PHILADELPHIA, January 30, 2020

Live animal presentations, close-up encounters with live bugs, and a chance to make slime are all part of the opening weekend festivities to mark the debut of a new exhibition at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University.

The new exhibit, Survival of the Slowest, opens Saturday, Feb. 15 and explores the fascinating adaptations some animals have evolved over millions of years to avoid being someone else’s lunch. During the extended Presidents Day weekend, Academy visitors can enjoy free activities based on the exhibit, plus displays of specimens from the museum’s world-renowned collection.

Weekend activities are free with general admission; a special ticket is required for the exhibit. Look for these activities:

Meet the Animals, 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

Learn all about the animals that live at the Academy and their similarities and differences in this live animal presentation.

Survival of the Slowest Education Station, All day

What does it take to survive when you aren’t the biggest, the fastest or the strongest? What wacky adaptations do animals, plants and insects have to beat out the competition? Explore some of the weirder ways that nature takes its course, and study sloth science to find out what they have that gives them the edge.

Cool Camo Cart, All day

Check out a state-of-the-art tech cart with touchable specimens and live bugs to learn how camouflage, cryptid coloration and sneaky stripes are found across the animal kingdom. Challenge yourself to a scavenger hunt for the dioramas around you to find out how animals hide in plain sight.

Survival of the Slimiest, All day

Snails, fish, snakes and even plants produce slime that keeps them moving, eating and protecting themselves from predators. Make and take your own portion of goo to explore the properties of slime and other substances that help living things stay alive.