The EPSCoR-funded exhibit Degrees of Change: New Mexico's Climate Forecast opened at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science with a member’s only evening event on May 20, 2011, and a Climate Change Expo for the public on May 21, 2011. Using the exhibit’s main features, climate change and its effects on the world and New Mexico can now be communicated through interactive displays, real-time data, and interviews with climate and hydrology scientists.

NM EPSCoR funded the design, fabrication, and installation the exhibit. Jessica Sapunar-Jursich, Director of Education at the Museum, spearheads the project with Dr. Dave Gutzler as the EPSCoR-funded guest curator on the project. Dr. Gutzler is a climatology and meteorology expert and professor at the University of New Mexico, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences. A central feature is a global representation of climate data using a Global Imagination "Magic Planet". Data and discoveries from NM EPSCoR scientists contribute to data in a New Mexico SIM table, which displays current climate conditions of New Mexico and can predict future changes based on several variables, such as a change in global temperature. A portion of the exhibit also addresses regional climate change impacts from the perspectives of local land users.

The Museum held a Climate Change Expo on Saturday, May 21st. Various environmental and climate education groups participated with presentations and activities, including NM EPSCoR, The Nature Conservancy, and Climate Masters. The Expo served as an event not only to celebrate the opening of “Degrees of Change”, but also for climate education as a whole. At the end of the Expo, Dr. Gutzler gave a lecture entitled, "New Mexico’s Climate Forecast". Attendees listened to the latest research on climate science in this fun and informative discussion.

For more information on the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, visit our Community Education & Outreach page, and the NMMNHS website.