Cold Spring Harbor, NY — Have you ever wanted to stop in for a closer look at one of the premiere scientific institutions in the world? Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), home to some of history’s earliest genetic research and today’s brightest minds, announces its 2008 schedule for guided Scientific Walking Tours.
The tour program offers the general public a chance to stroll through the picturesque campus along the shore of Cold Spring Harbor, and visit various sites including the Jones laboratory, the oldest continuously used biological laboratory in the United States, and the Carnegie Library, where genetics research in the United States began in 1904. Tour guests will walk the halls of science where seven Nobel laureates worked and hear firsthand about current CSHL research focusing on cancer, autism, Parkinson’s disease and schizophrenia.
The tour program originally began as a way for visiting scientists from around the world to learn about and explore the campus. As the Laboratory’s stature has grown, so has the public’s interest. “It really is a great way for residents from across the region to get acquainted with the Lab,” said CSHL’s Val Pakaluk, who organizes the tours. “There’s so much to learn here: the science, the history, and the natural surroundings of the campus. The tours let you fully experience CSHL.”
The 90-minute tours begin at 10 a.m. on appointed Saturday mornings and are led by CSHL graduate students. Sometimes, tour participants surprise the guides with their own scientific knowledge. “I just loved the enthusiasm of one local student who was doing a school project on CSHL. I was astonished by how much he knew about science—much more than I did when I was his age!” said Kasia Hrecka, CSHL tour leader. Hrecka, a visiting graduate student from the University of Gdansk in Poland, added, “I love interacting with the community and sharing with them all that I know about science at CSHL.”
The tours are primarily outdoors and will take place rain or shine. They include some areas with stair-climbing and hills, and are not recommended for people who have difficulty walking.
The 2008 Scientific Walking Tour Schedule
March 8 and 22
April 12 and 26
May 10 and 24
June 7, 14, 21, 28
July 5, 12, 19, 26
August 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
September 13 and 27
October 11 and 25
November 8 and 22
To join a tour, reservations and a nonrefundable tour fee of $5.00 per person are required at least seven days in advance. Please call Val at 516-367-6895 to make your reservations. Visit https://www.cshl.edu/public-events/ for more information.
Written by: Communications Department | publicaffairs@cshl.edu | 516-367-8455