New Exhibit Opens in Missoula
About 60 people interested in the history of Glacial Lake Missoula attended a short program celebrating the re-design of the exhibit at the Montana Natural History Center on June 14th. The exhibit tells the story of ice age floods features in the region and local geologist J.T. Pardee as well as giving information about the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail, which is still under development by the National Park Service.
The exhibit designer, Olga Helmy, was recognized for her creative interpretation, including the “underwater” feel of the display. The display is also specially designed for accessibility by smaller children and those with handicaps.
Mike Bishop, a self proclaimed Glacial Lake Missoula enthusiast, read a short poem on the topic of the floods penned by Pardee which he found in a publication of Pardee’s famous 1942 journal article on “unusual currents” acquired from an estate sale, in honor of his key role in resolving the controversy about the origin of the floodwaters that created the unique features found in eastern Washington.
There is also a large screen video display of floods features, and videos still under development will allow individual interactive exploration of specific floods topics on smaller ipad screens.
The re-design of the display was made possible in part by grant from the Montana Department of Commerce, Office of Tourism, as well as a large individual donation.