#96-49

Mailed 6/14/96

FREE SUMMER SUNDAY TOURS OF
BROOKHAVEN LAB START JULY 14

Special emphasis on environment added; tours every Sunday until August 25

Upton, NY -- This summer, the hands-on family fun at Brookhaven National Laboratory's Science Museum will share the spotlight with serious, but still entertaining, environmental themes.

On seven Sundays, from July 14 to August 25, visitors of all ages are invited to take in all the sights and sounds of Brookhaven's Summer Sunday tours. The guided tours run continuously, departing roughly every 15 minutes between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call 344-2345 during weekday business hours.

Responding to the community's growing interest in its environmental impact, the world-renowned scientific research laboratory has created new exhibits, demonstrations, nature walks and multimedia presentations. These eco-minded additions cover everything from chemicals and radiation to pine barrens protection and Superfund cleanup.

As in the past, a video introduction to the Lab's research, a bus tour of the site and a visit to the Science Museum are all on tap for visitors.

The following new features are planned for the Summer Sunday tours:

• New Science Exhibits: Help build a 10-foot freestanding arch bridge from blocks, then walk over it; see all the colors of the rainbow blend, bend and separate on the Light Island; and explore the chemistry of gases with the Ping Pong Pinball machine.
• Nature Walks on BNL Site: On three Sundays, dates to be announced, a guide will take limited numbers of visitors on walking tours through ecologically significant areas of the Lab's 5,300-acre pine-forested site. Space is limited, so reservations are suggested for these tours, which will be given at 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. Call 344-4049 to reserve.
• Going with the (Groundwater) Flow: Long Island's groundwater is precious, and the Laboratory is working to protect and clean it. A tabletop model of the Island's groundwater aquifer, which shows the potential impact of pollution, will be demonstrated.
• Radiation and Radioactivity: Museum-goers can learn about the radioactivity that's in everyday items, in demonstrations given by the Lab's radiation protection specialists. Another exhibit lets visitors compare the radiation doses from natural and manmade radiation sources, including cosmic rays, dental x-rays, radon and Brookhaven Lab's scientific machines.
• Talk to the Eco-Experts: Every Sunday, environmental professionals from the Lab's staff will be on hand to give demonstrations in the museum and to answer questions about Brookhaven's environmental programs in an "Ask Me!" booth at the reception center.
• Video Ecology: The Lab's progress in cleaning up environmental contamination on its site is the focus of a brief video to be shown continuously in the reception center. A companion video will show the "wild side" of Brookhaven's site, including flora and fauna that find a haven in the Lab's pine-barren forests.
• STOP Pollution at Home: Visitors will get tips on how to use and dispose of household chemicals responsibly, and hear how the Lab has improved its handling of scientific and industrial chemicals to protect the environment.

The eco-minded additions will take their place in the reception center and in the three-story museum, alongside more than 20 interactive science-oriented displays and activities that entrance children and adults alike.

Also at the museum, visitors with a bent for history will be particularly interested in the Camp Upton Historical Collection. This special section of the museum features an extensive collection of photos and memorabilia from World Wars I and II, when the Brookhaven site was the Army's Camp Upton. A video, "From Basic Training to Basic Research," describes the early history of the site.

Refreshments and rest rooms are available, and a souvenir shop located at the Science Museum is stocked with science-related toys and other fun items.

For information about Brookhaven's free Sunday tours, call the Lab's Public Affairs Office, at (516) 344-2345. Brookhaven Lab is located on the William Floyd Parkway (County Road 46), one-and-a-half miles north of Exit 68 of the Long Island Expressway.