March 25, 1998 Museum of Natural History Contact Tina Whitman (541) 346-3116 or John R. Crosiar 346-3135 EUGENE--Two "Saturday Safari" events on April 4 and May 2 will celebrate the new University of Oregon Museum of Natural History exhibit, "From a Drop of Rain: A Tale of Two Rivers." The Saturday Safaris run from noon to 3 p.m. at the museum, 1680 E. 15th Ave. on the UO campus. Admission is $2 per person, $5 per family, or free to Friends of the Museum of Natural History members. The events will feature a variety of family-oriented, hands-on art and science activities, as well as guided exhibit tours by middle and high school docents from the Tale of Two Rivers Youth Docent Team. * Saturday, April 4: "Watersheds and Rivers" Join museum staff, docents and community experts for an afternoon of watershed and river programs. The "Watersheds and Rivers" Safari will feature hands-on science and art activities for all ages, as well as guided tours of the "Tale of Two Rivers" exhibit. * Saturday, May 2: "Water Misers: Water Use and Conservation" Community experts from the Eugene Water & Electric Board, Oregon State University Extension Service, Springfield Utility Board and the museum will present an afternoon of programs about the use and conservation of water. Explore the properties of water, learn about water use in local communities, and investigate strategies for water conservation through hands-on science activities for people of all ages, including Pollution Detective, Groundwater Model, Aquifer in a Cup, the water cycle, a watershed model, a leak "fix-it" table, and Water Olympics. The "Water Misers" Safari also will feature guided tours of the "Tale of Two Rivers" exhibit. "What we want to do at these Saturday Safaris is enlighten people about rivers and water ecology in a fun and entertaining way," says museum program director Patricia Krier. "The `Tale of Two Rivers' exhibit itself is a collaboration between three school districts, the museum, EWEB and several other agencies--and we're happy to bring in even more local organizations' expertise as part of the Saturday Safaris." "From a Drop of Rain: A Tale of Two Rivers" is on display April 1 through Aug. 30. The exhibition is the culmination of a hands-on, field-based project in which secondary students from the Bethel, Eugene 4J and McKenzie school districts studied watershed ecosystems, stewardship and natural resource management, with a focus on the McKenzie and Willamette rivers. "A Tale of Two Rivers" was funded primarily through Eugene Water & Electric Board as part of its energy and water education program. Through this program, EWEB annually provides more than $630,000 in grants to local school districts with the hope of instilling in today's students a strong sense of the connections between people and natural resources. The UO Museum of Natural History is open from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, except university holidays. Normal museum admission is a $1 suggested donation. For more information, call the museum office, (541) 346-3024. A taped message about current museum exhibitions and events also is available 24 hours a day by calling GuardLine from a Touch-Tone phone at 485-2000, ext. 3447, or visit the UO Museum of Natural History's Internet web site at http://oregon.uoregon.edu/~mnh/. -30- #P-2172/A&E