While the current Darwin exhibit at the Museum of Science is certainly worth the trip there’s so much more to see and do. Many UMass Boston students no doubt have fond memories visiting the Museum of Science on fieldtrips in their youth, but may not realize it can still be a wonderful place–even for college students. It is the only place where you can view the microscopic world of cells and get a bird’s eye view of some of the worlds most majestic snow capped mountains. You can learn about the process of animation from concept to final product or find out what wild moose smell like (surprisingly they’re not as bad as you might think). So come along on a tour of some of the Museum of Science’s other exhibits.

Currently, the Museum of Science is host to Animation; an exhibit on, you guessed it, animation. This interactive exhibit features six thematic areas focusing on various aspects of animation such as history, the production process, and the technology that makes animation possible. In the history section of the exhibit some of the earliest animation technology is on display. This technology relied on the concept of apparent motion, which occurs when a series of still images are flashed in quick succession. Apparent motion would come to form the basis of modern animation as well as motion pictures.

Visitors to Animation can also learn about the techniques animators use and put them to practice creating their own works of art in motion, or star in their own animated scene with the aid of stop motion cameras. Although the exhibit is primarily geared toward a younger audience, older museum goers will no doubt enjoy indulging in memories of Saturday morning cartoons while watching clips of such classics as Scooby Doo, Huckleberry Hound, and Yogi Bear, just don’t expect to find South Park, Family Guy, or Venture Brothers here.

The 6,000-square-foot exhibit featuring Cartoon Network shows and characters also contains digital slide shows of real animators hard at work with information on the skills and training required to be an animator in today’s industry. “This exhibit reveals in full interactive detail the number of different skills involved in creating animation, from voice-acting and recording to computer programming and scoring, from screen writing and storyboarding to sound-effects and editing,” says Dennis Adamovich, senior vice president of marketing at Cartoon Network.

The museum will also host an animation showcase on Saturday, March 31 featuring animated shorts created by students from Emerson College. The 45-minute presentation will take place at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and will be held in the museum’s Cahners Theater. Animation runs through April.

Also on display at the Museum of Science is Colossal, a gallery of twenty breathtaking aerial photographs by Bradford Washburn, a world-renowned photographer, cartographer, mountaineer, and the founding director of the Museum of Science. Washburn’s work captures the sublime beauty of the snow-covered peaks of some of the world’s most majestic mountains in stunning 40×50 inch digital prints. Bradford Washburn spent over six decades climbing, mapping and photographing some of the world’s largest and most awe-inspiring peaks from Mount McKinley to Everest. He also spent forty years as director of the museum. Colossal is a worthy tribute to the man who did so much to make the Museum of Science what it is today.

Visitors to the Museum of Science this month should also take the opportunity to take in the IMAX film Hurricane on the Bayou at the Omni Theater. The film takes audiences on a voyage deep into the natural beauty of the Louisiana Bayou, a region which acts as a protective buffer to the city of New Orleans from hurricanes and tropical storms.

The film, a product of director/producer Greg MacGillivray, takes place before, during, and after the catastrophic destruction brought upon New Orleans and the Gulf Coast by Hurricane Katrina. MacGillivray’s film, which began filming prior to the devastation of hurricane Katrina, was originally meant to be a cautionary tale that he hoped would expose the threat posed from the rapid disappearance of the Louisiana Bayou, a region that is eroding at a rate of one acre every thirty-eight minutes according to the US geological survey. MacGillivray’s film contends that lacking this vital natural protector, the city New Orleans will be left even more vulnerable to future storms.

The film is filled with agonizing images of the destruction caused by the calamitous forces of nature juxtaposed with shots of the lush and beautiful Bayou. Hurricane on the Bayou is a moving documentation of one of our nation’s most tragic natural disasters that will leave the viewer with countless unforgettable visuals of vibrant wetlands as well as heart-breaking stories retold by the displaced survivors of Katrina in the wake of the unparalleled tragedy of the 200 mile wide hurricane.

For more information on these as well as permanent and upcoming exhibits visit www.mos.org.