The Marion Natural History Museum is hosting a series of workshops throughout the fall and winter. Programs run on Wednesdays from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Programs cost $8 for members and $10 for non-members. 

On Oct. 26, join the museum for Backyard Archaeology with Jim Pierson. In celebration of Archaeology Month the museum will be looking at the basics for finding artifacts in your own backyard. The museum will be practicing techniques for exploring the remains of the past that you would normally never notice. Grades three to six only, program limited to no more than 12 students. 

Learn about sea turtles with Sara Sperber, operations and program coordinator at the National Marine Life Center. On Nov. 9, students will learn about sea turtle strandings, rehabilitation, and release. This program will focus on the National Marine Life Center and their work caring for stranded marine animals, focusing on sea turtles as the sea turtle cold-stunning season begins.  Learn how to handle a cold-stunned sea turtle and how the NMLC is part of a stranding network that care for these animals. There will be hands-on activity that will allow students to care for their own sea turtle patient.

On Nov. 30, the museum will host an Introduction to Forestry with Service Forester Jim Rassman. Students will learn about different types of local trees, how to tell how old a tree is, and the benefits that trees and forest provide to everyone. If the weather is nice, students will get to meet a few trees that grow nearby.

Dissect owl pellets with the Marion Natural History Museum on Dec. 7. Lean about how an owl pellet is formed, what is inside a pellet, and more. Magnifiers and dissecting microscopes will be used to take a close look at these interesting owl castings. Program limited to eight students in grades three to six.

The Marion Natural History Museum will host its holiday party on Dec. 21. Celebrate the holidays by making gifts and crafts from natural and recycled materials. Join the museum for this annual get-together to make crafts, and enjoy snacks to celebrate the end of the year.

To register go to www.marionmuseum.org.