Burpee Museum hosts First Person Historical Presentation: Rachel Carson

By Susan Johnson
Copy Editor

In celebration of Women’s History Month, Burpee Museum of Natural History will host a First Person Historical Presentation based on the life of Rachel Carson, America’s silent subversive, from 3-4 p.m., Sunday, March 27, at the Museum, 737 N. Main St.

Carson, who lived from 1907-1964, was the first female biologist to work in the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries. Her book, Silent Spring, published in 1962, voiced a passionate plea for restraint with pesticides and fundamentally impacted North America. Time magazine chose her as one of the 20th century’s greatest thinkers. Carson had to testify before some Senate committees in 1963.

The presentation will be given by Betsy Carlson, a member of the education staff at Burpee. She told The Rock River Times, “I do regular programs and tours, but I also teach the home school classes, and I develop the special family programs we have at the museum. I teach the special Saturday Science classes—Burpee Explorers, for children, and we dissect hearts and eyes, etc. Various aspects of science and nature for more than just your typical paper-pencil experience.”

Carlson will do a PowerPoint demonstration and have specimens from the Museum collection on display. Describing these, she said, “I will have sea urchins and various items they can see and identify and talk about.” These would include some of Carson’s other books, such as The Edge of the Sea, The Sea Around Us and Under The Sea Wind. Books will be available for people to examine but are not for purchase.

For more information, call (815) 965-3433. The program is free to Museum members, or included with Museum admission to the public, or lecture only, $5.

From the March 23-29 issue