PHILADELPHIA, July 31, 2013

The live raptors, skunks and snakes that visit classrooms in the tri-state area through the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University will have a comfortable new means of transport, thanks to generous support from Subaru. And so will their teacher-naturalist chaperones.

Subaru of America, which is headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J., recently donated the use of two shiny new Outbacks for the museum’s popular Academy on the Go outreach program. The program brings the excitement of a museum visit—complete with specimens, live animals, hands-on activities, and expert naturalists—to more than 200 classrooms, fairs and festivals in the region, serving more than 26,000 children and adults each year. The cars will be easily identifiable by their colorful graphics depicting birds, bugs and dinosaurs.

“We are thrilled to have these much needed vehicles to bring our special interactive museum experience to audiences outside of the city,” said Vice President of Education Jacquie Genovesi.

“The Academy is a premier organization that shares our love of science and nature,” said Sandy Capell, community services manager for Subaru. “Subaru is thrilled to be able to support their efforts to increase children’s interest in science and wildlife.”

While thousands of schoolchildren and their teachers take field trips to the Academy, many enjoy the convenience of having the museum experience come to them. Through Academy on the Go, students and other audiences get a chance to see up close the Academy’s squawking hawks, curling snakes, creeping tarantulas, and other live creatures. These Academy ambassadors help people learn about the environment, conservation, habitat loss, and other issues. They are either injured and can’t survive in the wild or they came to the museum as unwanted pets.

The outreach lessons, tied to state and national standards for science education, also feature fun, interactive activities and a variety of specimens. The Academy’s scientific collections hold more than 18 million plant and animal specimens, and the teaching collection provides an introduction to the various disciplines studied by Academy scientists, including paleontology, ornithology and botany. For more information, visit the Academy on the Go page at ansp.org.

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