Gainesville, Fla. — The Alachua County Library District will be partnering with the Florida Museum of Natural History to provide “Exploration Backpacks” throughout the Library District starting in Nov. 7, 2022.
The backpacks are filled with items to foster discovery in nature. They will have binoculars, a plant press, butterfly net, bug enclosure, bug lens, a clipboard, and a pocket microscope. They will also include “The Nature of Florida,” field guide.
The “Exploration Backpacks” are funded by a two-year grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services. Over the course of the next two years, the program is anticipated to hold outreach events throughout the county. After the two-year program is complete, the “Exploration Backpacks” will remain in circulation at the Library District.
The backpacks are part of the Florida Museum’s “Museum in the Parks” program, which has provided opportunities for children and their families to explore local and state parks, meet scientists, and observe artifacts from the museum’s collections.
The backpack kits will be available for checkout from all 12 of the Library District locations. You must be a library card holder to check out the “Exploration Backpacks.” Library cards are free, and you can sign up for a card at any Library District location.
For more details or if you need an interview, please contact:
Brad McClenny | Alachua County Library District | bmcclenny@aclib.us | 352-334-3909
Kaitlin Gardiner | Florida Museum of Natural History | kgardiner@floridamuseum.ufl.edu