WORCESTER—The EcoTarium launched its bicentennial celebration with the first installment of the Lyceum Symposium Series in late February, drawing history enthusiasts, scholars, and community members to explore the museum’s rich past.
The overwhelming success of the event has paved the way for the next symposium, scheduled for May 28 at the Museum of Worcester, an EcoTarium spokesperson announced on Friday.
EcoTarium President and CEO Noreen Smith opened the evening by reflecting on the institution’s deep roots in Worcester. “The EcoTarium was established in 1825 by Worcester citizens as the Worcester Lyceum of Natural History,” Smith said in the announcement. “It is remarkable that this Museum has provided public education on the natural sciences for the past two hundred years thanks to the efforts and support of Worcester families and the citizens of Worcester County.”
The four-part Lyceum Symposium Series is part of the EcoTarium’s yearlong bicentennial festivities and is presented in collaboration with Clark University, the Worcester Public Library, the Museum of Worcester, and the American Antiquarian Society, with sponsorship from UMass Chan Medical School.
The inaugural symposium featured Clark University Professor Dr. Melinda Marchand, along with three public history students, who examined the origins of the American Lyceum movement and the role of the Worcester Natural History Society in public education.
“Having this opportunity to collaborate with the EcoTarium and piece together elements of the organization’s rich and innovative history was incredibly rewarding to me and my students,” Dr. Marchand said.
The student presenters highlighted lesser-known figures in Worcester’s natural history community, including Helen Mary Knowlton and M. Louise Jenks, as well as the early field meetings that shaped the study of natural history.
The next Lyceum Symposium will take place on May 28 at 6 p.m. at the Museum of Worcester. Like the first, the event will be free and open to the public.
Have news, tips, or a story worth telling? A good recipe or a funny joke? Reach Editor Charlene Arsenault at carsenault@theworcesterguardian.org—because good stories (and great scoops) deserve to be shared.
