'Amazing Amphibians and Nature's Puzzles' opens June 21 at nature museum

New exhibitions immerse visitors in nature from exotic amphibians to mathematical nuances

Submitted by Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

Leap into the world of frogs, toads, newts and salamanders, and immerse yourself in the mathematical designs of nature with two new exhibits at the Chicago Academy of Sciences/Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, 2430 N Cannon Drive, Chicago.

"Amazing Amphibians and Nature's Puzzles" are the latest lineup of exhibits at the museum, featuring self-produced, interactive elements that localize nature and science for Chicagoans of all ages. Both exhibits will open June 21 and run through Sept. 3.

Amazing Amphibians

Amazing Amphibians immerses visitors in the diverse and extraordinary journey of amphibians, from the earliest recorded history of the species on Earth predating dinosaurs to the frogs, toads, newts and salamanders that Chicagoans see every day. Interactive games and a colorful maze invite guests to discover the lifecycles of these remarkable species that play a critical part in the Chicagoland environment.

"We created this exhibit because we are passionate about educating visitors about the amphibians that are critical to our region." said Deborah Lahey, President and CEO "Amazing Amphibians may even inspire Chicagoans to explore their backyards and look for some of these amazing species."

Interactive elements of the exhibit invite visitors to:

• Hop on the exhibit's "Treetop Glider," a 15-foot zipline where kids (and the young at heart) can glide from tree to tree like the black-webbed tree frog of Southeast Asia

• Challenge friends to see who can catch the most prey in Feasting, Feasting Frogs - an amphibian update to the similar Hippo-themed game

• Measure themselves against the largest and smallest amphibians from around the world and in our own region

• Trace amphibians' development over the past 375 million years on the "wheel of time"

• Learn about threats to the amphibian population, including metal contaminates, disease and nonnative species

The Nature Museum will also feature a dozen unique amphibian species in the companion exhibit The Animal House and share suggestions for ways Chicagoans can help protect amphibian populations. Live animals guests can meet will include:

• Lesser Sirens

• Mudpuppies

• Tiger Salamanders

• American Toads

• Green Tree Frogs

• Northern Leopard Frogs

• Spotted Salamanders

• Blue-spotted Salamanders

• Pickerel Frogs

• Grey Tree Frogs

• Cricket Frogs

• Chorus Frogs

Nature's Puzzles

In this early-education exhibit, children can solve the mathematical puzzles found everywhere in the natural world - from the patterned spots on their pets to the delicate symmetry of a butterfly's wings. Nature's Puzzles features interactive elements exploring four key themes - repeating patterns, shapes and sizes, designs in nature, and mathematical inquiry - inviting visitors to explore how mathematics helps us understand the natural world in a practical way.

"Math is found everywhere in the natural world." said Deborah Lahey, President and CEO. "Nature's Puzzles invites our youngest visitors to use their developing mathematical and pattern-discerning skills to connect with nature, solve its puzzles, and gain a fresh perspective to the world that surrounds us."

During their experience, guests can:

• Spin a colorful, patterned disc mounted to a butterfly's wing and marvel at how the patterns align and mix

• Create their own snowflakes using fractals - geometric shapes that repeatedly subdivide in nature

• Explore the properties of light and color on a table top with prisms and light

• Arrange what appear to be simple shapes to create beautiful silhouettes of animals

• Assemble a series of overhanging cantilevers by balancing wooden blocks

Nature's Puzzles was developed and designed by The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia.

About the Chicago Academy of Sciences/Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

The Chicago Academy of Sciences / Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum serves as an urban gateway to nature and science. Located in an eco-friendly building amidst abundant wildlife and nature in Lincoln Park, interactive exhibitions allow visitors of all ages to connect with regional wildlife and public programs that inspire green living and sustainability. With a history that spans 160 years, the Chicago Academy of Sciences' conservation efforts study, explore and protect urban wildlife and the unique natural history of the Great Lakes region. Today, collaborative conservation programs include citizen science initiatives and habitat restoration. Our education department provides more hours of hands-on teaching inside the Nature Museum - and in schools throughout the city - than any Museum in Chicago. For more information, visit naturemuseum.org or call (773) 755-5100.