We have several wall and tabletop exhibits throughout our Visitor Center, and we switch them out regularly.
Here is what's out right now!
Fantastic Feathers
What makes a bird a bird? Not flight, not beaks, not beautiful songs, but feathers! We have 200 bird specimens in the Visitor Center, on loan from the Lahontan Audubon Society, which has also loaned us several feathers to put on display in this exhibit. In this display, you can learn about the unique structure of feathers and look at one up close through a microscope, different feather patterns and how they help with camouflage, and the structures of different feather colors. Then, go on a scavenger hunt through the Visitor Center to see if you can match feather colors and patterns to different birds.
 
Watersheds and Pollution
If you’ve ever hiked our trails, you probably know we have a lot of creeks here: Galena Creek, Thomas Creek, Jones Creek, and White Creek. All of these creeks eventually flow into the Truckee River, which runs from Lake Tahoe to Pyramid Lake. That makes our park and the city of Reno part of the Truckee River watershed, an area of land where all the water flows into the same river or lake. Through this display, you can learn more about our watershed, the water cycle, and the causes and effects of water pollution. Finally, you can learn what you can do as an individual, family, or community to make sure we protect our watershed and prevent pollution.
​Tree Rings
The trees in our forest are always telling stories about weather, climate, fires, droughts, and human history. Learn how dendrochronologists study tree rings and growth patterns to read these stories. You can analyze our tree cookies, find patterns, and better understand the adaptations of pine trees and the natural history of the forest. Once you’re an expert, you can follow a prompt to make your own tree ring.
Lichen
​It’s a moss! It’s a plan! No, it’s a symbiotic relationship between fungi and algae! Lichen is a fascinating example of millions of years of co-evolution right below our noses. A lichen is composed of at least one species of fungus, which provides structure and protection as well as slowly decomposing the rock and putting nutrients into the soil, and at least one species of algae, or cyanobacteria, which photosynthesizes and provides food for the lichen. These creatures are found in almost every ecosystem, on trees or rocks, and are vital to many of these ecosystems. Through this display, you can learn about the fascinating role of lichen in cleaning the air and indicating air pollution. Now that you know what that is you see on rocks during your hikes, get out and describe them! Consider texture, color, shape, and whether they are on rocks or trees. Bringing that information back to the Visitor Center can help us evaluate the diversity and relative abundance of lichen in the park.




​Mammal Tracks
​You’re walking along a muddy trail and in front of your sneaker you see an animal track! Is it a squirrel? A bear? A new species no one has yet to discover? It’s up to you to find out. Using this simple, straight-forward process you can figure out what animal made almost any track in the Galena Forest. Remember to take a picture of the track and send it to us!