BIGGER THAN T-REX OPENS!

By Gerianne Smart, Director of Marketing and Communications

May is an exciting month at ECHO with a myriad of events and grand openings happening (read more below), and it is capped off with the opening of the next traveling exhibit, Bigger Than T-Rex! This exhibit brings the term “gigantic” to life with over a dozen skeletons and skulls from some of the largest meat-eating dinosaurs that ever roamed the earth. Plus you will be able to look right in the eye of some of the stars of the Jurassic Park films including the Velociraptor, made famous in Jurassic Park I.

Though you’ll have to wait until the end of the month for the full exhibit, some of the Jurassic models are on display now.

Members are invited to a special preview of the exhibit at 9 a.m. on May 25th. The public will be welcome at 10 a.m. Not a member? Join here now.

Visit the Bigger Than T-Rex exhibit page for more information.

Picture top: Velociraptor. Credit: G. Smart, © ECHO
Pictured above: Close-up of Triceratops’s eye. Credit: G. Smart, © ECHO

ECHO’S 10TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION WEEKEND

By Phelan Fretz, Executive Director

ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain formally opened its doors on May 31, 2003. We can’t believe it’s been 10 years! Can you? In honor of the past ten years and looking ahead to a great future we are hosting a celebration on May 31st from 6 to 8 p.m. for donors, members, and volunteers, both past and present. Join us for a piece of cake, reminiscences, and the largest chorus of Happy Birthday the waterfront has ever seen. Members, look for an invitation in your inbox in the next week. Not a member? Join now.

Throughout the weekend of June 1st and 2nd, we’ll offer lots of special 10th Anniversary programs for all visitors. Celebrate all the new things at ECHO! Visit the NEW Action Lab exhibit on the top floor and engage in citizen science and exploration; get up close to the Lake Champlain Basin and explore the nooks and crannies of the mountains and rivers and streams on our new relief map; step up to the watershed mural on the first floor and locate important rivers across North America; watch five of ECHO's exclusive films highlighting the unique animals and environments of the Lake Champlain Basin and our role in taking care of them; and enjoy the newest traveling exhibit, Bigger Than T-Rex, which includes some of the actual model dinosaurs used in the Jurassic Park films!

Photo: 10-year morph of ECHO’s façade. Credit: A. Malcolm, © ECHO

NEW ACTION LAB OPENS

By Bill Elliston, Public Education Manager

We’ve got something NEW to show off and we invite you to check it out! ECHO’s new ACTION LAB for teens and adults is having its GRAND OPENING on Saturday, May 18th 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. From then on, this exciting new exhibit, located on the top floor at ECHO will be open every day! What is an Action Lab? It is a space to encourage and teach citizen science using a combination of state-of-the-art technology and hands-on interactive components! We’re sure you’ll agree this is an exciting new addition to all of ECHO’s permanent exhibits. Find out more at this blog post or go to the exhibit webpage here.

Photo: Close up of the Shaping Watersheds 3D interactive station in action.
Credit: G. Smart, © ECHO

LEAHY CENTER ENVIRONMENTAL SUMMIT

By Steve Perkins, Director of Development

On May 29-30, 2013, ECHO will supercharge efforts in the region and beyond to create and sustain Blue Water in Green Mountains. Over 150 great thinkers and doers from across sectors and around the world will gather on the shores of Lake Champlain to work together in true Vermont environmental tradition to create innovative solutions aimed at changing individual and collective behavior towards water quality.

A keynote address from Robert Kennedy, Jr. and inspirational remarks from the White House will set the stage for discovery, dialogue, innovative design, and action-based deployment of projects. At the conclusion of the Leahy Center Environmental summit, we look forward to sharing with you the great ideas, plans, and projects that will lead to Blue Water in our Green Mountains.

If you are interested the goals and process of the summit, please visit the summit web page at echovermont.org/leahysummit.

Image: Leahy Environmental Summit Logo

ART + SOUL TO BENEFIT ECHO

By Steve Perkins, Director of Development

Burlington Law Firm Dunkiel Saunders has chosen ECHO as the beneficiary of its second annual Art+Soul benefit art show and sale. Artists from around the region have submitted artwork themed on ECHO’s mission of Ecology, Culture, History, and the Opportunity for stewardship of the Lake Champlain basin. The show and sale will take place at the law offices of Dunkiel Saunders on College Street on the evening of June 6. For more information please visit www.artandsoulvt.org.

DIG INTO ECHO’S DINO-THEMED CAMPS

By Nina Ridhibhinyo, Group Programs Manager

Ever been on a dinosaur egg hunt? Gotten up-close and personal with a velociraptor? Get your child nose-to-nose with the largest, deadliest reptiles ever to roam the earth at ECHO this summer. During our two dino-themed camps (July 29-August 2), we will be digging for dinosaurs and using life sized models to compare their size, speed, and hunting behavior. Dino camps are available for children entering Kindergarten – 3rd grade.

Visit echovermont.org/camps to learn more and to register. Kindergarten camps offer morning or afternoon slots. All other camps are 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. with an after care option until 5:00 p.m.

Photo: A youngster and the velociraptor meet. Credit: N. Ridhibhinyo, © ECHO

ECHO E-TEAM FOR TEENS

By Bill Elliston, Public Education Manager

Are you a teen or do you know one who enjoys science, teaching people, and the environment? We invite you to check out ECHO’s E-Team program, which is now accepting applications through May 19th. The new E-Team will begin in September and run through the academic year. This is a terrific program that teaches teenagers ways to get involved and make a difference.

Read the blog post by ECHO’s Public Education Manager, Bill Elliston and get an insider’s look at what E-Team is all about!

Photo: Bill Elliston and E-Team member at the Champlain Sea tank. © ECHO

CONSERVATION CORRESPONDENT

By Bridget Butler, Conservation Education Specialist and WPTZ Conservation Correspondent

Do you want to have the greenest lawn in the neighborhood? How about the healthiest? As winter melts away, many homeowners will be looking to give their lawns a boost this spring. Watch this TV segment from WPTZ News Channel 5 by ECHO’s Conservation Education Specialist and WPTZ’s Conservation Correspondent Bridget Butler and find out how you can do both while keeping unwanted fertilizers out of our waterways.

Photo: Screen shot from WPTZ News Channel 5 TV segment.

HAVE YOUR BIRTHDAY AT ECHO

By Meg Billado, Group Bookings Representative

ECHO is now offering birthday parties seven days a week! Book your two-hour birthday celebration inside ECHO or outside on our beautiful Dealer.com terrace overlooking Lake Champlain. Enhance your party with a private “live animal” demonstration or GO GREEN by adding ECHO’s colorful reusable cups, Frisbee plates and reusable straws that become take-home party favors. Parties at ECHO are fun and include full access to the entire aquarium and science center for all your guests. Are you an ECHO member? If so, one of the many benefits includes a $50.00 discount on birthday parties! Not a member? Sign up here.

Photo: ECHO’s Green Party Package. Credit: M. Billado, © ECHO

WHAT’S HAPPENING NEXT?

There is always something exciting going on at ECHO! Below are just a few of the offerings for the upcoming weeks. As always, we encourage you to visit our website calendar of events for a complete listing of all the happenings at ECHO. All of these activities are free for Members and included with ECHO admission unless otherwise noted. For information call 1.877.324.6386.

EVERY DAY
Educational programs and live animal feedings every day at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m., all free with admission. Call for details: 802.864.1848, x101

MAY

Tuesday, May 14, 11 a.m. Science and Stories: Rocks Rock. Everyone needs a rock. But do you know how to find the one that is just right for you? Come to Science and Stories and discover the secret to finding a special rock. Free with admission. 1.877.324.6386

Saturday, May 18, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Grand Opening Celebration of ECHO’s new ACTION LAB for teens and adults! Includes 3D virtual watershed sand table, lake spin browser, high-powered microscope, and citizen science programs, on the top floor. Special gift for the first 100 members to visit Action Lab!

Sunday, May 19, EARLY CLOSING at 4 p.m. ECHO will be closing at 4 p.m. to make way for the University of Vermont College of Medicine Graduation Reception. Congratulations all graduates!

Saturday, May 25, 10 a.m - 5 p.m. Opening Day of BIGGER THAN T-REX exhibit. Skeletons of Giganotosaurus, Mapusaurus, and more carnivorous dinosaurs, some of them larger than the legendary T-Rex. Hands-on dig pit, video of actual dinosaur excavation, and animatronic raptors round out this exciting and crowd-pleasing exhibition. At ECHO through September 2, 2013.

AND IN JUNE...

Saturday, June 1 and Sunday, June 2, ALL DAY: ECHO’s 10th Anniversary Extravaganza! On our 10th Anniversary weekend, enjoy a day celebrating all the new things at ECHO! Visit the NEW Action Lab on the top floor and engage in citizen science and exploration; get up close to the Lake Champlain Basin and explore the nooks and crannies of the mountains and rivers and streams on the new relief map; step up to the watershed mural on the first floor and locate important rivers across North America; watch five of ECHO's exclusive films highlighting the unique animals and environments of the Lake Champlain Basin and our role in taking care of them; and enjoy the newest traveling exhibit, Bigger Than T-Rex which includes some of the actual model dinosaurs used in the Jurassic Park films!

FRIENDS & SPONSORS

SUPPORT ECHO ON TOURISM SITES

ECHO, like so many of Vermont's attractions, relies heavily on the tourism audience. Many travelers these days are choosing destinations via the Internet and through online reviews by the general public, so we could use your grassroots support! Please visit your favorite travel website and add another positive voice to our attraction reviews — and encourage relatives or friends who have experienced ECHO to do so too! This greatly helps bring folks to both Vermont and to ECHO. The following are a couple of websites to get you started — thanks in advance!

IgoUgo
Find & Go Seek
TripAdvisor
Yahoo! Travel
Yelp!

Photo: © Jeff Clarke, 2007

WPTZ/NewsChannel 5 Live at ECHO

Mark your calendars to watch WPTZ/NewsChannel 5 on the second Thursday of every month, when Chief Meteorologist Tom Messner traditionally broadcasts his Precision Weather forecast live from ECHO during "First at Five," "5:30 Now," and "NewsChannel 5 at 6PM."

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Update Staff:

Editor: Gerianne Smart, Director of Marketing and Communications
Design: Abbe Malcolm, Marketing Coordinator