The Marian University Ecolab is 55 acres of wetlands, forest and prairie in the heart of Indianapolis. Besides being an incredibly diverse and beautiful area, the EcoLab is committed to environmental education through interaction with the environment.  We were very excited when Mary Miss approached us with an art-in-nature collaboration and knew it was a creative fit to our mission.  An art exhibition like this is another ingenious way to help connect the community to nature.  During FLOW week we are offering a number of FREE events, all of which will engage the visitor in his/her surroundings and help them see how “all property is riverfront property.”

FLOW-focused field trips: The EcoLab will be offering free FLOW-focused programs to school groups throughout festival week and will continue to offer similar programming through the duration of the installation. These programs will include a short presentation on the importance of the White River in our daily lives, a nature hike highlighting the several installation points on the EcoLab grounds, and a hands-on restoration project that will benefit our watershed.  For more information about how to schedule a FLOW program for your class during the week of the festival or anytime following, please contact Shannon Unger, Environmental Education Coordinator, at 317-524-7700 or sbigham-unger@marian.edu.

Wildflower Hikes: Did you know the EcoLab has diverse wildflowers even into late September?  The EcoLab’s habitat diversity and richness creates an island for late summer/early fall wildflowers.  EcoLab ecologist, Jody Nicholson will be leading wildflower hikes on September 25^th and September 30^th starting at 2pm at the St. Francis Colonnade just west of Allison Mansion on the Marian University Campus.  This event is free and open to all ages and levels of interest.  Jody will also explain some tips and tricks on using wildflower field guides to identify difficult plants.  Come learn some new flowers, ask questions, and enjoy the FLOW installation in the EcoLab.  Info and questions can be sent to jnicholson@marian.edu.

 Bird Hikes: Wildflowers aren’t your thing?  Bring your binoculars for a bird walk with Dr. David Benson Saturday the 24^th or Wednesday the 28^th beginning at 8am at the St. Francis colonnade just west of the Allison Mansion on the Marian University Campus.  The EcoLab becomes a great spot for fall migrants this time of year.  Follow the tweets!  @MarianUEcoLab on Twitter will give updates of each morning’s action.

Global Studies Speaker, Michael Nelson: Also, don’t miss Michael Nelson from Michigan State University speak on “Why it’s Wrong to Wreck a Watery World: Ethical Action for a Planet in Peril.”  His discussions will stem from his recent book, Moral Ground: Ethical Action for a Planet in Peril.  This event is on Tuesday September 27^th at 7pm in the Mother Theresa Hacklemeier Memorial Library Auditorium.

BioBus: The BioBus will be in the EcoLab on Monday September 26^th.  Visitors can come any time between 4-6pm and Dr. Ben will help folks use the research grade science equipment to get a better look at some of the things found in the EcoLab.  This is a great way to get a different perspective on the world around us.  The BioBus brings science out of the text books and visitors a first had experience on some of the small things we traditionally overlook. Visit their webpage for a quick video on what they do.

I have the distinct pleasure of being in Daniel‘s class this fall, Museums and Technology.  While it is surprising for my classmates that I would take a class about something I do already, I am excited for the opportunity to explore more thoroughly the meaning of technology for the museum experience and how the visitor is affected by these changes. I see continual parallels between issues encountered with visitors in physical space and issues we are encountering all over again in our digital spaces. I’ve talked about Twitter before and I have been thinking about how it is harnessed by museums and where we are going wrong.

We were talking about Twitter again in a recent class, more specifically what we consider to be a successful museum tweet, and why. It’s very hard to nail down, and even harder to do. The main reason is because it’s so hard to avoid becoming a marketing ploy, something which happens without rapt attention. A museums use of twitter now stands as an analogy for the way the actual museum interacts with its visitors and the traditional barrier between the inner workings of an institution and the public at large. So many museums need to release their stranglehold on twitter feeds to actually let interesting information get out.

I was at the Indianapolis Greek Festival this past weekend, and I couldn’t help to think that they were doing something right.

There were throngs of people, tons of Greek food, everyone jostling and yelling and having a great time, but here’s the part that baffled me- you had to pay to get in, and the food was delicious, but quite pricey. What is the Holy Trinity parish doing that connects so much with their audience that museums cannot seem to do? I think we can be the Agora marketplace discussed by Dr. Steven Zucker (@drszucker) and Dr. Nancy Proctor (@nancyproctor) a vibrant place for community and discussion, in the same way that the Greek festival is. I think the problem is balance- how do we sell ourselves as experts in our field while maintaining that we want everyone else’s opinion, too?

Some people are getting it right, figuring out how to sift through all the noise and clutter to connect with their audience while maintaining their voice. One such person is the British musician Imogen Heap, who felt a divide between herself and her fans before she started to utilize blogs and Twitter, not dissimilar to the separation between and institution and it’s community. In a recent interview with Melissa Block on NPR, she describes the divide quite succinctly. She then discusses what it’s like to have that direct connection throughout the process of making her music.

It’s been so amazing. I’ve always struggled with this barrier that I felt like I’d had up until blogging came along. Just one comment from somebody really sparks something in me. It doesn’t need to be this huge wall between me and the listeners anymore. I really thrive on that.”

@ImogenHeap gets it- the audience has become part of the process, and there’s no going back.