A rich afternoon at MuMAB – Museum of Ancient Sea and Biodiversity in Salsomaggiore Terme (PR) in the Stirone and Piacenziano Park!

Opening of the exhibition

A new temporary exhibition dedicated to microfossils that, like the fossils already exhibited and visible at MuMAB, represent one of the most important traces of the story over millions of years that the Stirone Stream reveals to us.

Small, indeed very small, from a few millimeters to a few centimeters, can be observed with a magnifying glass or a microscope. They are shells of marine molluscs, corals and remains of crustaceans, such as crabs, or remains of sea urchins and small bones of fish that lived in the ancient sea that occupied the Po Valley until about 1 million years ago.

The study of microfossils, which are numerous in the sands and sediments of Stirone, allows paleontologists to reconstruct the ancient marine environments and paleo climates that have followed one another in our territory over millions of years. The shapes and variety of microfossils transform the observation of these organisms in immersion in a delicate and fantastic world, among fragile creatures and, at the same time, very ancient.

For children, observation activities with educational cards and microscopes will be proposed.

The duration of the visit is about 1 hour, with free access with reservations required and will be held on Saturday 18 November 2023 from 3 pm to 4 pm.

Microscope laboratory

On the occasion of the inauguration of the exhibition Millions of years in a few millimeters, younger children will be able to approach the world of microfossils accompanied by expert guides. They will discover that even a simple handful of sand hides a rich world and lots of information to understand the environment in which we live.

The workshop is suitable for children aged 5 to 7 years and will be held on Saturday 18 February 2023 from 4.30 pm to 5.30 pm.

The duration of the activity is about 1 hour, free access with reservations required.

Drawing fossils workshop

On the occasion of the inauguration of the exhibition Millions of years in a few millimeters, older children will be able to approach the world of microfossils using naturalistic drawing as a precious tool for discovery and knowledge.

After assembling a mini-notebook with an envelope and learning the technique of the “Naturalist’s Notebook”, the children will observe the finds with microscopes and lenses and then draw and classify them, comparing what was observed with the guide provided by the naturalistic illustrator Maria Elena Ferrari.

The workshop is suitable for children aged 6 to 12 years and will be held on Saturday 18 February 2023 from 16.00 to 17.30.

The duration of the activity is about 1 hour and a half, with free access with reservations required.

The MuMAB – Ancient Sea and Biodiversity Museum is located at Podere Millepioppi, loc. San Nicomede, Salsomaggiore Terme (PR). geotag: https://g.page/mumabmillepioppi

Booking required : Tel. 353 4147452 – email: mumab@millepioppi.it – or on the website millepioppi.it