Tours and Events, Peabody Camps and Educational Outreach
Tours
A general driving tour of the West Campus is offered the 2nd Tuesday of every month at 9:30 a.m. and lasts one hour. Up to 24 individuals can be accommodated per tour. For more information, call 641-4092 or 432-5681 or e-mail sharon.finkenauer@yale.edu.
Visitors are asked to present a valid Yale ID to the tour operator. Tours leave from the West Campus Visitor Center, 141 Frontage Road, Orange, CT. Parking is available.
Events
The Grace Murray Hopper Auditorium and cafeteria in building W-B25 are available for Yale-affiliated meetings, conferences, and events. Event minimum is 25 attendees and maximum is 250 attendees. Space is available Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. There are no room rental fees, but there are varying fees for custodial and other building-use charges depending upon event size. When booking an event, you will need to fill out a FAMIS work order request; please click here to access the FAMIS form: https://secure.its.yale.edu/cas/
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For information on holding a Yale event or large meeting at West Campus, please call 641-4092 or 432-5681 or e-mail sharon.finkenauer@yale.edu. Click here for Yale Tour and Events Information and fact sheet (includes information on space amenities and seating capacities).
Yale Peabody Museum
West Campus School Programs
For the fall, the Yale Peabody Museum is pleased to offer educational programs to school groups at its West Campus facility in Orange. Programs are aligned with current Connecticut science curriculum standards to accommodate field trips for grades K - 12. Fall offerings include:
Introduction to Raptors
Each fall, thousands of raptors fly across Connecticut to wintering grounds further south, making it the best time of the year for seeing these magnificent birds. Using examples from the Yale Peabody Museum's collections, this program provides an introduction to the wide variety of birds in the raptor family including buteos, accipiters and falcons. Characteristics common to all raptors and their ecology will also be discussed. The program includes an activity for all students to highlight the history of the bald eagle, from national symbol to near extinction and back. Weather permitting, there will also be an opportunity to scan the skies and identify migrating raptors.
Geology of Connecticut
Connecticut is a geologic sandwich created over hundreds of millions of years by geologic forces at work on the Earth's crust. Glaciers, plate tectonics and volcanic action have all had a hand in shaping Connecticut. After a brief introduction to minerals and rocks, the characteristics of major rock types, and the rock cycle, this program explores 500 million years of Earth's history to discover how Connecticut was created from oceans, islands, mountains and volcanoes. A discussion of how geology has affected land use and settlement patterns will also be discussed.
Fall Nature Walk
Important seasonal changes dictate animal behavior and resource use as plants and animals prepare for the harsh living conditions of winter in Connecticut. A walk along the trails of West Campus will identify and illustrate the changes that are taking place, specifically discussing migration, hibernation and insulation as strategies for survival. Plant seed dispersal methods will be observed as will natural composting and recycling and the role these processes play in the energy cycle. The concept of habitat will be presented with a focus on biotic and abiotic elements. The focus of the walk can be tailored to support specific curriculum needs
Introduction to Trees
Connecticut forests feature a wide variety of trees. This program will focus on the major families of trees that can be found in the wetland forest which buffers the Oyster River. The importance of these trees both to the natural environment and to human beings will be discussed. Photosynthesis, nutrient cycling, and the physiology of trees will all be explored through interactive activities.
For more information on these programs contact:
Tom Parlapiano
West Campus Education Coordinator
Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History
(203)432-0944
peabody.westcampusprograms@yale.edu
Educational Outreach
Project SEARCH Monitors the Oyster River’s long- term water quality
Yale University continues with a commitment to West Haven High School’s Honors Biology program. Biology and Environmental Science students from West Haven High School participate in Project SEARCH. About 40 to 50 of these West Haven High students assist in tracking the quality and health of the Oyster River which flows through Yale University’s West Campus. Project SEARCH is a water quality monitoring and aquatic studies program where students conduct bi-yearly field studies to collect water samples and determine pollution status.
For more info on Project Search click on http://www.projectsearch.org/.
