I write articles for Smithsonian Voices, a Smithsonian Magazine blog that allows researchers, scholars, and volunteers to share stories about their work and that of others. Though not specifically aimed at children, these stories should be of interest and accessible to middle school students and teens.
“Roxie Laybourne: Feather Detective”
"Roxie Laybourne: Feather Detective” was published in Cricket Magazine in April 2022. It introduces readers to how Laybourne pioneered the study of forensic ornithology while at the National Museum of Natural History. Known as “the feather lady” because of her ability to identify bird species through microscopic identification of feathers, she could determine what birds collided with planes. Helping engineers design jet engines more resilient to bird strikes led to changes in aviation safety starting in 1960.
Hi Pamela,
Thanks so much for the copy of the Cricket article. You did an excellent job of describing Roxie and her work and it is all so accurate. Also, I love that youngsters are invited to write their own natural history detective story. Great job, and thanks for your interest in Roxie.
Cheers, Carla
Carla Dove
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Program Manager
Feather Identification Lab
“Else Bostelmann: Deep Sea Illustrator”
“Else Bostelmann: Deep Sea Illustrator” was published in the September 2019 issue of Cricket magazine, the literary journal for children and teens. Readers learn about the artist Else Bostelmann’s amazing adventure illustrating unearthly creatures in the deep sea. She was the first to bring to life haunting fang-toothed fish and species with glistening lights, in the pages of National Geographic magazine in the 1930s.
In my side-bar article, “Underwater Artist,” readers learn how Else took her easel attached to a music stand twenty-five feet below the surface of the ocean. Wearing a diving helmet connected to an air hose, she painted sea dragons and angelfish while recording the “unbelievable charm of some of Nature’s grandest scenes.” Get a copy of the issue here.
“Safety Suit Up: New Clean Room Allows Scientists to Study Fragile Ancient DNA”
The Smithsonian BioBubble Lab allows scientists to study fragile ancient DNA. Scientists can enter a sterile lab and extract DNA from naturally preserved plants as well as from archeological skeletons, mummified tissue, and tissue remains found in ice and permafrost. To go on a visit to the lab, read the article in the Smithsonian Voice blog.
“Ancient Plants Tell
Stories of Today”
It’s hard to grasp the concept of deep time. In this article from the Smithsonian’s Plant Press, I explain how, by studying ancient plants, scientists can find clues to Earth’s climate history and can make comparisons to our current alterations of Earth’s systems. Read about the Deep Time exhibit at the Natural History Museum and discover how our effect on climate today is as powerful as past geological events here.
(Image courtesy of the Biodiversity Library)