Blue Planet Journey

One unique diorama at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science is in the Australia/South Pacific Islands Hall.  The uniqueness is that I think this is the only diorama that has paintings of people in the background.  This diorama may be called "The 1982 Walkabout Feast"... at least there's a nearby plaque with that phrase. Or perhaps a dinner called a "walkabout feast" was used to generate funds for the renovation. Unclear. The phrase "walkabout feast" probably needs review . I found this reference : "‘Walkabout’ for many First Nations people is a contentious word and considered an archaic colonial term. Its use by non-Aboriginal people is considered inappropriate." There are 3 Indigenous Australians in the background, presumably hunting. There is no context given to indicate Indigenous Australians were involved this representation of their culture, nor is there reference to whether the background includes a depiction of sacred sites. The fl...

  Big Pine Key is one of larger islands of the Florida Keys, and home to the National Key Deer Refuge . This diorama  is located in James Hall on the third floor of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. As with many dioramas, the focus is on a few species, but there is more to see.   The foci of the diorama are the Great White Heron (a white subspecies of the Great Blue Heron ),  American Crocodiles (as opposed to American Alligators ), the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake , and the Tricolored Heron , with the rattlesnake and the crocodile locked in a lethal embrace. As with many dioramas, there is more to be seen than just the featured species. Here's what I found, aside from the herons, crocodile, and snake: Horseshoe crab . Most people don't recognize the importance of this animal to both birds (particularly the Red Knot) and humans. Horseshoe crab blood being harvested to extract Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL),a reagent that detects bacterial and fungal cell-...

  I pick up my grandkid from pre-school camp 2-4 days a week. The camp is at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. After camp, we go for a snack, then roam the exhibits for an hour. It probably goes without saying that I know the exhibits pretty well by now! We've watched every Infinity (IMax) movie! Many exhibits are a kaleidoscope of colors! ↙ Infrared! One of the reasons I wear a hat is that my head (and nose) and fingers are always cold!! There are 9 or so gnomes hidden in the museum, some the "signatures" of diorama painters. Can you find this one? Below is a close-up. Here's another gnome, on the back of a dinosaur! I won't tell where! The dioramas have eye-popping detail. Note the "dust" being raised by these running antelope. The best view of downtown Denver and the Front Range, from the 4th floor of the Museum. There are also lectures available to the public. Some are... a bit technical. Other lectures are designed for a general audience Note...