Cabinets of Curiosity: Insect Collection and Natural Resources Library
Wed, Feb 7 2024, 1pm
Insects—some we love to watch, like butterflies—but others genuinely bug us. If you are curious about insects in their astonishing variety, plan to join the UMRA Cabinets of Curiosities tour at the Department of Entomology on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus in St. Paul. Biologist E. O. Wilson said that insects, along with other invertebrates, are "the little things that run the world."
Curator Robin Thomson will tell us about the amazing UMN collection of more than 4,000,000 specimens and 53,000 species in stacks of cabinets housed in Hodson Hall. She will open up the drawers and allow us to look closely at butterflies, moths, beetles and even smaller insects housed behind their research laboratory space. We will also have a special opportunity to see the collection of rare illustrated natural history books in the Natural Resources Library under the watchful eye of Natural Resources librarians Amy Gmur and Philip Herold. Given the space available among the cabinets and in the library, we have relatively limited registration space for this tour.
The event is free. Registration is now closed, but you can contact us to get on the wait list. Join us on February 7, from 1-3 pm at Hodson Hall on the St. Paul Campus.
There is relatively close parking for Hodson Hall in Lot 106. Once again, we will likely gather at a local eatery for friendly conversation after the event, with more details to come.
Can’t attend this time? Look for more Cabinets of Curiosity outings in the coming months, including a visit to the College of Biological Sciences Conservatory on April 4.
Questions are welcome to Sally Gregory Kohlstedt ([email protected]), Jan Morlock ([email protected]), or Cathy Lee Gierke ([email protected]).
Upcoming Events
We are fortunate to have UMRA member and former Minnesota Landscape Arboretum director Peter Moe to lead this approximately 3.7-mile hike at the Arboretum on Monday, May 6. Plan to have lunch together after the hike at the Eatery café inside the Oswald Visitor Center.
This session will continue the discussion begun in the May 8, 2023 session. See that article for details.
If you currently live in your own home or apartment, have you looked ahead to when you might want to consider a senior living option? Do you have any idea what those options might be? How much they cost? What they provide? UMRA’s May 14 workshop will provide an overview of the world of senior living and the basic information you need.
You’re invited to join the final Family History Interest Group meeting for 2023–24. This will be an opportunity to ask questions related to family history, share insights, talk about recent projects, and suggest topics for next year.
Stephanie Daily will lead the discussion of Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by best-selling author Mary Roach when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 17.
The May 20 hike will start at the Historic Lift Bridge in Stillwater and go along the river to the new bridge, cross over and then back on the Wisconsin side, a total of approximately 5 miles. Most of the route is paved. We will eat lunch after at Brian's Bar and Grill in Stillwater. Car pooling will be available.
Climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley joined the U of M faculty in 1978 and has been a weekly commentator on Minnesota Public Radio since 1992. We are honored to welcome him as our guest speaker for UMRA’s May Luncheon Forum and 2024 Annual Meeting. He is always entertaining and informative.
UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club welcomes back, for the second time, author Julie Schumacher, U of M Regents professor of creative writing and English, for a conversation about her novel The Shakespeare Requirement.
We are in for a treat on June 3! Lynn Anderson, will lead us on trails at two parks near her Monticello home. Bring a bag lunch and we will gather in Lynn's yard along the Mississippi River for eating and socializing after the hike.
Get out to the ballpark with fellow UMRA members for the annual U of M Day at Target Field as the Minnesota Twins take on the Oakland Athletics on June 14 at 7:10 p.m.
Please join us at 9:30 on June 17, 2024 for a walk around Lake Como in St. Paul before attending the UMRA Summer Social and Picnic starting at 11 at the Como Pavilion. A perfect opportunity to get in a walk before we gather to celebrate summer.
Picnic under the covered, open-air Como pavilion, gaze at the water, spy some birds, catch up with friends and former colleagues, and meet new members. We’ll have lunch with plenty of time for visiting and then compete in teams as we are challenged by our Quiz master(s)!
Healthy aging, mindfulness, fighting ageism, and more will be the focus of the third annual Age-Friendly University Day to be held on the U of M Twin Cities campus.