Natural history museums are sacred spaces of science and discovery with great potential to spark interest in the scientific process and stewardship for the natural world. I'm grateful to be based at the small but vibrant LSU Museum of Natural Science, where we have a very active outreach program led by tireless outreach coordinator Valerie Derouen. Whenever I can, I try to participate in our outreach activities. In particular, I have developed and led two events as part of our "Special Saturdays" series, a STEM program that focuses on introducing children ages 5-12 and their parents to the world of natural science. In one of my events, entitled "Dynamic DNA", I sought to explain to kids what DNA does, how small it is, and what kinds of things have it. In the other event, on bird color, I talked about the gaudier and the drabbest birds in the world, and how the different needs from mating and camouflage influence each type of color. I had a blast both times! I often also help out with our frequent outreach tables where we display specimens at various events on the LSU campus and in the Baton Rouge community. For members of the public, it is almost invariably the first time they come into contact with a research specimen. People's reactions range from terrified to fascinated, but are never neutral and always make my day! Finally, I also developed species accounts for 16 species of birds, mammals and plants to accompany the dioramas at the our public exhibits.
