Opening Reception
Saturday, October 2 at 10:00 a.m.
Atheneum Visitors Center
Join us as we celebrate the Smithsonian in New Harmony! A ribbon cutting ceremony will occur at 10 a.m. with a reception and light refreshments to follow.
Mussels: A Shell of Indiana’s Rivers
Cassie Hauswald, The Nature Conservancy
Wednesday, October 20 at 6:30 p.m.
Atheneum Visitors Center
The past, present and future of Indiana’s water can be told through our 75-plus species of freshwater mussels, which places Indiana in the top ten of U.S. states for mussel diversity. From Native American use to Indiana’s thriving pearl button industry to the cultured pearl trade, Indiana’s freshwater mussels and bountiful rivers have sustained life and livelihoods. As filter feeders, freshwater mussels can only survive in clean rivers, and inversely, their filter feeding also cleans water. The history of people and mussels has left a mark on the health of our rivers; learn about positive choices for water that can keep the story of mussels in Indiana alive and well.
Cassie Hauswald has worked on conservation issues for The Nature Conservancy in Indiana for over twenty years. As a freshwater ecologist, focusing on aquatic habitats leads Cassie to think about the intersection of rural land use and water quality impacts to Indiana’s rivers and streams. Cassie is particularly concerned about freshwater mussel populations and their response to improved water quality.
Wonderful Wabash
Saturday, October 23 at 9:30 a.m.
Atheneum Visitors Center
The 7th Annual Wonderful Wabash is taking a new route this year! Join us on Saturday, October 23rd for the 7th annual Wonderful Wabash Canoe Event. This year Historic New Harmony and the Posey County Solid and Water Conservation District are partnering to feature the Smithsonian Museum on Main Street exhibit Water/Ways.
The route will start at the boat launch under the I64 Bridge on the Illinois side. We will stop at a sand bar partway for a break and educational presentations. We will end at the Atheneum in New Harmony where participants can explore this awesome exhibition. Brats, chips, fruit and cookies will be served when you finish at the Atheneum. A school bus will transport participants to the starting point. Vehicles will be left at the Atheneum parking lot where we will finish. Float will take 4-5 hours. Everyone should be finished by 5:00 pm.
$10/person registration fee includes t-shirt and dinner.
Canoes available for rent $25/canoe. Limited quantities are available so register early.
You may bring your own canoe/kayak. If you are bringing your own equipment, drop off your boats 1 hour prior to your launch time at the I64 Boat Ramp then drive and park at the Atheneum in New Harmony. A volunteer will be at the starting point to watch the boats.
Due to limited space on the bus, there are two different launch times. Registration will be at the Atheneum 30 minutes prior to your departure time. First bus leaves at 9:30 am. Second bus leaves at 10:30 am. There are a limited number of seats on the bus, so you must ride the bus for your registered departure time. Pre-registration is required. Must register by 10/03 to guarantee t-shirt.
Along the Wabash with Susanne Schwibs
Tuesday, November 9 at 6:30 p.m.
Atheneum Visitors Center
Behold the beauty of Indiana's most famous and historic river!
Journey back in time to when the lands around the Wabash River were America's Western frontier - a world as wild as it was beautiful.
Meet the people and places that make up the river's rich history.
Produced for Indiana's Bicentennial celebration in 2016, this film tells the story of Indiana's state river, following its course from the headwaters in Ohio to its end in New Harmony.
Immediately following the screening there will be a short presentation and question and answer session by the documentary's producer, writer and director, Susanne Schwibs.
