April 20, 4:15 PM

Join us in the Planetarium for this free talk! Guest speaker Dr. Mariah MacDonald, The College of New Jersey, covers what it means for a planet to be habitable and how we can use the dynamics of planets to study their composition, formation, and evolution. Astrobiology seeks to understand how planets can support life and seeks to constrain the frequency of habitable planets. Current estimates suggest that nearly 10% of Sun-like stars host rocky planets in their habitable zones and that the Milky Way alone hosts an average of 0.35 Earth-like planets per star. Register

April 21, 10 AM – 3 PM

Join us on April 21 for a free day of activities inspired nature. Think and share how you can take care of the Earth while we celebrate nature!

Schedule: 11 AM – Bird watching tour. Meet on the lawn in front of the Museum.
11:30 AM – Night Sky talk. Museum Auditorium.
12 noon – History of Insects talk. Museum Auditorium.
1 PM - Bird talk. Museum Auditorium.

• Use the sun to make a special nature-based craft
• Learn about pollinator gardens and how to tell the difference between native and non-native insects
• Make your own seed bombs with native seeds to jump start your own garden at home
• Explore nature photography & local biodiversity
• Hear from Museum curators about the night sky and the history of insects
• Take a birdwatching tour of the Delaware River and hear more from Tulpehaking Nature Center
• Bring home a seedling of a native NJ tree

Local families are welcome to register for the Small Explorers program, taking place in the Discovery Den on the second Saturday of the month. This playgroup is an opportunity for you to explore the Museum with your child and connect with other families for support. Families are encouraged to sign up for a full year of sessions to build knowledge, skills and relationships. The program is 45 minutes long and begins promptly. Sessions take place in-person at 9:45, 11:00 and 12:15 PM in the Discovery Den, The program is FREE, but space is limited; advance registration is required. Contact Susan.Kozak-Buckley@sos.nj.gov to learn more and register.

Small Explorers is supported by a grant from PNC Grow Up Great.

NOTE: Registration requests must be received by 10:00 am the Friday before the event in order to allow time for staff to confirm space availability.

Visit the Events/Calendar page for monthly program details and to register.