Staff Writer
The Nylander Museum of Natural History will open today, Olaf Nylander Day, for the summer with an open house from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Opening day will feature the “Barber Shoppers” at 3 p.m. and light refreshments for the public.
According to Jeanie McGowan, the museum’s director, the exhibits will feature the Nylander man and his collections and what the museum is doing to keep the scientist’s legacy alive.
“He lived during the age of natural history discovery,” said McGowan. “He was the quintessential Victorian natural historian. Portions of his collections are in prestigious museums like the Smithsonian in D.C.”
Nylander was a recognized contributor to the scientific world in the early part of the 20th Century, documenting plants freshwater environment, geology and fossils.
“I have no doubt that many people in Caribou know very little about him, what he accomplished and how significant his collection have been o that development of major scientific theories, like plat tectonics or continental drift,” said McGowan.
The museum located at 657 Main Street in Caribou. It will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Natural history exhibits available on northern Maine are mammals and birds, prehistoric stone tools, fossils, rocks and minerals of Maine and historical archives.
