THIS WEDNESDAY, Sept 21, 6pm WEEKNIGHTS AT THE WAGNER is back!
"Flowers, Flies and Fermentation: the Pollination Ecology of Pawpaw" with Dr. Kate Goodrich, Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at Widener University
Come join us IN-PERSON at the Wagner for this evening talk to learn about the pollination ecology of the native Pawpaw! The pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is a fascinating local tree that produces the largest native fruits in North America. Goodrich is a botanist and a chemical ecologist, whose research focuses primarily on volatile chemical blends (aka scents) used by plants to communicate with other organisms in the environment. Apparently the pawpaw is really good at that! Come find out more & maybe even get to see our 3 pawpaw trees in our Teaching Garden! The video is of the Pawpaw tree in our garden and shows how we processed the fruit, turning the pulp into pawpaw butter. For the most recent batch we are planning on turning it into icecream!
https://loom.ly/8UAyTxQ
Today is #wildlife_day! In celebration we wanted to share some of the wilderness that is going on in our Teaching Garden that was captured by our Grounds Keeper & Facilities Manager extraordinaire, Don Azuma!
We have a very active bald-faced wasps nest... and were able to watch them in action. Checkout the video of a bald-faced wasp preying on a praying mantis! 😬
The Museum & Garden will be open this coming Sat, Sept 10th, come enjoy the wildlife inside & outside at the Wagner!
For more info:
https://WagnerBacktoSchoolSatOpenHouse.eventbrite.com/?aff=FB
Season Greetings!
We are grateful for having our Wagner community & look forward to seeing you in some form or fashion in the New Year!
Thank you for your support and have a happy holiday!
Images: The Wagner staff in their holiday finery enjoying holiday cheer!
You Complete Me: A Symbiotic View of Life
You Complete Me: A Symbiotic View of Life
Table Matters: A Second Helping of Restaurant History
Sample the history of restaurants and their role in many global issues: technology, race, labor, and cultural exchange with historians Katie Rawson, Ph.D. and Elliott Shore, Ph.D.
A Weeknights at the Wagner online lecture, September 16, 2020
Elliott Shore and Katie Rawson, authors of Dining Out: A Global History of Restaurants expand on their July lecture. Come to the virtual table for more restaurant history, including their definition of a restaurant, ethnic restaurants through the ages, a look at Philadelphia's restaurant history, grand hotels, restaurant chains and moveable restaurant feasts. Rawson and Shore hope to present an evening of delectable and probing history of the places where we have eaten.
About Katie Rawson, Ph.D., and Elliott Shore, Ph.D.
Katie Rawson is director of learning innovation at the University of Pennsylvania. She has published on food in Faulkner, labor at Waffle House, collaboration in the academy, and data curation in the humanities. She has a Ph.D. from the Graduate Institute for the Liberal Arts at Emory University and was previously the managing editor of Southern Spaces and the English Librarian at Emory and the University of Pennsylvania.
Elliott Shore is professor emeritus of history at Bryn Mawr College and a lifelong Philadelphian. He has published books and articles in the history of advertising, the history of publishing, of radicalism, of German-America and of restaurants. He served as head of the Contemporary Culture Collection at Temple University’s library, head of the Historical Studies-Social Science Library at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, Director of Libraries, CIO and Professor of History at Bryn Mawr College and the Executive Director of the Association of Research Libraries. He has his Ph.D. in History from Bryn Mawr College, an M.S. in Library Science from Drexel University and an M.A. in International History at the London School of Economics and his B.A. from Temple University.
Lycorma & Lucilia: A Spotted Lanternfly's Demise
Lycorma & Lucilia sounds like an opera title, but Site Manager Don Azuma had The Lion King theme playing in his head as he observed these green bottle flies (genus Lucilia, species undetermined), feeding on a dead Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) in the Wagner's yard. Have you seen any wildlife eating or fighting Spotted Lanternflies?
Table Matters: A Social and Cultural History of Restaurants
A Weeknights at the Wagner online lecture by Katie Rawson, Ph.D. and Elliott Shore, Ph.D., July 29, 2020
Restaurants have played an active role in many global issues: technology, ethnicity, race, gender and politics. Sample their history.
In some parts of the world, including Philadelphia, restaurants are a relatively new phenomenon. Restaurants have played an active role in many global and current issues, including technology, ethnicity, race, gender and politics. Drs. Rawson and Shore share some of this history from their recently published book, Dining Out: A Global History of Restaurants. They highlight stories across time and place, including how chifa restaurants emerged from the migration of Chinese workers and their marriage to Peruvian businesswomen in nineteenth-century Peru; how Harvey Girls dispelled the ill repute of waiting tables, making rich lives for themselves across the American West; and other stories of how restaurants were engaged in the cultural, racial, political issues of their day. Rawson and Shore present an evening of delectable and probing history of the places where we have eaten.
About the Speakers:
Katie Rawson is director of learning innovation at the University of Pennsylvania. She has published on food in Faulkner, labor at Waffle House, collaboration in the academy, and data curation in the humanities. She has a Ph.D. from the Graduate Institute for the Liberal Arts at Emory University and was previously the managing editor of Southern Spaces and the English Librarian at Emory and the University of Pennsylvania.
Elliott Shore is professor emeritus of history at Bryn Mawr College and a lifelong Philadelphian. He has published books and articles in the history of advertising, the history of publishing, of radicalism, of German-America and of restaurants. He served as head of the Contemporary Culture Collection at Temple University’s library, head of the Historical Studies-Social Science Library at the Institute for Advanced Stud
Marking Time in Nature: The Quarantine Herbarium in Historical Perspective
Historian of science Dr. Elaine Ayers's crowdsourced Quarantine Herbarium adapts 19th-century botanical collecting for a digital, pandemic present.
A Weeknights at the Wagner online lecture, July 8, 2020.
Launched at the start of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the Quarantine Herbarium is a participatory project designed to connect people to the plants growing in their immediate vicinities: to the grasses, weeds, trees, and kitchen plants that we often overlook in our busy everyday lives. Intended to mark the passage of time during a season of socially distanced walks, victory gardens, and escapes to nature, the project offers a low-stakes, open-ended way for anyone, regardless of skill level, to contribute to a floral map and diary of how we interact with our environments when we’re stuck inside. The Quarantine Herbarium now holds over 250 images of plants collected all over the world, and it’s growing day by day.
Ayers contextualizes this project within the history of botanical exchange networks that inspired it, drawing attention to the ways in which nineteenth century men and women—many of whom were considered “hobbyists”—collected, preserved, and built communities around the plants in their local environments. By looking outside of more formalized professional botanical institutions and by thinking critically about the history of “citizen science,” we can begin to untangle the systems of inequality built into the plant sciences that have elevated some voices and silenced others while making a place for the oftentimes unnamed contributors to environmental knowledge systems.
About Elaine Ayers, Ph.D.
Elaine Ayers teaches in the Program in Museum Studies at New York University and holds a Ph.D. in the History of Science from Princeton University. She works on the intersections of art, science, and collecting in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and is currently writing her first book, Strange Beauty: The Art and Science of Botany in the Nineteenth Century
Inga Saffron: What Just Happened? 20 Years of Transformation in Philadelphia
Architecture critic Inga Saffron discusses the policies and physical changes that have shaped Philadelphia over the past two decades.
A Weeknights at the Wagner online lecture, July 1, 2020.
Pulitzer-Prize winning architecture critic Inga Saffron has been chronicling the stories of Philadelphia's buildings and development for the Philadelphia Inquirer since 1999. Her new book, Becoming Philadelphia: How an old American city made itself new again, is a collection of 80 columns from the over 1,600 she's written in the last 20 years. In this talk, discusses her observations and lessons from Philadelphia's transformation.
About Inga Saffron:
Architecture Critic Inga Saffron has been writing about the design of buildings and cities for the Philadelphia Inquirer since 1999. Her work has been recognized with numerous awards, including the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism, the 2018 Vincent Scully Prize from the National Building Museum and a 2012 Loeb Fellowship from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. In June 2020, Rutgers University Press will publish a collection of her Inquirer columns from the last 20 years, Becoming Philadelphia: How an old American city made itself new again. Before becoming the Inquirer’s architecture critic, Inga spent the 1990s as a foreign correspondent for the Inquirer in Russia and the former Yugoslavia, covering the wars in Bosnia and Chechnya, and witnessing the destruction of Sarajevo and Grozny. In addition to her writing about architecture and urbanism, she is an expert on the cultural history of sturgeon. Her book, Caviar: The Strange History and Uncertain Future of the World’s Most Coveted Delicacy, appeared in 2003 to rave reviews. Although she was born in New York, and has lived in Paris, Dublin, Belgrade, Moscow and New Jersey, she identifies as a Philadelphian.
Food Waste: From Compost to Chicken Coop
Food wasn't meant to be wasted. Clean your plate with Maureen Breen, Ph.D. and options like backyard chickens, composting, and resourceful cooking.
A Weeknights at the Wagner online lecture, June 17, 2020
When you reheat last night's dinner for lunch, you're recycling food. But what else can you do to keep food out of the landfill or garbage disposal? Maureen Breen, Ph.D., president of Philadelphia Backyard Chickens and Associate Clinical Professor at Drexel University, shares why food waste matters.
Approximately 33% of food produced for human consumption is not consumed by humans. When food waste decomposes in a landfill, it produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas, and wastes the resources used to produce it. Learn how so much food goes to waste and what you can do about it. Dr. Breen covers strategies such as buying "ugly" produce, composting, the backyard chicken movement, and even carrottop pesto!
Life in a Biodiversity Lab: Endangered Turtles, Poison Dart Frogs, and Climate Change
"I like turtles. I've liked turtles my whole life. I don't know why. I still am more excited to see a turtle than just about anything else I can think of. And so I've packed the lab with turtles and rare frogs, and what I'm going to tell you tonight are some of the questions we've developed to try to do a bit of science while we're maintaining these remarkable species."
A recording of Life in a Biodiversity Lab: Conservation of Endangered Turtles, and Poison Dart Frogs as Models to Study Global Climate Change, an online tour and lecture by Dr. Scott McRobert on May 27, 2020.
In this talk series, Dr. McRobert gives us a tour of the Biodiversity Lab - Saint Joseph's University and focuses on a different aspect of his research.
The rarest of the Biodiversity Lab's dozens of turtle species are involved in conservation groups known as Assurance Colonies, whose intent is to literally assure the survival of species in peril of extinction in the wild. Research on turtles involves analysis of the effects of environmental factors (such as pH, temperature, salinity) on the Diamondback Terrapin, a rare species found in coastal regions of the continental United States. These studies are linked to a Head-Start Program in which baby turtles are raised in captivity prior to release into the wild.
The Biodiversity Lab also houses many amphibian species, including colonies of poison dart frogs. These animals have been used in studies to show the potential effects of climate change on growth, development and survival on tropical amphibians.
About Dr. Scott McRobert:
Dr. McRobert is a Professor of Biology at Saint Joseph's University, where his research focuses on animal behavior, ecology and conservation. His laboratory, known as the Biodiversity Lab, houses hundreds of turtles, representing dozens of species, many of which are listed as vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered. He has published over 80 journal articles and his work has been profiled in Science, Nature,
Ending the Anguish of Spotted Lanternfly Infestations
Learn how to identify and control the Spotted Lanternfly at all stages of its life cycle—and why that matters with Amy Korman, Ph.D. of Penn State Extension.
A Weeknights at the Wagner online lecture, June 24, 2020
How do I kill Spotted Lanternfly nymphs? Should I sticky trap or spray my trees? What does a Spotted Lanternfly eat? As one of the most recent insects to be introduced to the United States, the Spotted Lanternfly is particularly challenging because of the lack of basic knowledge of this insect. In this talk, Amy Korman, Ph.D. Horticulture Extension Educator with Penn State Extension, covers the latest news of basic Spotted Lanternfly biology, its impact on the landscape, evaluating methods of control that homeowners can consider, and a review of what the research world has revealed about this insect.
About Amy Korman:
Amy Korman is a Lancaster County, PA native and a graduate of Penn Manor High School. She received her B.S. (biology) from Juniata College and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees (entomology) from North Dakota State University and Louisiana State University, respectively. Commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army, Korman spent over 23 years as an active duty Army entomologist and served in various capacities in military entomology and administration. She joined the Penn State Extension Horticulture/Green Industry Team following her military retirement and is a horticulture educator based in Northampton and Lehigh Counties.
Life in a Biodiversity Lab: Social Behavior of Fish
A recording of Life in a Biodiversity Lab: Social Behavior of Fish, an online tour and lecture by Dr. Scott McRobert on May 20, 2020.
In this talk series, Dr. McRobert gives us a tour of the Biodiversity Lab - Saint Joseph's University and focuses on a different aspect of his research.
"Fish typically live in social groups, which confer critical ecological benefits. However, fish must make careful choices regarding the social groups they join. The correct choice improves their chances to survive and to find food and mates, while the wrong choice could lead to sudden death. In the Biodiversity Laboratory, my students and I examine the factors that fish utilize when choosing social partners, including body coloration, pattern, size, shape and familiarity. Our work has described the behavior of many different species, and has shown that the choice of social partners is affected by ‘looks’, experience, sleep, and a fish’s ability to count."
About Scott McRobert: Dr. McRobert is a professor of biology at Saint Joseph’s University. His research focuses on animal behavior, ecology and conservation. His laboratory, known as the Biodiversity Lab, houses hundreds of rare and exotic species, many of which are listed as threatened, endangered and critically endangered. Dr. McRobert is also a guest speaker at the Wagner and one of our faculty partners in our GeoKidsLINKS program with Saint Joseph’s University.
Life in a Biodiversity Lab: Reproductive Behavior of Fruit Flies
A recording of Life in a Biodiversity Lab: Reproductive Behavior of Fruit Flies, an online tour and lecture by Dr. Scott McRobert on May 20, 2020.
In this talk series, Dr. Scott McRobert gives us a tour of the Biodiversity Lab - Saint Joseph's University and focuses on a different aspect of his research.
"Flies of the genus Drosophila, typically referred to as fruit flies, have been an important model organism. In the Biodiversity Laboratory, we utilize Drosophila to ask questions about animal behavior and ecology. Our studies focus on the surprisingly complex sexual behavior of this group and involve questions on post-mating behavior in females and the effects of sleep deprivation on males. In addition, we have been running ecological surveys on Drosophila communities in the wild, and recently have begun study of the invasive species Drosophila suzukii."
About Dr. Scott McRobert: Dr. McRobert is a professor of biology at Saint Joseph’s University. His research focuses on animal behavior, ecology and conservation. His laboratory, known as the Biodiversity Lab, houses hundreds of rare and exotic species, many of which are listed as threatened, endangered and critically endangered. Dr. McRobert is also a guest speaker at the Wagner and one of our faculty partners in our GeoKidsLINKS program with Saint Joseph’s University.
Make Your Own Seed Bombs for Earth Day
Seed bombs are a fun and meaningful way to celebrate Earth Day. Seed bombs become wildflowers for pollinators to visit. In this video, Wagner's children's education team (and children) teach you how to make your own. This activity is for all ages, but an adult needs to help with the blender or food processor step.
You will need:
• 3-6 pieces of newspaper or scrap paper
• 2 cups of water
• Seeds (preferably native wildflowers, but any seeds will work)
• Blender or food processor
• Mixing bowl
• Strainer
Directions:
1. Tear up all paper and put it in blender or food processor.
2. Add 2 cups of water to blender or food processor and blend until the paper is in tiny pieces and mixed well with the water.
3. Place a strainer over a small bowl and pour paper mixture into the strainer. Allow to sit for 5 minutes while water strains out.
4. Transfer drained paper mixture to a bowl. Mix in seeds.
5. Press mixture into balls, squeezing out excess water as you go.
6. Once you have formed all of the mixture into balls, use a towel to press on each seed bomb to remove any excess moisture.
7. Allow seed bombs to dry for 24-48 hours.
8. Toss your seed bombs! Some target ideas: bare dirt in your yard, vacant lots, and roadsides.
Rainbow Bismuth Crystals
Here's some of the sparkling science you'll see at Wagner's Winter Wonderland: Snowflakes and Stalactites! Plain lumps of bismuth melt into a shimmering liquid and then harden into jagged rainbow crystals. See it live at our free family open house on Saturday, February 8th, 12 - 4 p.m. You can also enjoy special Saturday museum hours, free mineral necklace make-and-takes, snowflake art, and much more!
Learn more: https://wagnersnowflakes.eventbrite.com/?aff=FB
We tried to ring in the new year early today with our ringing rock...it didn't go as anticipated. (Maybe we should have waited till midnight?)
We wish you a new year of resounding happiness! We are closed on New Year's Day but resume normal hours on Thursday, January 2nd.
Hopping with Spotted Lanternflies
The Spotted Lanternfly has entered the green oasis of the Wagner's yard. Among our lovely trees is a large Ailanthus altissima, or Tree-of-heaven. Tree-of-heaven is both invasive and historical, having been purposely introduced to the U.S. in the Philadelphia area from China/Taiwan in 1784. While the Spotted Lanternfly arrived from China over two centuries later, Tree-of-heaven is its preferred tree. Site Manager Don Azuma caught these Lanternflies on ours today and stopped en route to the freezer to give an up-close view.
Stop the Spotted Lanternfly: https://extension.psu.edu/spotted-lanternfly
A Raccoon Visits the Wagner
We had a rare daytime visitor in our yard yesterday: a trash panda! While unexpected, it's normal for raccoons to be active during the day. They may be finding a new sleeping spot or looking for food, especially if they're caring for babies. You should only be worried about a raccoon out in daytime if it is acting sick or aggressive, or if you have an unprotected bag of tasty trash nearby.
Stomp Rockets in the Lecture Hall
BLASTOFF! Our stomp rocket launcher was a hit at the Moon Landing Anniversary Celebration. Build your own Cape Kennedy with some basic craft and hardware supplies and this guide from the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/teach/activity/stomp-rockets/
Hanging a Freshly Cleaned Tarpon
Fin-al Friday at the Wagner: the second tarpon, freshly cleaned, rejoined its pair on the museum wall. This tarpon was owned by Godfrey S. Mahn, a prominent Philadelphia cigar manufacturer and seller in the early 20th century. Many of Mahn's cigars came from Key West, as did this tarpon.
Behind the Scenes: Cleaning a Wagner Tarpon
Site manager Don Azuma spent part of this week cleaning one of our tarpons. The label for this tarpon reads, "This Tarpon weighed 157 lbs. and was 6'5" long. It was caught with a rod by Mr. Amos R. Little in April 1893 [in Charlotte Harbor, FL], and was presented by him to the Institute." This is (by a little) the smaller of the Wagner's two tarpons!
Entomological Musings: the Wondrous World of Insects
Our first fall free course starts tonight! Come to the Fishtown Community Branch of the Free Library at 6:15 p.m. for the first class of "Entomological Musings: the Wondrous World of Insects." Taught by Professor Greg Cowper, this free, adult-level class will meet Mondays from 6:15 - 7:45 p.m. through November 5th. Register by filling out a form at the first class.
More information: http://www.wagnerfreeinstitute.org/edu_adult_sched.shtml
What's better than a dog who can find you when you're trapped in a big plastic tube? Meet Boomer, a rescuer-in-training at the Penn Vet Working Dog Center.
Learn more at What the Nose Knows: Using Dogs for Odor Detection Research on 9/27!
End-of-Year Egg Drop at Kearney School!
Last week was the end-of-year celebrations for our GeoKids and Science Nature and Art in Philadelphia (SNAP) classes! We celebrated another year of partnering with three Philadelphia public schools to enhance students' science learning. Thank you to our Saint Joseph's University student Fellows!
Science On Tap: the Physics of Baseball
Thanks to everyone who came out to Science on Tap - Philadelphia: The Physics of Baseball on Monday! Here are some of the highlights from Scott Paulson's talk. Join us on June 11th for the next Science On Tap at National Mechanics!
Want to learn more about the physics of baseball? The Exploratorium has a great page with explanations and activities: http://www.exploratorium.edu/baseball/index.html
Spring Chickens!
Chicks are often associated with spring holidays like Easter because they symbolize this time of year as a time when both life on earth and the earth itself are reborn. They're also great for teaching life cycles to GeoKids! And they're so cute!
Happy Easter, Chag Sameach, and enjoy any of the other holidays that celebrate spring!
Wondrous Impalement of the Hymenoptera
#FavoritesFriday with Adam!
