Releases | New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs

Natural History Collector: Hunt, Discover, Learn! How-to-book for collectors written by Museum Educator

December 6th, 2017

(Albuquerque, NM) –  It is now easier for amateur explorers to find and identify treasures in our state or where they live, thanks to a new book written by New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science  Educator Michael Sanchez.

The book, entitled “Natural History Collector: Hunt, Discover, Learn!”  is full of expert tips on how to start, catalogue, care for and display your collections. Sections focus on: rocks and minerals; animal and bird tracks; seashells, fossils, insects, and plants.  The book targets elementary through mid-school students.  Each segment of Natural History Collector offers guidance on where to look for objects and what to look for.  Each section includes a specific project like growing your own crystals, collecting rocks and minerals by region, making casts of animal tracks, pinning insects, drying, pressing and mounting plants. 

A Book Signing and celebration is planned for Tuesday, December 19th from 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm.  Meet the author, purchase a book for signing and try activities from the book. Young Explorers Winter Day Camp on Thursday, December 21st from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm will allow young collectors to learn more about collecting and displays,  get their complimentary book signed and see behind the scenes collections at the museum.

“This book is how-to guide to creating your own collections for young people who are curious about nature, and who have probably gathered a few treasures, either from the woods, beach, mesa, mountain or backyard and have them displayed on a shelf,” said author Sanchez, “Natural History collections usually start with one object that catches the eye, sparking curiosity about its origins. This book will help the young collector learn how to clean, store and display specimens about whatever magnificent objects that speak to life on Earth.”

In the book’s introduction, Sanchez writes, “In the years that I’ve worked at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, I’ve had the opportunity to talk to many children who maintain a collection. What I love best about discussing their collections with them is discovering how each one has learned to speak with authority and become an expert on his or her chosen subject. The same will be true for you.”

Full of beautiful graphics, and clear instructions, Natural History Collector: Hunt, Discover, Learn!”  is published by Quarto Knows.  The book is available for purchase in the NatureWorks Discovery Store located inside the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science.  Book sale proceeds to benefit the Education Department.

Winter Camp link http://www.nmnaturalhistory.org/youth-and-family-programs/young-explorers-camp-programs

 

About the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science: http://www.nmnaturalhistory.org. Established in 1986, the mission of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science is to preserve and interpret the distinctive natural and scientific heritage of our state through extraordinary collections, research, exhibits and programs designed to ignite a passion for lifelong learning. The NMMNHS offers exhibits, exhibitions, programs, and workshops in Paleontology, Earth Science, Natural Science, Gemology, is the Southwest’s largest repository for dinosaur fossils, and includes a Planetarium and a DynaTheater. A division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, the Museum is open 7 days a week, from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. 1801 Mountain Road NW, northeast of Historic Old Town Plaza, Albuquerque, NM 87104, (505) 841-2800.  Events, news releases and images about activities at the Museum of Natural History and Science and other in divisions of the Department of Cultural Affairs can be accessed at media.newmexicoculture.org.

 

, the mission of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science is to preserve and interpret the distinctive natural and scientific heritage of our state through extraordinary collections, research, exhibits and programs designed to ignite a passion for lifelong learning. The NMMNHS offers exhibits, exhibitions, programs, and workshops in Paleontology, Earth Science, Natural Science, Gemology, is the Southwest’s largest repository for dinosaur fossils, and includes a Planetarium and a DynaTheater. A division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, the Museum is open 7 days a week, from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. 1801 Mountain Road NW, northeast of Historic Old Town Plaza, Albuquerque, NM 87104, (505) 841-2800.  Events, news releases and images about activities at the Museum of Natural History and Science and other in divisions of the Department of Cultural Affairs can be accessed at media.newmexicoculture.org.

 

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Addy and Zia Dahlgren making a bell-jar display from a clear soda bottle, Courtesy: NM Museum of Natural History & Science

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