Sophie Warny, Ph'D'

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Sophie Warny, Ph.D. MNS Education Director
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The Mission of theLSU Museum of Natural Science

• Acquisition,
• Preservation, and
• Study
• of research collections to generate knowledge of
• Regional and global biodiversity,
• Geological history, and
• Human history and prehistory
• for the benefit of the people of the state, the
  nation, and the world.

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Divisions of the LSU MNS

• 7 main fields of RESEARCH
• Ornithology (Birds)
• Genetics
• Ichthyology (Fishes)
• Mammalogy
• Herpetology (Reptiles and Amphibians)
• Vertebrate Paleontology
• Anthropology (Archaeology and Ethnography)
• EDUCATION

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Ornithology Dr. Fred Sheldon (Director and
Curator) Dr. Van Remsen (Ornithology Curator)
Forming the next generation of curators
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Genetic Resources Dr. Fred Sheldon (Director and
Curator) Dr. Robb Brumfield (Genetic Resources
Curator)
Building collections and preserving them...
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Ichthyology Dr. Mike Fitzimons

• Research helps with conservation and
  restoration...

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Mammalogy Dr. Mark Hafner
Research on host-parasite systems
(pocket gophers and their chewing lice).
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Herpetology Dr. Chris Austin
Discovering New Species
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Vertebrate Paleontology Dr. Judith Schiebout
Understanding Our Past
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Anthropology Dr. Becky Saunders
Satellite imagery shows location of mounds and
embankments
King George Island Mounds, Livingston Parish,
4500 years ago
Learning about previous societies.
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Public Outreach and K-12 Education Dr. Sophie
Warny

• Field trips
• Dioramas of interest for bird-related topics
• Practical details for visits
• Childrens activity book to do at MNS or school
• English
• French

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LAs present
Various topics
LAs past
World
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Bottomland Forest
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Coastal Island
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Heronry in LA
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Hall of Birds
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Bottomland Forest

• - a forest with large mature trees
• Last BL forest in LA was in Madison Parish
  (1943)
• Linked to extinction of Ivory-billed woodpecker
  (specimen on display is from 1899)
• The white-tailed deer was able to adapt and
  survive

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• A series of
• questions on
• Habitat
• Loss of habitat
• Extinction

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How to recognize the Ivory-billed woodpecker if
you see it!
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Coastal Island

• - Louisianas barrier islands
• Birds help stabilize the islands by depositing
  nutrients that help establish vegetation
• Eggs are camouflaged and deposited on the ground
• Human visits during nesting can be disastrous.
• Gulls pick food from surface, skimmers fly
  above water to skim catch fish, terns fly, dive
  retrieve.

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Use this topic to introduce climate change!
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Heronry in LA

• Human effects on bird population Avery Island
  and the Snowy Egrets
• Hat makers killed them by thousands as the
  feathers were used to decorate hats.
• by 1900s, very few left.
• Conservationist Edward Mcllhenny set aside swamp
  land as a refuge From 7 to over 100,000 birds.
• Herons and egrets do not have webbed feet, they
  eat fish/frogs in shallow water.

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Use this topic to introduce invasive species!
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Hall of Birds
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The Hall of Birds was designed to have one of
every species recorded in LA as of about 1970
(thus the Snowy Owl and a few other rarities) and
to help with identifications.
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• Arranged taxonomically (relationship between
  birds)
• Use it to look at differences in the beaks and
  feet.
• Mainly
• Gulls and terns
• Dove and pigeons
• Owls
• Woodpeckers
• Passerines
• Herons and egrets
• Pelicans
• Shorebirds
• Prairie birds
• Raptors

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Use these pages to introduce main bird
characteristics. Feel free to reproduce these
pages.
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Practical Details
General Info Tours
Monday-Friday 800 am - 400 pm
FREE!
Scheduling Materials Rules Parking
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MNS Activity Booklet
Activities for Self-guided tours

• The MNS book is available
• in French thanks to
• Anne-Sophie Stanislas Dubois
• in Spanish thanks to
• Ana Morales

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Learning about
- Feathers with Adrienne

• Feeding and
• beak adaptations
• with Rebecca