Whether you find yourself needing to homeschool your kids or to keep yourself entertained — or both — you can still turn to The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature. Although we’re temporarily closed, you can still connect with us from home on Facebook to explore cool topics like fossils, gardening, astronomy, seashells — and of course manatees! And check out Pathways, our free app for smartphones and tablets that you can use anytime, for virtual tours of the Museum that reveal surprising connections among many of the objects in our collection. |
Facebook Check our Facebook page every weekday around noon to explore a different topic every day. We’re mixing it up with Facebook Live sessions on some days and recorded sessions on other days, but each day The Bishop’s own experts and educators share about a variety of topics related to our collections. Saturdays at 3 p.m., we host a virtual story time especially for kids and their grown-ups with Tales Under the Tree from the Mosaic Backyard Universe at The Bishop. To connect, just join us on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BishopScienceFL. Here are the sessions we have planned for the rest of this week: Noon, today: Facebook Live on Manatee Appreciation Day. Our manatee care experts talk about Manatee Appreciation Day and what makes manatees so special, then one of our educators shows kids how to make a manatee paper bag puppet at home.Noon, Thursday, March 26: Surprising Seashells. There’s more to seashells than meets the eye! Becky Facer in our education department shows us why she’s smitten with seashells — from their different species and textures to the types of animals that live inside them. You’ll never see seashells the same way again!Noon, Friday, March 27: Garden-Variety Nature. Fun fact: There’s a lush outdoor garden at The Bishop, just outside the doors of the Mosaic Backyard Universe. Our curator Tiffany Birakis gives you a close-up look at our herbs, flowers, succulents and other plants, and even a few of the animals that depend on them. See how our garden grows!3 p.m. Saturday, March 28: Tales Under the Tree. Gather the kiddos and settle in for story time with us! This week we read “Rosie Revere, Engineer,” by Andrea Beaty. After story time, see if you can build your own tower at home! We’re adding new Facebook content each day. Visit us at www.BishopScience.org/events for the topics of future sessions. |
Take a Pathways Tour Anytime Pathways is our FREE smart phone and tablet-based app that helps you explore many of the objects in our unique exhibitions and the sometimes-surprising stories behind them. Although you can’t experience the Museum objects in person while we’re temporarily closed, the guide still provides compelling connections for the chronically curious with customized graphics, video, audio and more. Simply go to your app store and search for “Bishop Pathways” to download and explore today! Pathways tours take 10 to 25 minutes. Available tours and topics are: NEW! Reins, Trains, and Tin Can Tourists: From dugout canoes to steam engines and trailer parks, discover the history of transportation in the Sunshine State.Seeing is Believing: Come face-to-face with mythical creatures and the evidence that inspired fantastical legends from around the world as you explore the Museum’s own fossil collections.Finding Florida’s Gold Jaguar: Florida doesn’t have raw metals or jaguars, but in the 1930s, a gold jaguar artifact was found near Lake Okeechobee. Discover how the formation of Panama changed the world and brought this artifact to Florida.No Shoes, No Chert, No Problems: Learn about the rich history of Florida archaeology, including the fact that Florida is home to three of the nation’s most important archaeological sites.Museum Celebrities: This tour highlights some of our most popular objects, including our Parker Manatee Rehabilitation Habitat, Priscilla the mastodon, FeNi the meteorite and the Tallant Gallery.Women Making History: Learn more about six women who were pioneers of their time, including Mary Anning, once described as “the greatest fossilist the world has ever known,” and Julia Atzeroth, who grew the first coffee ever cultivated in the U.S. — right here in Manatee County in the 1800s!Cousins or Coincidence: Explore the similarities between today’s manatees and their long-distant relative, the mastodon.Backyard Fossil Finds: Have you ever wondered whether the rock you picked up in your backyard was a fossil? Or you knew it was a fossil, but weren’t sure of what? This Pathways tour will teach you more about some of Florida’s most common fossils. |
Reminder: The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature is temporarily closed to the public so we can do our part to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We continue to rely on guidance from public officials as we make decisions about reopening. |