Today I went to the last Minnesota Ornithological Union paper session at the old Bell Museum. Starting next year it will be at the new Bell Museum Planetarium in Falcon Heights. This was the last time to see all the dioramas. Dioramas are part drawing and part scenery with stuffed animals such as moose, sand hill cranes, raccoons, fox squirrels, spruce grouse mourning doves and all kinds of other animals. I love how the ground cover on the dioramas blends into the painting. They're moving 10 dioramas. We have more than 10 here. Some look a little tattered but I could not be the one to decide which dioramas stay and which ones go. I would want them all to go. Although it wasn't easy to sit all day with my new hip, I was in the back row where I could sit on my art deco seat, sit on the seat in an upright position or stand without bothering too many people. I made it through. I learned a lot. I learned about the relationship between the Bell Museum and the MOU, common terns, and the effect of the BP spill if the Gulf Of Mexico. The oil dispersant BP used on the oil spill was more toxic than the oil itself and did not cause the oil to disperse but only to sink to the bottom where it couldn't been seen by anyone than the Minnesota loons who dive down that deep looking for fish. So far our loon population doesn't seem to be affected but it's too early to tell. We learned about the waste water treatment plants and how to encourage communities to let us in there to look for birds instead of fencing them off. And we learned about the Sam Zim bog. I'm already in love with that bog so although I totally enjoyed that video, I was already hooked. And I saw other birders I know so today was a good day.
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