Use your membership immediately and begin learning about Mars, the Moon, and asteroids, while driving a moon rover in the interactive “Astronomical Idaho, Be the Astronaut” exhibit. Learn about “The Incredible Horse.” See Idaho’s Hagerman horse fossils and go back 50 million years when horses roamed more tropical terrain. Enjoy the photography of Roger Boe and poetry of Will Peterson in the “The Flows,” a visual and artistic viewpoint of Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve.

The museum’s summer membership drive has set a goal to add 100 new members to its ever growing family. All annual memberships include free, unlimited admission, invitations to special events and educational offerings, subscription to IMNH’s monthly e-newsletter, 10 percent discount on all purchases at the IMNH store and one one-day guest pass. Additionally, members benefit from quality family time spent exploring its engaging and educational exhibits and collections.

To view all membership options and purchase your membership, visit the museum located on the campus of Idaho State University, Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., or online atimnh.isu.edu/joinandsupport.

The IMNH has served Idaho since 1934 and as Idaho’s official natural history museum. It offers unique, educational, and fun opportunities to visitors, classrooms, tourists and community members of all ages. Your membership support makes a difference to the over 13,000 diverse group of visitors, ranging from K-12 students to ISU students, to adults, seniors and veterans, who will visit the museum this year.

Interested people can subscribe to its monthly e-newsletter for program updates and follow it on Facebook for daily historical postings. Please contact Terri Bergmeier at 208-282-6168 with any membership questions or business partnership opportunities.

A spiral of fossil shark teeth, Helicoprion, was exposed during mining operations at the Monsanto mine in Soda Springs. Measuring over 8 feet in diameter, the fossil adds a new story to museum’s growing collection of Idaho’s natural history.

Monsanto Mine Operations Coordinator, Cody Allen said, “As proud members of the Southeast Idaho community, we are excited to help preserve this rare and valuable piece of local history. Alongside experts at the Idaho Natural History Museum and Idaho State University, we will do our part to ensure these fossils are protected and preserved. We hope this discovery will lead to important learning opportunities for the community and even inspire the next generation of scientists from Idaho.”

The Idaho Museum of Natural History is home to the largest collection of Helicoprion sharks in the world. Museum Director, Leif Tapanila says “Our studies on Helicoprion show it was the largest predator on earth at the time, nearly 270 million years ago. Idaho is the best place on the planet to find these amazing fossils. We’re very grateful to our partners in the region for sharing their discoveries so we can make them available to the public for many years to come.”

The public will get a chance to see this shark fossil in the fall when the museum’s Buzzsaw Sharks of Idaho exhibit opens in October. This exhibit has traveled for the past five years sharing Idaho’s history with over half a million people across the United States.

The Idaho Museum of Natural History has been serving Idaho since 1934. To learn more about the museum please visit imnh.isu.edu

Building Young Scientists is a new educational initiative of the IMNH to foster curiosity in the sciences in young students. To fund “Building Young Scientists,” the museum has partnered with Idaho Gives. Idaho Gives, occurring on May 3, is a 24-hour online fundraising event established to celebrate the commitment of local nonprofits to make Idaho better place to live, work, play and serve. This year, Idaho Gives unites donors and the IMNH in a fun and engaging initiative to support museum summer camp program. To make a donation, visit IdahoGives.org, choose a charity, and donate.

A variety of camps are planned this summer.

For grades 9-12, this summer’s Dino Camp will focus on Oryctodromeus, a small, burrow-dwelling dinosaur. The camp includes three different week-long Dino Camps and one week-long field study experience. Students will sculpt the bones, pose the bones digitally and assemble the bones for mounting, creating a model Oryctodromeus for a community exhibit. A discovery camp will take students into the field where Oryctodromeus fossils have recently been found in Southeast Idaho.

For grades 6-8, the excitement begins with Coding Camp/ZeroRobotics and ZeroRobotics Team.

For grades 3-6, A Trip to Mars Camp will find students planning a trip to Mars while learning about forces, rocket design, 3D design and working in an extreme environment.

For grades K-3, Building Young Scientist programs will offer day camps and half-day camps on various topics including insects, solar system, moon, wildflowers and more.

To register for the summer camps visit imnh.isu.edu.

The IMNH has been serving Idaho since 1934. To learn more about the museum visit imnh.isu.edu.