Mega-Bad Movie Night returns to the Academy of Natural Sciences this Thursday, February 9 at 6:30 p.m.

A popular regularly-recurring program in which absurdly awful movies are presented party-style, Mega-Bad Movie Night is also a great time to check out the academy’s exhibits after-hours.

This week’s edition features a screening of The Lost World: Jurassic Park. As always, the academy’s experts will be onstage to comment on the many scientific absurdities of the film.

Grab some snacks and a beer, and check out the many cool things on display at the academy. They’ll unveil some amazing fossils from their Paleontology Collection in honor of the event.

In addition, The Berserker Residents, the “mighty warriors of comedy,” will perform “Jurassic Park the Experimental Movement Puppet Exploration” prior to the show.

Register online.

Then be sure to check out the nearby Franklin Institute’s Giant Mysterious Dinosaurs exhibition, curated by none other than the world’s leading dinosaur collector and popularizer, Philadelphia-bred Don Lessem, advisor to the movie Jurassic Park.

Mega-Bad Movie Night at the Academy of Natural Sciences
When: Thursday, February 9, 6:30 p.m.
Where: 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Cost: $15
More info: www.ansp.org

This Thursday, January 19, join the conversation on how to make Philadelphia a more pedestrian friendly city as the Academy of Natural Sciences hosts its first-of-the-year Urban Sustainability Forum, with a reception at 6 p.m. and talk at 6:30 p.m. Speakers will discuss ways our city can jump from fifth to first place among the country’s most walkable cities. Bring your questions for the experts. Bonus: to support walkability, REI will offer 150 coupons for 20% off one item to attendees. Register online. [Walkability: Philadelphia Strides Into the Future]

Warm up with Heat Wave Weekend at the oldest continually operating museum of its kind in the Western Hemisphere. (Photo by R. Kennedy for GPTMC)

Starting this month, join the Academy of Natural Sciences for “Wild Weekends,” select weekends when families can create crafts, engage in special interactive activities, examine museum specimens, meet live animals and view special presentations.

Up next is “Heat Wave Weekend” from Saturday, January 14 through Monday, January 16 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., when you can learn about academy expeditions to some of the hottest habitats on Earth.

You will have the distinct opportunity to conduct your own climate change experiment, and meet some animals that have developed unique ways of dealing with the Earth’s increasing temperatures.

Lastly, kids and adults alike will enjoy making sun catchers to help bring a little sunshine to your home.

Bonus: to honor Martin Luther King Day of Service on Monday, January 16, those who volunteer for any organization and show a valid volunteer ID will receive $2 off general admission all weekend long.

Academy of Natural Sciences’ Heat Wave Weekend
When: January 14-16, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Where: 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Cost: Free with museum admission
More info: www.ansp.org

Mallard ducklings are often reared at the Academy and used in live animal presentations. They make great education animals because they are a good size, hardy and recognizable. (Photo courtesy ANSP)

In honor of its 200th birthday, the Academy of Natural Sciences has been publishing a countdown of 200 stories that provide a glimpse into the institution’s rich history and amazing discoveries.

Story 110: Duckie, a long-time resident of the Academy’s Live Animal Center, might soon acquire the official record for being the world’s oldest duck!

Duckie arrived at the academy in June 1990 by accident, a lone mallard duckling in a shipment of chicks intended for feeding to the Live Animal Center’s snakes and birds of prey (shudder).

Luckily a staffer took a liking to Duckie and decided she’d be great as one of the academy’s many educational ambassadors. 21 and a half years later, Duckie has not only far surpassed the mallard duck’s average life expectancy, 10-15 years in captivity and only 5-10 in the wild; she also has outlived several of the mallards that ANSP has adopted since her arrival.

The oldest mallard duck on record is Desi, who was 20 years, three-and-a-half months at the time of her death in August 2002. It remains to be seen whether Philadelphia’s Duckie will find herself inscribed in history as the world’s oldest duck.

Stay tuned to 200 Stories for an update on Duckie’s contention for world-record fame. In the meantime, you can stop by the Academy’s Live Animal Center to pay a visit to the newest resident ducks, Lily and Daffodil.

Academy of Natural Sciences
1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
www.ansp.org

Young naturalists can enjoy a week's worth of up-close examination of specimens, special live shows, craft-making and more. (Photo by Jason Farris for ANSP)

The Academy of Natural Sciences, one of the world’s foremost natural history museums, is celebrating the final week of the year with “All Star Week,” featuring a different animal or insect from December 27-30.

Here’s the schedule:

• Dinosaur Day: Tuesday, December 27, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Academy naturalists will bring dinosaurs to life with special presentations in Dinosaur Hall. Test your knowledge of dinosaurs at science stations, and watch a live animal show at 11 a.m. There will be a dinosaur-themed game at 2 p.m., and kids can make dinosaur crafts to take home.

• Animal Day: Wednesday, December 28, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Academy naturalists will roam the museum with live animals. Ask experts your questions and have your family picture taken with the academy’s birds, snakes and other fascinating animals. Live animal shows will take place at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Make an animal craft to take home.

• Butterfly Day: Thursday, December 29, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Learn about the fascinating life cycle of the butterfly and see an array of butterfly specimens from the academy’s impressive scientific collection. Live animal shows take place at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Make a butterfly craft to take home.

• Weird Things in a Jar Day: Friday, December 30, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Get a close look at some of the stranger specimens that academy scientists have collected over the last 200 years. Learn how scientists prepare specimens for study and storage and make your own weird-thing-in-a-jar craft to take home.

Academy Of Natural Sciences “All Star Week”
Where: 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
When: December 27-30
Cost: Adults (age 13 and above) $12, Kids 3-12 $10, Kids under 3 and seniors (age 65+) free, Military and students $10
More info: www.ansp.org

The weekend pays homage to one of the academy's most remarkable and popular specimens, a fully constructed Tyranosaurus rex, one of the largest meat-eating dinosaurs, towering over Dinosaur Hall. (Photo by Will Klein courtesy ANSP)

The Academy of Natural Sciences welcomes area dino enthusiasts for Dinosaur Days, a special weekend-long event in the super popular Dinosaur Hall, next Friday-Sunday, November 25-27.

As part of the event, academy staff will be offering exclusive dinosaur shows for the whole family at 11 a.m., fossil digs at 1:30 p.m. and live bird shows at 2:30 p.m. (birds are dinos’ closest living relatives, after all).

Throughout the day there will also be a variety of presentations on dinosaur history and science, and kids will even have the chance to make a take-home dino craft.

If that’s not enough of these prehistoric creatures for you, then come back on Tuesday, December 27 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. for another very special Dinosaur Day, including trivia, games and more.

If you’ve never had a chance to check out the T. Rex and some of the other 30+ species housed in Dinosaur Hall, then this is your chance.

Dinosaur Days at the Academy of Natural Sciences
When: Friday-Sunday, November 25-27, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Where: 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Cost: Free with museum admission
More info: www.ansp.org

One of the world’s foremost natural history museums is granting public access to one of its coveted treasures. (Photo courtesy Academy of Natural Sciences)

A rare masterpiece normally available only to scholars can now be viewed by just about anybody at the Academy of Natural Sciences: John James Audubon’s 435-page The Birds of America.

Every weekday at 3:15 p.m., The Birds of America takes flight, as a member of the library staff turns one of the fragile pages in Audobon’s influential book.

During the ritual, appropriately named “The Audoubon Page Turning,” a staff member unlocks the sturdy glass case where the book is kept, and, using two hands (talk about big pages!), turns over one page to reveal another stunning life-size color engraving of a bird set in its natural habitat.

A short talk about Audubon, the celebrated 19th-century painter and naturalist, follows.

There are only 60 institutions in the U.S. that have an original edition of The Birds of America, which Audubon initially published as a subscription, with five plates at a time released over a period of 11 years, from 1827 to 1838.

Estimates vary, but only about 120 complete sets of the masterwork are known to exist of the original 200 released; and one of them is right here in Philadelphia!

The page turning activity helps conserve the illustrations — and it’s fun to watch, so be sure to stop by the Academy once, twice, or as many times as you like to take part in this exciting daily ritual.

Birds of America Page Turning Ritual
When: Weekdays at 3:15 p.m. now through 2012
Where: The Academy of Natural Sciences, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Cost: Free with admission: $12 for adults and $10 for ages 3-12, seniors, students and military
More info: www.ansp.org

Climb inside a Tyrannosaurus rex skull, try on horns and claws and dig for fossils, all for free on Wednesday, October 26.
(Photo by Will Klein courtesy ANSP)

The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (ANSP) and Drexel University will host Academy/Drexel Affiliation Day on Wednesday, October 26.

Free and fun for the public, the Open House day offers completely free museum admission and activities to celebrate the completion of an affiliation agreement between the Academy and Drexel. The historic affiliation promotes learning, discovery and civic engagement in the natural and environmental sciences.

Founded in 1812, ANSP is the oldest continually operating museum of its kind in the Western Hemisphere. Researchers worldwide utilize the museum’s more than 17 million specimens for biodiversity studies. ANSP and Drexel each have major international scientific research and education cred; together, they’re a powerhouse.

During Affiliation Day, kids can pose for pictures with “Mario” the Dragon and the Academy’s Triceratops mascot, make dinosaur and dragon puppets, meet scientists at a dozen activity tables, enjoy face painting and much more.

Check out the full list of activities here.

Academy/Drexel Affiliation Day
When: Wednesday, October 26, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Where: 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Cost: Free
More info: www.ansp.org

Leave it to The Academy of Natural Sciences to put a beautiful spin on some stereotypically cringe-worthy creatures.

The newest exhibition from America’s oldest natural history museum, Bugs …Outside the Box: Discover the Art Within Science uses giant, stunning sculptures to give curious visitors a close-up look at various organisms — without a microscope.

Italian artist Lorenzo Possenti created the larger-than-life (literally) and scientifically accurate bugs to challenge people to look at insects in a way that incorporates their complexity and, yes, beauty.

Accompanying sculptures such as the 10-foot beetle and the butterfly with a five-foot wingspan, the academy’s own collection of live and colorful insects and renowned specimen bring out the bug enthusiast in every visitor, no matter how many times they’ve screamed at the sight of a spider. Periodically, experts will be available to answer questions and showcase their own bug work, also known as entomology.

Set a date to explore Bugs … Outside the Box, running October 22 through January 16, and next time you see a crawling creature in your kitchen, you’ll just smile.

Bugs … Outside the Box: Discover the Art Within Science
When: October 22-January 16
Where: The Academy of Natural Sciences, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Cost: Free with admission: $12 for adults and $10 for ages 3-12, seniors, students and military
More info: www.ansp.org

In March 2012, the Academy of Natural Sciences will kick off a yearlong bicentennial celebration with exciting events, special programs and more. The countdown has already begun. (Photo by Will Klein courtesy ANSP)

The Academy Of Natural Sciences is celebrating its 200th anniversary in 2012, and the bicentennial celebration has already begun.

The academy is kicking off the festivities with a countdown of 200 stories that provide a glimpse into the institution’s rich history and amazing discoveries. You’ll meet some of the academy’s quirkier personalities, and find out the secret stories behind some of the most well-known exhibits, scientific breakthroughs and more.

Now through March 20, 2012, you are invited to read a new story each day at www.ansp.org/200/stories. The stories are also posted to the Academy Of Natural Sciences’ Facebook page and Twitter account.

The first ten are already live, dishing on everything from the secret behind some of the academy’s most exquisite dioramas to the beginnings of the nation’s oldest natural history museum.

Check them out, and stay tuned for more details on the academy’s momentous anniversary!

200 Years of Discovery [Academy Of Natural Sciences]

Scientist Dr. Daniel Otte has turned his study specimens into beautiful scientific illustrations. (Photo by Will Klein courtesy ANSP)

The Academy of Natural Sciences presents its next “Art Of Science” exhibit, on display starting August 6: Dual Nature: Science Illustrations Of Dan Otte.

See through the eyes of renowned scientist Dr. Daniel Otte, the academy’s Curator of Entomology and the world’s leading expert on grasshoppers and crickets. He shares his sketches in this exhibition, drawings and paintings done in colored pencil, graphite, ink, and watercolors to capture grasshoppers, beetles, crickets and weevils in precise detail.

Plus, Otte is a pioneer in recording and interpreting sound-producing insects. The academy owns one of the largest collections of insect songs, and you’ll be able to hear some of these in the exhibit.

The exhibition is free with museum admission.

Dual Nature: Science Illustrations of Dan Otte
Where: Academy of Natural Sciences, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
When: August 6-December 4
Cost: Adults $12, Kids 3-12 $10, Kids under 3 Free, Seniors/Military/Students $10
More info: www.ansp.org

Bug Fest is an annual celebration of everything creepy crawly, and it's fun for the whole family.
(Photo by R. Kennedy for GPTMC)

The Academy of Natural Sciences celebrates Bug Fest on Saturday and Sunday, August 13-14, with a Beetlemania-themed celebration.

There will be thousands of beetles of all kinds — including a Beatles tribute band, Britishmania of Cherry Hill, NJ. See amazing live beetles, eat delicious cooked beetles (!!), cheer on racing cockroaches, hunt for beetles outside in Logan Square and see the Academy’s world-renowned beetle collection.

Learn how to collect, pin, and care for your own insect specimens during this hands-on demonstration. You’ll even get to take home your own pinned beetle. You (or the kids in tow) can also have your face painted, get an insect tattoo, or play bug-related games.

Cure yourself of bug phobia, or revel in your love for the creepy crawly. Bug Fest is free with museum admission.

Academy of Natural Sciences Bug Fest
Where: 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
When: August 13-14, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Cost: Free with admission (Adults $12, Kids 3-12 $10, Kids under 3 Free, Seniors/Military/Students $10)
More info: www.ansp.org