Fascinated by Fog
Fog… the word is associated with everything from lethargy to romance to suspense. Fog sets the tone in the most iconic movie scenes: the final goodbye in Casablanca, Jack Nicholson stumbling through a snowy hedge maze, Mr. Darcy striding across the fields at dawn. What creates this
Awesome Volcanoes
Volcanoes! The word itself conjures images of tumbling, racing lava and massive clouds of ash. Volcanoes result when underground molten rock (magma), bits of solid rock, and steam break through the earth’s surface. If this matter and energy builds up pressure before suddenly
Hike for the Holidays
Winter is in the air and the holidays are in full swing! We spend so much time hustling and bustling about with Christmas shopping and planning, we sometimes forget to slow down and enjoy the season. This month, we are encouraging you to take a leisure stroll on your favorite trails to see some our
Crazy about Carbon!
Every aspect of our entire planet is composed of just 92 naturally occurring elements, and we organize them in a chart called the periodic table. Some of these elements are familiar to us, like oxygen, or gold. Others might not be as recognizable, such as astatine, or iridium.
Fall Into Leaves
What makes the leaves change? Each tree has its own special pigment but as plants reside in their dormant stage during the spring and summer the colors are muted by the green that is produced by chlorophyll. As Fall approaches, the leaves can show their true colors in a beautiful display of reds,
Meet DJ the Chuckwalla
Here is one of my favorite education ambassadors at the museum! This is DJ. He is a common chuckwalla, one of our education animal ambassadors here at the Cook Museum of Natural Science. His job is to help guests learn about lizards! He participates in classes, Live Animal
All About Air
Take a deep breath and let it out. Did you see anything go in and out of your nose and mouth? No? But you definitely felt it! So, what is in the air we breathe, and why can’t we see it? Our planet consists of almost 100 different elements. Everything that makes up
How You Can Help Coral Reefs
The Benefits of Hiking
It’s that time of year again - everyone is getting outside for the summer! Getting enough exercise can seem tedious, but what if I told you there was an activity you could do that would not only improve your physical health but also your mental and emotional well being as well? Intrigued? What if I
Common Snapping Turtle Facts
Look, we saw a snapping turtle while hiking last month! So we thought it would only be fitting to discuss common snapping turtle facts! A few weeks ago, the Education Team at the Cook Museum went for a hike at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge in Decatur, AL. During this walk, we noticed several
Observations on Balance
Physics is one of the neatest topics in the physical sciences. It lets us discover truths about the world around us. By allowing children to play and explore they might just find out some of these truths on their own. Your child might just uncover the concept of center of gravity and balance while