Powdermill is Alive!
Powdermill Nature Reserve, the biological research station of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, has been dedicated to its mission of research, education, and preservation for over 50 years. It is a place for scientists, for students, and for families who are interested in the natural world, and it is home to the one of the longest continually running bird banding stations in the United States. A wide variety of public education programs are regularly offered to children and adults at the Powdermill Nature Reserve headquarters building. Researchers from around the world conduct diverse long- and short-term scientific studies in herpetology, botany, invertebrate zoology, and ornithology at Powdermill.

A growing future is developing for Powdermill as, thanks to the generosity of countless supporters and a major grant from the Richard King Mellon Family Foundation, the nature center undergoes a 10,000 square foot expansion. With the latest in sustainable design technology, the new headquarters building will provide an additional classroom, greatly improved exhibits, necessary administrative space, and, the reason behind it all, comfortable indoor restrooms. Besides enhancing programming opportunities, the expansion will include event rental spaces, the capability to host special museum exhibits, and, with the marsh machine wastewater treatment greenhouse, will be an educational showcase of environmentally sensitive design.

Another exciting component of the nature center expansion is the 2007 Solar Decathlon house, which combines the talents of students from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh. After the competition in Washington, D.C., the solar house will be transported to Powdermill where it will be re-constructed and serve as an exhibit of the latest in “green” architecture and engineering.

The new Powdermill headquarters opened to the public on Sunday, December 2, 2007. Click here to see photos from the opening event!

Birdwalk!: May 16-22
Dinner & Auction: May 23

Join us in Ligonier and Rector, PA for the Eleventh Annual garden-themed art competition and auction benefitting Powdermill Nature Reserve, the biological research station of Carnegie Museum of Natural History!

Enjoy dinner and an auction of fun and fanciful garden- and bird-related creations, donated by artists and individuals from the Ligonier Valley and beyond.

Can't make the event? Want a sneak peek of the entries? From May 16 through 22, enjoy strolling through Ligonier, PA during Birdwalk! as all of the entries are displayed in local businesses.

For more information, please visit the Web site at http://www.birdhousedreams.com.