There’s a new Burke exhibit you should see
It’s called Indigenous Voices Reply
On Saturday, feel free to stop by
For the Opening Day jamboree!
Nina Simon, museum design consultant and author of Museums 2.0 Blog, is teaching a class on social technologies in the museum this quarter. With her guidance, students have been asked to create a physical exhibit using social technologies to facilitate interactions between strangers.
Because the compactors roll on tracks, we don’t have to leave space for pathways between shelving. This efficient use of space will allow the Burke to maximize our facilities. More than half of the geology collections, ranging from dinosaur bones to fossil flowers, will be moved into the new compactors. 

Yesterday afternoon, Washington Governor Christine Gregoire signed a new law designating the Olympic Marmot as the official endemic mammal of Washington State. So now, in addition to having a State Bird (Willow Goldfinch), State Tree (Western Hemlock), State Flower (Coast Rhododendron) and other official symbols, the state of Washington has a State Endemic Mammal (endemic, by the way, refers to a species that is only found in one location, so the Olympic Marmot is only found in our state).
I joined a small team of Burke staff and one Olympic Marmot specimen from the museum collection in taking a trip down to the Seattle Aquarium to witness the signing of the bill into law. I met the six enthusiastic students from Wedgwood Elementary school who had testified twice to the state legislature about the importance of the Olympic Marmot to Washington’s heritage and who had essentially driven the passing of this law. While I was pretty excited to see the governor in person for the first time, I was equally honored to be in the presence of such inspiring kids. The best thing I overheard all afternoon was one of the students commenting, “I hope we set an example for students around Washington and show them that kids can make a difference too!” Hear, hear!
Images: (top center) Olympic Marmot drawing by Eric Buzard; (center left) Wedgwood Elementary School students (back row, L to R) Garrett Lawrence, Claire Demorest, Gabe Briggs, Erin Cunningham, (front row, L to R) Caroline Malone, and Nick Jansen testified twice in Olympia to pass a new bill that names the Olympic Marmot (specimen seen in photo) as the official state endemic mammal, photo by Owen Lawrence; (bottom center) Wedgwood students and staff celebrate as Gov. Gregoire signs the endemic mammal law.
“The korowai, or cloak, is made from the materials of the land from which we come. These strands are woven together to keep us warm and to show our status. A cloak touches the most important celebrations in a Maori person’s life: weddings and funerals. How it is worn depends on the occasion and the status of the person. Usually, it’s the eldest of the tribe or the family who wears the korowai. When you go onto the manrae, the gathering area in a Maori village, chieftain’s families have a representative on the paepae, or dignitaries’ platform. That’ s where the eldest male wears his korowai.” --Aotaumarewa Lorraine Elkington Morehouse
Washington is home to over 3,000 native plant species. Could you identify Candystick, Mountain Lady Slipper, Lady Fern and Devil’s Club (an appropriate name for a plant containing brittle yellow spines that easily find their way into your hands,) if you saw it in your backyard or on a hike in the Cascades? This week (May 3-9) is your chance to learn more about the plants that call Washington and the Northwest home - it's Native Plant Appreciation Week!
The Washington Native Plant Society has assembled various non-profit and environmental organizations and governmental agencies to offer a fabulous line-up of hikes, classes and presentations aimed at teaching about native plant species and their habitats and what you can do to help protect them.
Take a tour of the Herbarium at the University of Washington, attend a lecture by Terry Domico about foraging for edible wild plants or participate in a restoration project at Timberlake Park in Sammamish.
Check out the listing of events to see what’s being offered in your area.
In need of a guide to NW plant identification or a book on gardening with native plants? Check out the Burke gift shop.
Photo: Cypripedium montanum, Mountain Lady Slipper