Houston Natural Science Museum Hosts Earth Day Activities

Joel A. Bartsch, from Houston, Texas, is an expert in natural sciences and history. As CEO and President of the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences (HMNS), Joel Bartsch has played an integral role in making the museum one of the five top-visited in the United States.

HMNS celebrated Earth Day 2021 with Celebration: Earth all April. The mission of the museum is to promote the natural sciences and their importance to everyday living.

The month-long event provided Houston residents with the chance to take in exhibitions, tours, and activities. On Wednesdays in April, the museum gave conservation-themed tours of exhibits to spark interest in conservation so that they might affect change in the community.

The museum also held its very popular Spring Plant Sale on April 10, 2021. The sale included a variety of plants, and the proceeds benefited the Cockrell Butterfly Center.

The organization promoted the iNaturalist Smartphone app, part of the City Nature Challenge. Held during the last four days of April, the activity involved people around the world documenting wildlife in their cities.

The museum also held several virtual activities that included lectures on edible landscapes, one on Houston’s urban heat centers, an Earth-themed trivia night, and an exploration of national parks through its “adventure box.” People who participated in the Earth Day events could also go to the Hermann Park campus to view Gaia, an installation created by Luke Jerram.