My daughter and I sent ahead for information about several parks we planned to visit last week in the Nebraska panhandle area, including Agate Fossil Beds Nat’l Monument, Fort Laramie Nat’l Historic Site, Scotts Bluff Nat’l Monument, and a few Nebraska State Parks. 

When we got our big brown envelope from Scotts Bluff, we were given two Junior Ranger booklets to peruse.  One for 3-to-7-year-olds, and a second one for 6-to-12-year-olds.  Since my daughter is seven, we looked them both over for age appropriateness.  The book aimed at younger kids was definitely not much of a challenge for her, so we focused on the other booklet when we arrived at the park on Thursday the 29th.  However, I had her look over the easier booklet just as an orientation to the subject matter covered at the park and upon realizing there were two books available to use, she instantly came up with a novel idea — Pablo the Monkey, her travel buddy puppet/stuffed animal, could do the easier one and she’d do the harder one.

I told her that was fine, but not to expect that the rangers would award Pablo a separate certificate and Junior Ranger badge, but that we would ask and see what they said.  I didn’t have the heart to tell her flat out “No” because her enthusiasm for completing the activities skyrocketed once she had the idea that Pablo was going to learn something too and that she could help him with spelling and the like.

It was a hot day, so rather than stick with our original plan to take the shuttle bus to the top and hike back down to the Visitor Center in the full sun (no shade on the trail in the late morning hours), we instead drove our little rental car to the top, hiked the North and South summit trails, and returned to the Visitor Center with a mostly-completed Junior Ranger booklet.

We had missed the answers to a few questions when we saw the park video the first time, so we snuck back in at just the right time to catch the three answers she needed to complete the assignment (“Pork”, “Bread”, and “Cholera” — which nicely summarizes the Oregon Trail experience in three words, by the way).  Pablo, on the other hand (that was a puppet joke, in case you missed it), was done a while ago and was just enjoying the view of the ground while tucked under my daughter’s armpit.

My daughter stayed in the gift shop area while I walked over to the information desk — near a huge, evil-looking good-for-nothing bison head that was just waiting to leap off the wall and scare the buffalo chips out of us when we least expected it — and asked ever-so-kindly if they’d consider doing the Junior Ranger ceremony for my daughter’s stuffed animal friend. 

Not only did they comply, they also awarded him a certificate and his very own Junior Ranger badge — which must surely be a first for the National Park Service.  And if not, at least for Scotts Bluff National Monument. We held the ceremonies (both for Pablo and my daughter) outside the front door so the bison couldn’t stare at us and disrupt the proceedings, which was also a nice accommodation of the ranger on duty.  Thanks, Ranger Jeremy!

So, congratulations to Pablo the Monkey, we’re very proud of you.

Parke Diem!
— Jon

FROM AN NPS PRESS RELEASE – May 27, 2008
Contact: David Barna or Jody Lyle (202) 208-6843

National Park Service takes giant leap to find creatures big and small

WASHINGTON – This weekend, scientists and citizens have 24 hours to search trails, look under rocks, and wade through streams to find as many living organisms as possible in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Bioblitz. Hosted by the National Park Service and National Geographic Society, this event will increase understanding of the Los Angeles area’s biodiversity and engage citizens as scientists, particularly children, to help document new discoveries of the natural world.

As Santa Monica Mountains prepares for their big event on May 30 and 31, eight other units in the National Park System are also getting ready to investigate their own species. Big Thicket National Preserve will host a bioblitz June 13-14, Acadia National Park on August 8-11, and Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area will hold an inter-tidal bioblitz on August 18. Additional events and surveys will occur in Channel Islands National Park, Death Valley National Park, Point Reyes National Seashore, Yosemite National Park, and Yellowstone National Park.

These exciting scientific projects will be funded through the Centennial Challenge, an initiative to prepare for the National Park Service’s 100th birthday in 2016. Last month, Congress provided $24.6 million of federal money to match private donations for projects this year, including the unique biodiversity projects. All Centennial Challenge projects depend on dedicated partners to help prepare parks for a second century of preservation.

“The Centennial Challenge is jump-starting a Servicewide effort to catalog the natural wonders we have in parks and use that knowledge to make better decisions about how to protect them,” said National Park Service Director Mary A. Bomar. “A bioblitz is a great way for the entire family to get involved in nature, and a wonderful learning experience for children.”

Many parks have been conducting bioblitzes or other surveys for well over a decade and new discoveries have been documented. For example in 1998, Great Smoky Mountains National Park was one of the first units to undertake a large comprehensive effort to inventory their plants and animals. Along with their non-profit partner, Discover Life in America, they have made incredible discoveries in the last ten years – 5,207 new species have been identified that were not known to live in the park before and 874 species have been discovered that were previously unknown to science.

The Santa Monica Mountains Bioblitz is the second in a series of 10 annual bioblitzes that the National Park Service and National Geographic Society will host together. The first event was last year at Rock Creek Park in Washington D.C.

-NPS-

Editor’s notes:
For more information about the bioblitz at Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, visit
http://www.nps.gov/samo/forteachers/bioblitz.htm.
For information about the Centennial Challenge, visit http://www.nps.gov/2016/.
For information about the Great Smoky Mountains All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory, visit >http://www.dlia.org.

Sleeping bags… check.  Tent… check.  Sun screen… check.  Cowgirl and cowboy hat… check.  Lots of underwear and socks… check.  

My daughter and I are heading west on the Great Daddy-Daughter Trip of 2008 early Wednesday morning.  After landing in Denver and driving up toward the Nebraska panhandle, we’ll make our first few stops in the Ash Hollow/Chimney Rock area and follow the Oregon Trail west toward Scotts Bluff National Monument.  Thursday evening we’re planning on a Chuck Wagon Cookout with the Oregon Trail Wagon Train out of Bayard, Nebraska.  The wagons roll out at 5:30pm and dinner around the campfire consists of a 16oz ribeye steak (mmm), baked potato (mmm), creamed green beans (mmm), sourdough bread (mmm), and homemade ice cream (mmm).

We’ll camp out a stone’s throw from Chimney Rock Nat’l Historic Site before continuing our journey the through the wild west.  After Scotts Bluff, we’ll see Agate Fossil Beds Nat’l Monument, Fort Robinson State Park, Fort Laramie in Wyoming, and hopefully take a leisurely drive through Rocky Mountain National Park before flying home next week.

PS – Nebraska trivia that could only be discussed in a homeschooling environment:  The native American name for Chimney Rock was… Elk Penis.  If you think about it, they had no clue what a chimney was!  So why would they ever call it Chimney Rock?  Can you imagine a history teacher in public school actually saying those words in the classroom?  It would be an absolute scandal! 🙂  I told my seven-year-old daughter the hush-hush secret and she thought it was hilarious!  We 21st century Americans are so uptight about that kind of stuff, aren’t we?  I can see it now — Elk Penis National Monument!  And no one would come to see it except maybe college students and well, female elk, I suppose.

Parke Diem!
— Jon

Tonight, as the moon waxes full and the tide creeps in a little higher than usual, horseshoe crabs on the Delaware Bay will do what they’ve always done this time of year — for the past, oh 300 million years or so, long before Delaware Bay ever came to be.  As the females make their way toward terra firma, one or more males will latch onto their tow hook and ride their temporary girlfriend all the way into shore.  Sometimes more males latch on in a silly looking version of a crab conga line, but the female has her sights set on the sand up ahead and doesn’t let something like five straggler males get in her way.

In the morning, as the tide slides back out to sea, thousands of shore birds — Red Knots, Semipalmated Sandpipers, Ruddy Turnstones, and Sanderlings all show up for the morning breakfast call.  The Red Knots in particular are another fascinating story, as they’ve travelled from the southern tip of South America — exhausted and hungry, timing their northern migration to arrive on Delaware Bay just when the crabs are laying their eggs.  Normally the eggs are buried too deep for the birds, but the sheer number of crabs burying eggs tends to unearth some of the other crabs’ eggs, so there’s plenty up for grabs.  The Red Knots will double their body weight before continuing their journey to the Arctic.

Horseshoe crabs aren’t really crabs at all, but are more closely related to spiders.  A long time ago they had more living relatives such as the trilobites you’ve probably seen in a fossil display at a museum.

Well, gotta hit the sack early tonight and get up before dawn to be there around sun-up.  Hopefully will have pictures to share upon our return. 

Parke Diem!
— Jon

From an NPS press release…

Great Smoky Mountains National Park will celebrate the second annual National Junior Ranger Day on April 26 with special activities at the park’s three visitor centers from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Children and their families can join in a variety of free hands-on activities at Sugarlands Visitor Center near Gatlinburg, TN; Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee, NC; and Cades Cove’s Cable Mill Visitor Center near Townsend, TN.

Activities planned will range from searching for salamanders to making dinner bells at a blacksmith shop. Historic toymaking, weaving, wildflower searches, and cornhusk doll making are a few of the other natural and cultural opportunities that will be available. Information on the specific programs is available at the visitor centers.

“National Junior Ranger Day provides a great opportunity for children and families to spend time together learning about the park that offers an array of educational experiences and recreational opportunities right in their own backyard,” said Park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson. “We hope that our local residents will take advantage of this program to interact with our staff and the resources, and, at the same time, plan a day doing activities in the park.”

The park’s Junior Ranger program has received national awards for its specially-designed interactive programs and its four separate age appropriate booklets. The Junior Ranger booklets, produced in cooperation with Great Smoky Mountains Association, will be available for children who want to become Junior Rangers. The booklets are designed to better serve a variety of age groups with a booklet targeted for each of the following ages: 5 to 6, 7 to 8, 9 to 10 and 11 to 12. Booklets can be purchased for $2.50 each at park visitor centers.

National Junior Ranger Day is a special event for National Park Week, celebrated this year between April 19 and 27. Most parks throughout the country will host ceremonies, interactive games, and special events designed to connect children with the resources found in national parks. National Park Week is an annual presidentially proclaimed week for celebration and recognition of National Parks. National parks are living examples of the best the nation has to offer. This year’s theme is, “Kids in Parks.”

Just when you thought you were about to read some interesting article about a former rail trail — aha!  I caught you!  This is actually a shameless plug to get you to consider sponsoring me on my American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure ride on June 8th.

Yes, my 11-year-old son and I will be riding 32 miles on the Washington & Old Dominion Trail in Virginia, a former railroad right-of-way.  And no, it’s not part of the National Park Service, so yes, you’ve been duped. 

If you decide to check out the information about the W&OD trail and the TdC donation page below, please don’t be frightened off by the lowest sponsor amount suggestion on the Tour de Cure site ($25).  You can donate as little or as much as you’d like.

Got any questions about the event?  Leave a response here and I’ll get right back to you.  Thanks!  …and Parke Diem!

— Jon

Interesting and sneaky collection of useful links:

• Washington & Old Dominion Trail
• Donate to my Tour de Cure bike ride for diabetes!

Some of you may remember an earlier article I posted showing one of many hats that wound up in one of the thermal features at Yellowstone National Park last summer.  Anyone else who’s been there likely knows how a sudden gust of wind can quickly take back that souvenir hat you just bought at the last village you recently visited.  Well, that article prompted a nice reply from Ranger Beth at Yellowstone who sent my son and me some detailed information about how the park goes about extracting those hats and other objects that get “misplaced” in the thermal features at Yellowstone.  It’s a very interesting behind-the-scenes look at how much work is required by park staff and volunteers to keep we the visitors from loving our parks to death through bad luck, negligence, or simple overuse.  Read on, and be sure to thank any volunteer you see performing such work at Yellowstone, or picking up trash at your local NPS area.  And consider doing your part by not making more work for others and volunteering your family’s time perhaps one day a year to help make our National Parks a better place!

From Ranger Beth Taylor at Yellowstone Nat’l Park:

After reading your son’s idea about hats that blow into the features, I wanted to share with your son how we attempt to remove objects from thermal pools. Resource management staff (mostly volunteers!) spend hundreds of hours removing debris—mostly rocks, sticks, coins and trash—-from the thermal features each year. They use extra-long handled “grabber” tools similar to those you might see maintenance or janitorial staff use to pick up trash without having to bend over (but ours have longer handles/poles). They also use a ‘highly specialized’ tool consisting of a slotted spoon attached to a long pole. The long handles allow them to stand a safe distance from the feature to avoid getting burned or damaging the thermal feature.

To remove a hat, we’d use the grabber tool, but to remove a rock thrown into a pool, we might choose to use the slotted spoon attached to the pole. We can remove 50 hats in a typical summer week! You are both probably aware that items thrown into features (or blown into features) can damage them. They can be cemented in place by mineral deposits and block the flow of hot water. Some features have become cooler and changed color (due to the change or death in microbe communities) because of trash and coins tossed in them.

[Below is] a document that includes a picture of one of our dedicated volunteers removing debris from a hot spring near Old Faithful in the Upper Geyser Basin. While it is illegal for visitors to leave the boardwalks in the geyser basins, this volunteer has many years of experience and is one of the few people who can be trusted to leave the safety of the boardwalks without putting himself in danger or damaging features.

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Geothermal Protection and Safety (2005)

Yellowstone is the world’s first National Park, and is well-known for its spectacular array of waterfalls, lakes, and its animals. However, Yellowstone owes its status not to these alone, but to the vast array of hydrothermal features (geysers, hot springs, mudpots, and fumaroles) that have amazed and fascinated visitors for over a century. Yellowstone is one of the world’s largest active volcanoes where magma from deep in the earth lies just a few miles below the surface rather than the dozens of miles under most continental masses. This volcanic heat has powered large volcanic eruptions in the past, and now provides the heat source for Yellowstone’s collection of hydrothermal features, the largest such array of geysers and hot springs on earth.

Yellowstone has an estimated 10,000 thermal features, hundreds of which are near trails, roads, or boardwalks. The geysers are spectacular and have eruptions ranging in size from a few inches to hundreds of feet. The hot springs range from warm seeps to superheated boiling pools. Both geysers and hot springs are often surrounded by delicately beaded deposits and are often brightly colored by mats of thermophilic, or heat-loving, micro–organisms.

The thermal features that inspired Yellowstone’s creation are beautiful, fragile, and dangerous. The beauty can be marred or destroyed by human intrusion, be it walking off of the established paths or boardwalks, throwing objects into the pools, or marking in the microbial mats. The delicate formations around geysers and hot springs take hundreds of years to form, but can be destroyed in a few minutes by souvenir seekers or careless footsteps. Microbial mats are soft and easily disturbed.

Protection of Yellowstone’s unique hydrothermal environment from the three million visitors that come each year is an important part of the Park’s work. Extensive boardwalk systems help visitors enjoy the thermal features in safety and without damaging the fragile systems. Visitor education via Park newspapers, Ranger Interpreter programs, and wayside exhibits explain the nature of the thermal areas and encourage visitors to remain safe and to help protect the fragile surroundings.

The boardwalks that provide access also protect the fragile vegetation, mineral deposits, and microbial mats from being trampled by visitors seeking to get a closer look. Resource management personnel spend hundreds of hours each year cleaning debris from around and inside of the thermal pools and vents. Each year resource management volunteers remove thousands of coins, rocks, sticks, and other debris, mostly introduced by humans, from thermal features. If these objects remain in hot springs and geysers, they can be cemented in place by mineral deposits and block the flow of hot water.

In 2004, four resource management volunteers spent over 500 hours cleaning the Upper, Midway, and Lower Geyser Basins alone. In regular summer weekly cleaning 273 coins, nearly 1300 rocks, 48 large sticks and logs, and 50 hats were recovered from in or around thermal features. Over 400 rocks were removed from Artemisia Geyser alone. The photo below shows some of the rocks in the Artemisia Geyser catch basins. The red-brown rocks are rhyolite rocks that were thrown into the pool.

Additionally, in spring and fall more extensive cleaning, nearly 3500 coins were recovered. Of these, 2785 coins came from Morning Glory Pool alone!

In addition to being fragile, Yellowstone’s hot springs and geysers are dangerous to humans. Water temperatures in some hot springs are above the boiling point (199°F at Old Faithful), and many springs are hot enough to cause serious burns rapidly. A second degree burn causes blistering, and a third degree burn burns all the skin layers. Thermal burns have killed many more people in Yellowstone than have wild animals. Over the years, twenty people have died in Yellowstone’s hot springs, compared to five killed by bears and two by bison! None of the fatalities happened to people staying on boardwalks or trails.

Walking in thermal areas in the backcountry is dangerous, especially so since the dangers are not familiar to most people, even experienced wilderness hikers. In some places, hot springs have thin shelves of sinter (the white mineral deposited by most of Yellowstone’s hot springs) extending over some very hot water. Approaching closely can cause a fatal plunge into the water. In acidic areas there may not be visible water, but hot mud can be crusted over and even support some vegetation. Many experienced hikers have been burned by stepping onto solid-appearing ground and sinking several inches or more into hot, sticky mud.

When hiking in the backcountry be extremely careful in thermal areas to avoid painful or fatal burns, and equally importantly to avoid leaving footprints, smashing delicate formations, or otherwise damaging Yellowstone’s unique formations. Yellowstone is one of a handful of places on Earth with geysers and high-temperature hot springs. Yellowstone has more geysers than any other place, and most of them have been protected from damage and remain a fascinating and ever-changing natural display of natural geological processes.

The 1960s return to the LBJ Ranch

From an NPS news release:

On August 27, 2008, President Lyndon B. Johnson would have been 100 years old. During this centennial year, Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park has three events planned for April.

– April 11-12: The LBJ Ranch will host the first-ever “Celebration of the 1960s” on April 11 and 12. Authors, educators and experts on the tumultuous decade will gather for lectures, reminiscences and book signings in an exploration of Lyndon Johnson’s legacy in the field of education and a look back at the decade’s significance.

– April 19: The LBJ 100 Bicycle Tour–Beginning and ending on the LBJ Ranch, riders can select routes of either a ten-mile family ride wholly on the ranch or a 31-mile, 45-mile or 62-mile (a metric 100) loops through the scenic Texas Hill Country in commemoration of Lyndon Johnson’s “Can-Do” spirit.

– April 26-27: LBJ Ranch Cycling Weekend–In observance of National Park Week, the LBJ Ranch will open up for self-guided bicycle traffic. On April 26 only, the National Amphicar Owners Association will exhibit their amphibious vehicles. Lyndon Johnson owned a turquoise aqua car (still on display on the LBJ Ranch) that he enjoyed on lakes near the LBJ Ranch, sometimes to the great surprise of his passengers. For more information, please contact Sherry Justus at 830/868-7128, ext. 245

 

 

2008 Events by State… this is the current list of advertised National Park Week events as of 01 April.  Please check the NPS web resource page at http://www.nps.gov/npweek/sched.htm for the most up-to-date information on parks in your area.  Also be sure to check the site for each park close to you as they will likely have more current info than the national site.  Parke Diem!  — Jon
State / Park	Event	Date
Arkansas
Central High School NHS	Bike Tour: Starting Point at Parking Lot. Please bring a bike, helmet, and water.	4/27
	Earth Day Events- “Green Cleaning” And “Picking Up the Tab”	4/22
	Junior Ranger Day	4/26
California
Lassen Volcanic NP	Become a Junior Ranger at Tehama Co. Fairgrounds Children’s Fair in Red Bluff, CA	4/26
Colorado
Rocky Mountain NP	Skins and Skulls Program – Ranger Led Talk at Beaver Meadows Visitor Center	4/26
Curecanti Nat’l Rec Area	Who Goes There? Lesson for 1st grade	4/22
Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP	The Continuous Cycle for 2nd grade	4/22
	Dams and Hydroelectric Power for 3rd grade	4/22
	Die, Adapt, or Move lesson for 4th grade	4/22
	Watersheds lesson for 5th grade	4/23
	Energy lesson for 6th grade	4/23
	“The Active Earth” geology trip, 7th, 8th grade	4/23
	“Neversink: A Riparian Experience” trip for 4th grade	4/24
	Weather lesson for 2nd and 3rd grade	4/24
	“Black Canyon Habitats” trip for 1st grade	4/25
Florida
Canaveral Nat’l Seashore	Anne Devine will be walking 24 miles as a March For Parks event	4/21-22
Hawaii
Hawai`i Volcanoes NP	Kahuku History Hikes	4/20
	Residential Reforestation: How the Community Can Restore Native Forest	4/22
Iowa
Effigy Mounds NMon	National Park Week films at Visitor Center	4/19-27
	Bird and Nature Walk	4/19
	Effigy Mounds Jr. Ranger Program	4/19
	Bird Walk and Nature Walk	4/20
	Special Earth Day Hikes	4/22
	Garlic Mustard Cleanup	4/26
	Junior Ranger Day Program and Hike	4/26
Michigan
Sleeping Bear Dunes NL	Brown Bag Luncheon Series Call 231-326-5134	4/21-25
	National Junior Ranger Day	4/26
Mississippi
Vicksburg NMP	Junior Ranger Day Event	4/26
Missouri
Ozark Nat’l Scenic Riverways	Junior Ranger Day Event	4/26
New Jersey
Gateway Nat’l Rec Area, Sandy Hook Unit	Celebrate Earth Day and National Park Week on this walk through of the natural habitats. Call 732-872-5970 for details.	4/19-27
New York
Gateway Nat’l Rec Area, Jamaica Bay Unit	Hike at Floyd Bennett Field	4/19
	Bike Tour of Jacob Riis Park/Fort Tilden	4/19
	Ranger Guided Tour of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge – Reservations Required	4/19
	In This Building – A Ranger Led Tour of the Visitor Contact Station	4/20
	The Art of Nature – Reservations Required	4/20
	Earth Day Clean Up – Reservations Required: Call 718-318-4300	4/22
	Plumb Beach Clean Up and Planting: Call 718-318-9344	4/25
	Junior Flyers Program at Floyd Bennett Field – Reservations Required	4/26
	Planting With Sprouts at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge – Reservations Required	4/27
Gateway Nat’l Rec Area, Staten Island Unit	Earth Day Planting at Great Kills Park Education Field Station – Work with NPS Rangers to plant a variety of native species. Please bring gardening gloves. Call 718-987-6790 for details.	4/19-27
	National Park Week Beach Clean Up at Great Kills Park Beach Cener – Join NPS Rangers for a spring cleaning of the park’s beaches. Bring gloves and water. Call 718-987-6790 for details.	4/19-27
Ohio
Fallen Timbers/Fort Miamis Nat’l Historic Site	Legacy Gala Dinner	4/25
Fallen Timbers/Fort Miamis Nat’l Historic Site	March For Parks – March From Fort Miamis to the Fallen Timbers Monument	4/26
Fallen Timbers/Fort Miamis Nat’l Historic Site	Junior Ranger Ceremony	4/26
Pennsylvania
Hopewell Furnace NHS	March For Parks Event Trail Clean-up, Lunch, and Historic Tour. Call 610-582-8773 x225 for details.	3/15
Valley Forge NHP	3rd Annual Revolutionary Run	4/20
Tennessee
Fort Donelson NB	Junior Ranger Day	4/26
Utah
Capitol Reef NP	Booth at the Natural Resources Festival	4/24-26
Virginia
Richmond Nat’l Battlefield Park	National Park Week Activities	4/19-27
	Junior Ranger Day	4/26

From a Library of Congress press release:

THE JOHN W. KLUGE CENTER AT THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS OPENS LECTURE SERIES ON “DIGITAL NATIVES”

Young people today born into a digital world are experiencing a far different environment of information-gathering and access to knowledge than a generation ago. Who are these “digital natives” and what are they thinking? How are they using the technology, and are IT experts adequately responding to them?

These questions will be addressed in a new Library of Congress series titled “Digital Natives.” The first lecture will explore how young people think, learn and play. Distinguished scholar and child-development expert Edith Ackerman will present “The Anthropology of Digital Natives” at 4 p.m. on Monday, April 7, in the Montpelier Room on the sixth floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C. Sponsored by the Library’s John W. Kluge Center, the event is free and open to the public. No tickets or reservations are needed. In addition, the lecture will be webcast live at www.loc.gov.

Ackerman is an honorary professor of developmental psychology at the University of Aix-Marseille in France. She is currently a visiting scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the School of Architecture and a visiting professor at the University of Siena in the Department of Communications. The four-lecture series will examine the generation that has been raised with the computer as a natural part of their lives, with emphasis on the young people currently in schools and colleges today. The series will seek to understand the practices and culture of these digital natives, the cultural implications of the phenomenon and the implications for education – schools, universities and libraries.

Ackerman is particularly interested in helping shape the future of play and learning in a digital world. “I study how people use place, relate to others and treat things to find their ways – and voices – in an ever-changing world,” she said.

Future lectures in the series will be at 4 p.m. in the Montpelier Room of the James Madison Building. They include:

Monday, May 12: “Internet, the Private Mind?” by Steven Berlin Johnson, author of “Everything Bad is Good for You.”

Monday, June 23: “The Anthropology of YouTube” by Michael Wesch, assistant professor of cultural anthropology at Kansas State University.

Monday, June 30: “Screenology” by Douglas Rushkoff, author of “Playing the Future: What We Can Learn from Digital Kids.”

The moderators and coordinators for these events are Deanna Marcum, associate librarian for Library Services at the Library of Congress, and Derrick de Kerckhove, holder of the Harissios Papamarkou Chair in Education at the Kluge Center.

The Papamarkou Chair in Education was established at the Library of Congress by a gift from Alexander Papamarkou (1930-1998), an investment banker who was generous in his support of the arts, education and medicine, in honor of his grandfather, a Greek educator. Holders of the Papamarkou Chair focus their research on the Library’s role in education and examine the impact of education on individuals and society.

Through a generous endowment from John W. Kluge, the Library of Congress established the Kluge Center in 2000 to bring together the world’s best thinkers to stimulate and energize one another to distill wisdom from the Library’s rich resources and to interact with policymakers in Washington. For further information on the Kluge Center, visit www.loc.gov/kluge/.