March 25, 1998 Museum of Natural History Contact Patricia Krier (541) 346-5089 or John R. Crosiar 346-3135 EUGENE--Like the raindrop that falls from the sky and moves through the watershed, eventually joining with billions of other drops to form Oregon's mighty Willamette and McKenzie rivers, the newest exhibit at the University of Oregon Museum of Natural History is the product of thousands of hours of work by nearly 2,000 Lane County students. "From a Drop of Rain: A Tale of Two Rivers" opens April 1 and will continue through Aug. 30 at the museum, 1680 E. 15th Ave. The exhibit is the culmination of three years of hands-on field work, classroom study and exhibit development by about 1,800 students from eight middle and high schools in the Eugene 4J, Bethel and McKenzie school districts. In consultation with teachers, parents and community experts, the students learned about watershed ecosystems, energy generation and conservation, climate, environmental stewardship and natural resource management. Teams from each participating school conducted a long-term study at specific sites within the drainage area of the two rivers. Then, working with exhibit designer, Cynthia Gabai, and other technical advisers, the students created modules for the interactive exhibit that includes displays about riverside plants and animals, flooding, dams and the place of humans in a watershed. There's even a bug identification game that asks visitors to match bugs in the immature nymphal stage to their adult forms. A three-dimensional map of the McKenzie River watershed is a focal point of the exhibit and helps put the area into perspective. "The exhibit is a close-up look at different aspects of the watershed from a kid's-eye view--it's what they found interesting and important," Gabai says. A group of 18 students, trained in giving museum tours and supervised by adult volunteers, will share their youthful enthusiasm and first-hand knowledge with visitors throughout the life of the interpretive exhibit. Two of this spring's Saturday Safaris--hands-on science and art activities for people of all ages from noon to 3 p.m. the first Saturday of each month--will highlight topics related to the "Tale of Two Rivers" exhibit. On April 4, "Watershed and Rivers" will introduce the newly opened exhibit. The May 2 "Water Misers" safari will focus on the use and conservation of water. The research component of "From a Drop of Rain: 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. Exhibit development was supported by an Institute of Museum and Library Services grant that provided a series of workshops for students, teachers and parents who learned to mold rocks, paint mural backgrounds and develop a story line and descriptive text for the exhibit. Schools participating in the museum exhibit are Cal Young, Kelly, Kennedy and Monroe middle schools and Sheldon High School, all in the Eugene 4J district; Cascade and Shasta middle schools in the Bethel district; and McKenzie High School in the McKenzie district. Also taking part in the cooperative project are Eugene's Jefferson Middle School and Churchill High School. In addition to the schools, museum and other agencies already mentioned, the project also has received help from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Lane County Parks, City of Eugene, Northwest Youth Corps and Oregon State University. The UO Museum of Natural History is open from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, except university holidays. A $1 donation is suggested. For more information, contact the museum office, (541) 346-3024. A recorded message about museum exhibits and activities also is available 24 hours a day by calling GuardLine from a Touch-Tone phone at 484-2000, ext. 3447. Additional information is available at the "Tale of Two Rivers" Internet website, <http://cyberschool.4j.lane.edu/ttr/ttr.home.html> or visit the Museum of Natural History's homepage at <http://oregon.uoregon.edu/~mnh/index.html>. -30- #P-2171/A&E