[NHCOLL-L:732] ground corn cob

[Elizabeth A. Moore]

While I was out of town last week, our exhibits staff installed an "excavate
a fossil" hands-on activity.  They used unconsolidated ground corn cob as
the loose matrix on top of fossil replicas.  The kids will brush away the
ground cob to expose the fossil replicas.  As far as I know, this material
has not been treated with pesticides.  I hope it hasn't, since little kids
will be getting it in their mouths, hair, clothes...

Has anyone ever used ground corn cob in an exhibit?  If so, did you have any
trouble with pests, either vertebrate or invertebrate?  I keep having these
visions of mice and bugs having a big celebration in our exhibit hall now
that they have been provided with food and nesting material for the winter.

I have seen similar activities at other museums, what material has anyone
else used to mimic loose, unconsolidated matrix?  I'm thinking sand would
work although it would be harder to clean out of the carpet when kids track
it around.

Thoughts, advice, words of experience?

Elizabeth Moore


Dr. Elizabeth A. Moore, Curator of Collections
Virginia Museum of Natural History
1001 Douglas Avenue
Martinsville, VA  24112
emoore at vmnh.org