Museum Educator joins NASA program

Jolene Redvale, curator of education at the San Bernardino County Museum in Redlands, has been selected as one of 40 educators nationwide to participate in “Spaceward Bound,” a NASA program for planning and executing planetary analog field research programs.

The team of teachers will study side-by-side with NASA scientists who search for life in extreme environments, approximating what they expect to find on other planets. The March 25 through 30 expeditions will explore the Mojave Desert in environments similar to Mars and the Moon. Scientific field work will focus on lunar geology, Mars astrobiology, and Mars geology, studying temperature, solar inundation, and radiation.

“Educators in the program can focus on subject areas such as desert soil, geology, or photosynthesis,” said Redvale. “But to me as a museum educator, the most exciting aspect of the program is the chance to learn about the process of exploration, not just the results. My goal is to come away from ‘Spaceward Bound’ with methods to encourage students to explore the natural world in the best sense of traditional ‘naturalists,’ making observations and discoveries in the context of all the natural sciences.”

The public can join in the Mojave expedition through live webcasts, broadcast on March 28 at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time, at http://quest.nasa.gov/projects/spacewardbound/webcast/Mojave_live.html (for Spanish, March 28 11:00 a.m. at http://quest.nasa.gov/projects/spacewardbound/webcast/Mojave_S.html). For more information on the program, go to http://quest.nasa.gov/projects/spacewardbound/mojave2007/info.

The San Bernardino County Museum is at the California Street exit from Interstate 10 in Redlands. The museum is open Tuesdays through Sundays and holiday Mondays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $6 (adult), $5 (student or senior), and $4 (child aged 5 to 12). Children under five and Museum Association members are admitted free. Parking is free. For more information, visit www.sbcountymuseum.org.

The museum is accessible to persons with disabilities. If assistive listening devices or other auxiliary aids are needed in order to participate in museum exhibits or programs, requests should be made through Museum Visitor Services at least three business days prior to your visit. Visitor Services’ telephone number is 909-307-2669 ext. 229 or (TDD) 909-792-1462.