Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Weyerhaeuser Donates $75,000 To Museum Of Science And History

Arkansas Museum of Science and History's executive director Bill Bradshaw, left, thanks Weyerhaeuser government affairs manager Thedford Collins for the company's $75,000 contribution to the new Worlds of the Forest exhibit to be located in the new Museum of Science and History in Little Rock.

Weyerhaeuser Company has contributed $75,000 to the Arkansas Museum of Science and History to help with the development of a new `Worlds of the Forest' exhibit to be located in the new museum in the Little Rock River Market district.

Museum executive director Bill Bradshaw accepted the donation from Weyerhaeuser government affairs manager Thedford Collins during a news conference held at the new museum site on April 2.

"We're delighted to receive this assistance for expanding educational opportunities," Bradshaw said. "The larger, modern museum space will provide more unique learning experiences through new artifacts and hands-on exhibits, programs and events," he said.

One such exhbit is the Worlds of the Forest, which will encompass three major themes: history of people's use of the forests; forest management, both historical and modern; and a simulated forest research station where participants can discover the interdependency of plants, animals and humans.

Native Americans and early settlers were concerned with the needs of everyday life and derived many necessities from the forests. Today's tools and techniques will be featured in an interactive display contrasting modern and historic equipment.

The exhibit will present the Worlds of the Forest through five areas: forest management, products, ecosystem, the Insect Zoo and the Earth Lab's simulated forest research station.

"With Weyerhaeuser Company's history of sound forest management and their leadership within the forest industry, we felt they would be an ideal sponsor for the forest management area," Bradshaw said.

"Since the beginning of time, mankind has utilized the forest and its many products to meet essential needs including shelter, heat, tools and areas for hunting and fishing." Bradsahw said. "In their own way, Americans have always managed the forests for the material resources they provide. Certainly the forest has been central to our state's history and develpment."

The forest management exhibit will detail peoples' use of forest resources and will trace the history of forest management to maximize its resources. "We've been managing the forests for centuries, only your specific objectives have changed," Bradshaw said.

"Weyerhaeuser Company has been nurturing and growing forests for decades, providing the forest products we all need and use every day, and taking special care of the needs of wildlife and water resources," said Collins. "People have always managed the forest. We just do a better job of managing today, because of science and advanced technology. We're able to maximize the use of all components of a tree.

"Such effective management of private lands which are devoted to tree growing allows public forests to be used for a wider variety of purposes," Collins said.

The Worlds of the Forest exhibit will be ready for visitors in the spring of 1998 when the new museum officially opens.

For more information about the museum or to find out how to make a contribution to the new museum, contact Bill Bradshaw at 1-800-880-6475.