UW-Stevens Point’s museum collections open to the public
2/25/2013
 
The scientific research and teaching collections of animals, fish, plants and prehistoric specimens will be open to the public at the Fourth Annual Collection Crawl hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Museum of Natural History.
The open house will be held Saturday, March 9, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.  on campus, where more than 25,000 square feet is dedicated to museum collections.
The collection crawl includes collections housed within and beyond the museum, including the Freckman Herbarium. University students will be available to provide information and answer questions for the families, students and community members who attend. Participants can pick up free passports at the University Library and gather stamps for up to 11 collections throughout campus.
In addition to the museum exhibits, access will be available for the following collections: archaeology, entomology (insects), geology (rocks), herbarium (plants), herpetology (amphibians and reptiles), ichthyology (fish), mammalogy (mammals), ornithology (birds), paleontology (prehistoric life) and parasitology (parasites).
“The depth and breadth of the natural science collections held by UW-Stevens Point are astounding, and a credit to the faculty, students and members of the general public who have helped develop them,” said Ray Reser, director of the museum. “As one of the major educational outreach venues of the university, we are pleased to be able to provide community access to the specimens and scientific research that enhance our courses and make our exhibits possible.”
The UW-Stevens Point Museum of Natural History is an outreach and educational facility aligned with the College of Letters and Science. The only public natural history museum in North Central Wisconsin, the museum’s exhibits are located on the first floor of the University Library and may be viewed during regular library hours: Monday-Thursday, 7:45 a.m. to midnight; Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m. to midnight. Metered parking is located in Lot R, which is accessible from Portage or Reserve streets.
Reser is available for media interviews prior to and during the collection crawl. To contact the UW-Stevens Point Museum of Natural History, call 715-346-2858, email museum@uwsp.edu or visit www.uwsp.edu/museum.

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