The High Desert Museum in Bend, Oregon, is set to host ‘Welcome the Night’, an after-hours event celebrating nocturnal wildlife, astronomy, and the importance of protecting dark skies. The event will take place on July 15 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Event Activities
Guests will have the opportunity to explore the museum after dark alongside community partners, museum experts, and local naturalists. The event will feature hands-on discovery and activities, including the new Ribbits and Hoots Station, where visitors can create frog hand puppets or owl finger puppets.
Other activities include the Twilight Art Station, where guests can make stenciled twilight art using scratch paper, and a local face painter will be on-site, offering designs inspired by favorite twilight creatures. Three 15-minute owl encounters are scheduled to take place at the E. L. Wiegand Pavilion in the Donald M. Kerr Birds of Prey Center.
Experts from the U.S. Forest Service will lead the Bat Detectives Station, exploring bats and their role in the High Desert ecosystem. Visitors will also have the opportunity to peer through telescopes and explore a model solar system at the Mighty Meteor Station, guided by experts from Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory.
Representatives from Pollinator Pathway Bend will introduce visitors to the world of nighttime pollinators, including moths, and teach attendees how to create outdoor spaces that support these important pollinators. DarkSky Oregon will share information about how light pollution affects not only our view of the stars but also the health and well-being of nocturnal wildlife.
Tickets for the event are $10 for adults and children ages 3 and older, with Museum Members receiving a 20% discount. Children two and younger are admitted free. The Rimrock Café will be transformed into the Crepuscular Café, featuring food available for purchase from Luckey’s Woodsman.
Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.
