The Marion Natural History Museum has been around a very long time. As its website notes, “… before the first T-Rex skeleton was discovered … before Edison patented the lightbulb … before Amelia Earhart inspired generations of girls to believe they could fly …” the museum doors were open.
On October 21, those same doors were opened even wider when the community joined in the museum’s 150th Anniversary Celebration. On hand to provide a glimpse at what this regional resource has to offer was Mark Munkacsy, president of the Astronomical Society of Southern New England. When we caught up with Munkacsy, he said a primary goal of his is to, “encourage children to be curious.” He tells youngsters that everything that looks like a rock may not be a rock, it may be a fragment of a meteor.
And that’s an important point, given that sitting in the first-floor lobby of the Taber Library (that houses the museum on its second floor) is a giant meteorite titled the Coahuila Meteor. It was found in 1837 in Coahuila, Mexico. Its journey didn’t end there. It eventually became the property of Harvard’s Mineralogical and Geological Museum. Now, over 4,000,000 years later, it’s enjoying the seaside community.
The story of how the meteor of iron came to Marion is a story of connections.
Ted and Liz Brainard have long supported the work of the museum and as Harvard graduates knew whom to speak with in an effort to bring Coahuila to Marion. As former trustees of the museum, the Brainards helped draft a five-year plan that includes sparking more local interest in all the museum has to offer. It was felt that bringing a specimen such as a 700-pound meteorite to Marion would be a draw.
The Brainards not only organized the loan of Coahuila, they organized its transfer from Boston to Marion with the help of their neighbor Tom Montieth and assistance from Toby Burr.
Brainard asked us if we had touched the meteorite, suggesting the importance of connecting with the universe in this unique way. We confessed we had done so. The Brainards believe that through exposing children to the wonders of the natural world, they may one day have science-based careers.
The stated mission of the museum is “… to spark natural curiosity, foster environmental stewardship and inspire lifelong learning …”
Learning may be the theme, but it is not exclusively focused on school-age children.
Executive Director Liz Leidhold pointed to the number of afternoon programs offered to adults. Looking forward, she said this demographic is one that will receive continued focus when they plan the types of programs to offer. Leidhold said that she informs the local councils on aging of upcoming events for adults and that the social aspect of such opportunities to the aging population is critical.
Karen Alves and Mike Cronin have been on the leading edge in assisting the museum with updated branding. “About three years ago we worked on a strategy plan,” Alves shared. That plan added updated web design, social media and signage for the collections. Alves and Cronin said the museum has received a Community Preservation Act grant that will go towards establishing an inventory of the collections.
In looking back at the success of a museum, the gift that has given so much to the community, it is only fitting that it looks forward. Leidhold, for one, has been doing just that for 32 years. “I fell in love with the museum 32 years ago, and I’m still in love today.”
Visit marionmuseum.org to learn more.
Marion Natural History Museum
By Marilou Newell
