‘Tis the season for giving, and Fermilab Natural Areas, a nonprofit group that helps restore the U.S. Department of Energy’s Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory natural areas, is in the spirit.
On Thursday, Dec. 21, Fermilab Natural Areas donated a selection of environmental education books and materials to Fermilab’s Lederman Science Center.
The materials were purchased with a grant from the Nature Conservancy’s Volunteer Stewardship Network. The donation includes field guides for Fermilab docents to use during tours, and Spanish-language nature books for visiting students.
In attendance at the donation ceremony, which took place on Thursday at Lederman Science Center, were Fermilab Natural Areas President Penny Kasper, FNA Vice President Liz Copeland, Fermilab Chief Operating Officer Tim Meyer, Fermilab Office of Education and Public Outreach Manager Spencer Pasero and Fermilab Chief of Staff Hema Ramamoorthi.
“Every year, the Lederman Science Center hosts thousands of students who visit Fermilab to experience and learn in the ecosystems found on site,” said Spencer Pasero, head of the Fermilab Office of Education and Public Outreach, which manages the center. “We are very grateful to Fermilab Natural Areas for donating these materials, which will enrich that experience for these students and their teachers.”
The Lederman Science Center welcomes more than 4,000 visitors each year and more than 3,000 students for ecology-themed field trips, and is the site for the annual Fermilab Outdoor Fair, during which dozens of local students learn about the Fermilab ecosystems. Among the materials slated for donation are numerous field guides to birds, butterflies, moths and beetles of North America. Many of the materials are in Spanish.
“The Education Office is grateful to Fermilab Natural Areas for donating these much needed resources,” said Maureen Hix, staff member at the Lederman Science Center. “These wonderful guidebooks will facilitate our life science field trips and give support to our docent staff and also provide the opportunity to engage Spanish speaking students in our outdoor educational activities.”
In the spirit of the season, the not-for-profit organization Fermilab Natural Areas presented the Lederman Science Center at Fermilab with an early gift. FNA, represented by President Penny Kasper (center) and Vice President Liz Copeland (second from right), donated a selection of environmental education books and field guides in English and Spanish to the center. The donation was made possible with a grant from the Nature Conservancy’s Volunteer Stewardship Network. Fermilab Chief Operating Officer Tim Meyer (left), Fermilab Office of Education and Public Outreach Manager Spencer Pasero and Fermilab Chief of Staff Hema Ramamoorthi received the gift on behalf of Fermilab. Photo: Fermilab