We were so excited to be asked by our neighbors to throw a party this summer! Here at the UF Cultural Plaza, we sit right between the Harn Museum of Art and Phillips Center for Performing Arts, and while we’re all busy welcoming visitors and contributing to life on the University of Florida campus, it’s rare we get to team up and have fun.
Our friends at the Harn host regular Museum Nights events, and they proposed we turn their August 11th event into a Block pARTy to end the summer with a huzzah! Our theater friends were also thrilled to roll out the red carpet and stage some plays.
Our regular exhibits were open for this evening event so guests could explore Florida’s natural history together! Florida Museum photo by Jeff Gage
But what could the Florida Museum contribute that was as cool as art and screen printing with the Harn, or offered the thrills and chills of the Driveway Theatre Project? Why not a nature walk in the dark? Our scientists guided visitors on a discovery walk through the Natural Area Teaching Labs adjacent to our plaza to learn about our frog friends and other nocturnal critters. Head lamps and flashlights helped illuminate the humid Florida darkness, revealing the regular nighttime nature party we usually only hear from a distance.
During the evening, our exhibits were open late and our education team hosted a Biodiversity Pop-up on our front patio to make nature collages and challenge guests to hop like a frog. A few hundred adventuresome visitors got to explore and experience what the UF Cultural Plaza does every day. With food trucks, frogs and fun prizes!
Block pARTy guests got ‘passports’ stamped at each venue to win swag and prizes. Florida Museum photo by Jeff Gage
As part of our Biodiversity Pop-up, we offered a variety of natural objects to create collages and explore shapes and textures of things like shells, snake sheds and leaves. Florida Museum photo by Jeff Gage
We hosted a creativity station with materials to build nature collages and explore materials like shells and Spanish moss. Florida Museum photo by Jeff Gage
Part of our hands-on project of making a nature collage encouraged taking a closer look at these fascinating materials under microscopes. Florida Museum photo by Jeff Gage
Our education team talked frogs and toads with guests who stopped by our table in front of our Museum. Florida Museum photo by Jeff Gage
Kids and adults got to test their jumping abilities and track their hop length. Florida Museum photo by Jeff Gage
Even some University of Florida friends joined in our hoppy contest! Florida Museum photo by Jeff Gage
A lot of guests were excited to test their jumping skills and get their accomplishment logged on our score board. Florida Museum photo by Jeff Gage
Since we were celebrating frogs at this event, we invited guests to test their hopping skills! Florida Museum photo by Jeff Gage
Many thanks to our neighbors, the Harn Museum of Art and the Phillips Center for Performing Arts, and our staff and scientists who had as much fun as our guests! We all had such a good time that we’re going to do this again soon. Stay tuned!
Two groups of guests got to meet some cute evening residents in NATL. Florida Museum photo by Jeff Gage
Frog Walk
Daniel Paluh, a postdoctoral researcher who specializes in frogs, and Dave Blackburn, curator of our herpetology collection, were phenomenal guides for our frog walk. While we don’t recommend exploring the Natural Area Teaching Labs here on UF campus after dark, having experienced guides makes it a lovely learning experience on special occasions.
Our evening frog walk was so popular we had to split off into a couple of groups to explore the natural space behind the Cultural Plaza. Florida Museum photo by Jeff Gage
Our frog scientist Dave Blackburn introduced frog walk guests to some of the hoppy evening residents of NATL, the natural space behind the Cultural Plaza. Florida Museum photo by Jeff Gage
Dan Paluh is one of our herpetology scientists who took guests on our evening frog walk. Florida Museum photo by Jeff Gage
Scientists guided visitors through the Natural Area Teaching Labs to look for frog and other nocturnal animals. Florida Museum photo by Jeff Gage
Dan Paluh is a herpetologists that specializes in frogs and he loves to share his excitement of discovery! Florida Museum photo by Jeff Gage
Frog walk guests got to meet some of our evening neighbors here in NATL, the natural space behind the UF Cultural Plaza. Florida Museum photo by Jeff Gage
We encountered quite a few frogs on our frog walk! Florida Museum photo by Jeff Gage
It’s harder to discover nocturnal animals without a little planning and some flashlights. Florida Museum photo by Jeff Gage
