is located on the University of Washington campus, at the corner of NE 45th St. and 17th Ave. NE. Hours are 10 am to 5 pm daily, and until 8 pm on first Thursdays. Admission: $10 general, $8 senior, $7.50 student/ youth. Admission is free to children four and under, Burke members, UW students, faculty, and staff. Admission is free to the public on the first Thursday of each month. Prorated parking fees are $15 and partially refundable upon exit if paid in cash. Call 206-543-5590 or visit www.burkemuseum.org. The Burke Museum is an American Association of Museums accredited museum.
To request disability accommodation, contact the Disability Services Office at: 206.543.6450 (voice), 206.543.6452 (TTY), 206.685.7264 (fax), or email at dso@u.washington.edu. The University of Washington makes every effort to honor disability accommodation requests. Requests can be responded to most effectively if received as far in advance of the event as possible, preferably at least 10 days.
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Plastics Unwrapped
Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
December 20, 2012 – May 27, 2013
Seattle – Plastics are so integral to our daily lives that we hardly notice them. From cellophane to cell phones and bottles to bags, we are wrapped up in plastics. Yet before the 1950s, we used almost none at all.
In just a few decades, plastics have transformed life on our planet, in ways we’re still coming to understand. Plastic products have made our lives safer, more convenient, and colorful; they protect and sustain us. But like every new technology, they’ve had unpredictable effects. With 500 million tons of plastics produced each year, plastic pollution is a global problem.
The Burke Museum presents Plastics Unwrapped, a new exhibit that explores the impact of plastics on people and the planet, through topics ranging from life before plastics to the effects of plastic on our health and the environment. The exhibit explores where plastic comes from, and where it goes when we throw it away.
The indestructibility of plastics is one of their greatest assets and greatest threats. As consumers, our choices can help ensure the plastics of today don’t harm our world tomorrow. Whether swapping a plastic bottle for a reusable one, or encouraging compost options for your community, the seemingly small changes we make in our lives have a big impact.
We hope visitors will come away enlightened, inspired, and empowered. In order to stem the tide of plastic waste, we need to change our relationship with plastics. By unwrapping the impacts of plastics and making thoughtful choices every day, we can.
Plastics Unwrapped is organized by the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture with support from: The Boeing Company, University of Washington, Cedar Grove, Seattle Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, Horizons Foundation, and Waste Management. Media Sponsor: KUOW.
High resolution images available, contact burkepr@uw.edu
# # #
The Burke Museum is located on the University of Washington campus, at the corner of NE 45th St. and 17th Ave. NE. Hours are 10 am to 5 pm daily, and until 8 pm on first Thursdays. Admission: $10 general, $8 senior, $7.50 student/ youth. Admission is free to children four and under, Burke members, UW students, faculty, and staff. Admission is free to the public on the first Thursday of each month. Prorated parking fees are $15 and partially refundable upon exit if paid in cash. Call 206-543-5590 or visit www.burkemuseum.org. The Burke Museum is an American Association of Museums accredited museum.
To request disability accommodation, contact the Disability Services Office at: 206.543.6450 (voice), 206.543.6452 (TTY), 206.685.7264 (fax), or email at dso@u.washington.edu. The University of Washington makes every effort to honor disability accommodation requests. Requests can be responded to most effectively if received as far in advance of the event as possible, preferably at least 10 days.
]]>14th Annual Bug Blast Family Event
Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
Sunday, September 16, 2012
10 am – 4 pm
Seattle – Bug out as thousands of specimens, dead and alive, hop, fly, buzz, or crawl to the Burke Museum for this favorite annual family event. Get eye-to-eye with giant walking sticks, examine bugs of all kinds from the Burke’s collections, or even try some buggy snacks!
Additional Bug Blast highlights:
Special this year, Bug Blast plays host to The Bug Chicks! These two scientists take time off from their research to inspire all of us to find our inner “bugdork.” Their presentation showcases the diversity of arthropods, and invites us to touch, hold, and pet the amazing creatures in their Bug Zoo. They’re interactive, fun, and children from Beaverton to Bellingham have proclaimed them “better than a videogame.”
Bug Blast is included with museum admission and is FREE to Burke members. This event is presented in partnership with SCARABS: The Bug Society.
Photo: A Bug Blast visitor gets a close encounter with a walking stick. Photo by Lora Shinn.
For high resolution photos or interviews with The Burke Chicks and the Burke’s own spider expert, contact burkepr@uw.edu.
]]>Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
International Conservation Photography Awards
Through November 25, 2012
Seattle – The International Conservation Photography Awards and the Burke Museum are pleased to announce the winners of the 2012 ICP Awards. See the winning photographs at the ICP Awards exhibit, on view now through November 25 at the Burke Museum. The winning images can also be seen in the 2012 Gallery at www.icpawards.com.
Over 75 photos were chosen from more than 1,500 images submitted by amateur and professional photographers from 15 countries across the globe. A panel of five judges selected winning photographs in each of the nine categories. The photographs are conservation-focused, chosen in categories such as Wildlife, Landscape, Underwater, and Community at Risk, which examines environmental threats to urban areas. Capturing beautiful moments in the natural world from the Arctic to the South Seas, the photos connect us to the tiniest of creatures and enormous environmental changes. The competition and its award-winning photos inspire, educate, and encourage us all to consider our impacts on the world’s natural resources.
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Canon Award Paul Bannick
Director’s Award Stefano Pesarelli
Community at Risk
Documenting a Conservation Project
1st Place: Cheryl-Samanatha Owen
Natural Environment at Risk
1st Place: Justin Gilligan
Susanne Weissenberger
1st Place: Douglas Orton Student
Top Three:
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Flora
1st Place: Harry Ableman
Honorable Mentions:
Underwater
1st Place: Cristobal Serrano Todd Mintz
Wildlife
1st Place: Cristobal Serrano |
The 2012 International Conservation Photography Awards exhibit is organized by the Burke Museum in partnership with the ICP Awards. The exhibit is sponsored by 4Culture and the Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, with support from: Kym Aughtry; Hugh and Jane Ferguson Foundation; The Mountaineers Foundation, Carl Skoog Memorial Fund; U.S. Bancorp Foundation; The Peg & Rick Young Foundation.
ICP Awards sponsors: Art 4 Vision Foundation; Art Wolfe; The Bullitt Foundation; Canon; Epson; Getty Images; Museum Quality Framing; Puget Soundkeeper Alliance; Robert P. Rotella Foundation; the Washington Environmental Council.
High resolution images and interviews available, contact burkepr@uw.edu.
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The Burke Museum is located on the University of Washington campus, at the corner of NE 45th St. and 17th Ave. NE. Hours are 10 am to 5 pm daily, and until 8 pm on first Thursdays. Admission: $10 general, $8 senior, $7.50 student/ youth. Admission is free to children four and under, Burke members, UW students, faculty, and staff. Admission is free to the public on the first Thursday of each month. Prorated parking fees are $15 and partially refundable upon exit if paid in cash. Call 206-543-5590 or visit www.burkemuseum.org. The Burke Museum is an American Association of Museums accredited museum.
To request disability accommodation, contact the Disability Services Office at: 206.543.6450 (voice), 206.543.6452 (TTY), 206.685.7264 (fax), or email at dso@u.washington.edu. The University of Washington makes every effort to honor disability accommodation requests. Requests can be responded to most effectively if received as far in advance of the event as possible, preferably at least 10 days.
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Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
June 30, 2012
10 am – 5 pm
Seattle –Join the Burke Museum as the winning photographs of the International Conservation Photography Awards are revealed at the 2012 ICP Awards Opening Day.
Get a rare glimpse into how the photos were captured and the selection process behind the competition. Four of the honored photographers will speak about their work, photographic techniques, and passion for conservation on June 30. Judges from the panel will offer visitors guided tours of the exhibit.
ICP Awards Exhibit Opening Day Activities:
10:15-10:45 am: Exhibit tour with Barbara Cox, Principal, Photokunst LLC and ICP Awards juror.
11–11:45 am: An award-winning conservationist shows photographs and discusses his groundbreaking work photographing wildlife around Washington State and the U.S.
12:15–12:45 pm: Exhibit tour with Cynthia Hall, Studio SC Senior Designer and ICP Awards juror.
1–1:45 pm: Join winners from the Documenting a Conservation Project category as they discuss documentary photography and their work in Africa and the United Kingdom. Features extensive photography by both artists.
2–2:45 pm: A photographic presentation on the ecology and politics of the ancient forests of British Columbia with a winning photographer from the Natural Environment at Risk category.
Over 75 photos were chosen from more than 1,500 images submitted by amateur and professional photographers from across the globe. The photographs are conservation-focused, chosen in categories such as Wildlife, Landscape, Underwater, and Community at Risk, which focuses on environmental threats to urban areas. Capturing beautiful moments in the natural world, the photos connect us to the tiniest of creatures and enormous environmental changes. The competition and its award-winning photos inspire, educate, and encourage us all to consider our impacts on the world’s natural resources.
The 2012 International Conservation Photography Awards exhibit is organized by the Burke Museum in partnership with the ICP Awards. The exhibit is sponsored by 4Culture and the Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, with support from Kym Aughtry; Hugh and Jane Ferguson Foundation; The Mountaineers Foundation, Carl Skoog Memorial Fund; U.S. Bancorp Foundation; the Peg & Rick Young Foundation.
ICP Awards sponsors: Art 4 Vision Foundation; Art Wolfe; The Bullitt Foundation; Canon; Epson; Getty Images; Museum Quality Framing; Puget Soundkeeper Alliance; Robert P. Rotella Foundation; the Washington Environmental Council.
Photo: Coyote Curled at Sunset. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. Timothy Brooks, 2011.
High resolution images available, contact burkepr@uw.edu
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The Burke Museum is located on the University of Washington campus, at the corner of NE 45th St. and 17th Ave. NE. Hours are 10 am to 5 pm daily, and until 8 pm on first Thursdays. Admission: $10 general, $8 senior, $7.50 student/ youth. Admission is free to children four and under, Burke members, UW students, faculty, and staff. Admission is free to the public on the first Thursday of each month. Prorated parking fees are $15 and partially refundable upon exit if paid in cash. Call 206-543-5590 or visit www.burkemuseum.org. The Burke Museum is an American Association of Museums accredited museum.
To request disability accommodation, contact the Disability Services Office at: 206.543.6450 (voice), 206.543.6452 (TTY), 206.685.7264 (fax), or email at dso@u.washington.edu. The University of Washington makes every effort to honor disability accommodation requests. Requests can be responded to most effectively if received as far in advance of the event as possible, preferably at least 10 days.
]]>Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
June 30 – November 25, 2012
Seattle –The Burke Museum will once again exhibit the winners of the International Conservation Photography Awards, a biennial juried competition initiated in 1997 by acclaimed local nature photographer, Art Wolfe.
Over 75 photos were chosen from more than 1500 images submitted by amateur and professional photographers from across the globe. The photographs are conservation-focused, chosen in categories such as Wildlife, Landscape, Underwater, and Community at Risk, which focuses on environmental threats to urban areas. Capturing beautiful moments in the natural world, the photos connect us to the tiniest of creatures and enormous environmental changes. The competition and its award-winning photos inspire, educate, and encourage us all to consider our impacts on the world’s natural resources.
A panel of five judges selected winning photographs in each of the nine categories. The winning photographs will be announced on Opening Day, June 30. Four of the honored photographers will speak about their work, photographic techniques, and passion for conservation on the hour between 11 am and 2 pm on June 30. Judges from the panel will offer visitors guided tours of the exhibit. Check the Burke Museum’s website for a full schedule and details.
For the first time, the Burke and the International Conservation Photography Awards will also collaborate to create a traveling exhibit, which will include the top 25 first- and second-place winners.
The 2012 International Conservation Photography Awards exhibit is organized by the Burke Museum in partnership with the ICP Awards. The exhibit is sponsored by 4Culture and the Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, with support from Kym Aughtry, Hugh and Jane Ferguson Foundation, The Mountaineers Foundation, Carl Skoog Memorial Fund, U.S. Bancorp Foundation, and the Peg & Ric Young Foundation.
ICP Awards sponsors: Art 4 Vision Foundation, Art Wolfe, The Bullitt Foundation, Canon, Epson, Getty Images, Museum Quality Framing, Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, Robert P. Rotella Foundation, and the Washington Environmental Council.
High resolution images available, contact burkepr@uw.edu
Photo: Caribou Crossing. Photo by Peter Mather. Dalton Highway, Prudhoe Bay Alaska, June 29, 2010.
# # #
The Burke Museum is located on the University of Washington campus, at the corner of NE 45th St. and 17th Ave. NE. Hours are 10 am to 5 pm daily, and until 8 pm on first Thursdays. Admission: $10 general, $8 senior, $7.50 student/ youth. Admission is free to children four and under, Burke members, UW students, faculty, and staff. Admission is free to the public on the first Thursday of each month. Prorated parking fees are $15 and partially refundable upon exit if paid in cash. Call 206-543-5590 or visit www.burkemuseum.org. The Burke Museum is an American Association of Museums accredited museum.
To request disability accommodation, contact the Disability Services Office at: 206.543.6450 (voice), 206.543.6452 (TTY), 206.685.7264 (fax), or email at dso@u.washington.edu. The University of Washington makes every effort to honor disability accommodation requests. Requests can be responded to most effectively if received as far in advance of the event as possible, preferably at least 10 days.
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