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Public event set for Saturday thanks to Friends donors Worleins, Rays, Wunderlich

Viewing the stars during the day won’t be an issue Saturday at the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center.

Austin’s Nature Center now has a large, inflatable planetarium with high-definition technology that will be open to the public in the interpretive center classroom from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, with the last group taken into the planetarium at 3:40 p.m. Attendees can join a nature center naturalist for a free, 15-minute presentation inside the StarLab planetarium that is about 20 feet across and 10 feet tall inside.

“It can be challenging to teach about space and the night’s sky during the day,” said Luke Reese, director of the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center. “This is a wonderful teaching tool that students and the public will use for years to come. We are blessed to have a community like Austin that so strongly supports science and environmental education.”

A dedication ceremony is planned for 12:30 p.m. in the interpretive center at the nature center, located at 1304 21st St. N.E.

For two weeks, the nature center has put the new planetarium to use, with about a dozen classes of area students so far experiencing the celestial programming, Reese said.

The nonprofit Friends of the Hormel Nature Center’s board of directors approved the planetarium’s purchase thanks to a $25,000 donation from Paul and Joanne Worlein, of Austin, and about $16,100 in previously donated funds from Gary and Pat Ray. About $4,500 also was used from an estate gift by the late Ruth Wunderlich.

“The Friends are incredibly grateful for our generous donors who are the reason we could purchase this cutting-edge planetarium to further enhance the nature center’s high-quality programming,” said Tim Ruzek, president of the Friends board.

Started in the 1980s, the Friends of the Hormel Nature Center’s mission is to enhance and encourage environmental education, scientific opportunities and the enjoyment of nature at the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center.

For student programming, the planetarium can host up to 35 students at a time for its digital programs covering astronomy and earth science. This will be ideal for sixth-grade science field trips to the nature center, Reese said, as well as for general programs for the public, including in relation to the new Cedar River Astronomy Club.

Nature center staff have put the planetarium to use this month with numerous classes of area students, whose common reaction to the new feature has been “whoa,” Reese said, adding that one student called it the “coolest thing.” Teachers also appreciate that the planetarium and its curriculum align with science standards for sixth grade, he said.

A year ago, the Friends paid for the rental of a similar, inflatable planetarium that was about 30 years old for use with area students and a public open house.

“This newer planetarium allows us to more easily fly around the galaxy exploring the cosmos with better visuals,” Reese said.

For each presentation Saturday, up to 20 people will be allowed inside the walk-in planetarium – a mini dome – that is accessible to those using a wheelchair. This will be done on a first-come, first-served basis; no shoes are allowed inside it.

Exhibits at the interpretive center also will be open to enjoy.

StarLab’s planetarium uses a computer to generate images displayed by a high-definition projector through a “fisheye” lens that projects a 180-degree field-of-view with limited or no distortion. With the computer, images can be changed easily and quickly.

With the StarLab computer software, nature center staff can offer a variety of topics inside the planetarium, including star and constellation names; planet views; moon and sun views; and geology. This software also comes with curriculum based on grade-level standards, which is appreciated by teachers, Reese said.

“This will allow the nature center to provide a wider variety of programming to the community,” Reese said.

About two years ago, the nature center benefited from another major gift by the Worleins when they gave $25,000 toward the purchase of three Action Trackchairs to allow people with mobility challenges to more easily explore the center’s 10 miles of trails. These are available for free rental and have been highly popular by locals and visitors to the community.

Austin Eagles Lookout Aerie 703 gave $7,065 toward the Action Trackchairs, with another $7,000 from the Friends of the Hormel Nature Center, $1,000 from Mayo Clinic Health System and $500 from Freeborn-Mower Cooperative’s Operation Round-Up.