Stone Mountain’s Rock Outcrops, Forests, Streams and Lakes are the Focus of New Photography Exhibit at Fernbank Museum

Fernbank Museum of Natural History reveals the natural beauty seen within Stone Mountain’s parks and nature trails in the new exhibition Scenic Stone Mountain: Photographs by Larry Winslett, on view from February 14 through May 17, 2009.

Scenic Stone Mountain features 51 color photographs taken by Winslett during 30 years of exploration of the mountain. The photographs reveal the personal and intimate connection Winslett feels with Stone Mountain.

“They [the photographs] have been part of a spiritual journey to connect with nature and share that connection with the viewer,” Winslett says about the exhibition. “It is my sincere hope that these images capture some of the beauty and mystery that is to be found in Stone Mountain Park.”

The collection reveals much beyond the granite outcrop seen rising above the Atlanta skyline. From sunsets to blooming flowers, and from Native mortars to winter scenes reflected on Venable Lake, the exhibition offers many sights familiar to park regulars and some vistas that are unknown to all but a few. The majority of the photographs were taken throughout Stone Mountain’s Natural District, which is accessible to visitors, but other photos showcase the restricted areas of the famous mountain, including the steep South slopes and quarries.

When Winslett first started his photography career, he lived and worked near the mountain, finding inspiration in the rock outcrops, forests, streams and lakes surrounding Stone Mountain—natural features that can rarely be found in one park, especially in an urban area.

“Every afternoon, I would walk there, with camera, and I quickly realized what a special place it is for photography. Over time I have learned a lot about both nature and photography at the mountain. It will always be a special place to me,” he says.

He says that as an artist, it’s difficult to choose a favorite photograph from Scenic Stone Mountain, but he admits autumn provides some beautiful scenery.

“The fall shots are some of my favorites,” Winslett says. “The great tree diversity in the park helps it have one of the better fall color displays in Georgia.”

The park is also home to hundreds of species of flowering plants and boasts one of the highest concentrations of biological and habitat diversity in the state. Winslett says he hopes the exhibition will open people’s eyes to how much beauty exists here and will also help lend inspiration to protect Georgia’s remaining wild places.

“Most people see my Stone Mountain photos and say, ‘Wow, I didn’t realize there was any nature left there,’” Winslett says. “Most people who haven’t really explored it think the park is totally developed, when in reality the majority of it is off-limits to development, and there has been a major commitment to preserve those areas by the state and park managers.”

Winslett studied photography at the New York Institute of Photography and learned by studying with several well-known nature photographers, including John Shaw and David Middleton, but he says experience has been his biggest teacher.

“When I first started in nature photography, I would go out and say, ‘Today I’m going to get this shot or that shot,’” Winslett says. “That almost never worked out.

“With nature photography, at least for me, the more time I spend with the subject or place, the more possibilities begin to open up. Very often, if you are open to it, something totally unexpected will reveal itself to you. For me, it gets very intimate—it’s then that I usually get the shots I like best.”

Scenic Stone Mountain: Photographs by Larry Winslett is on view at Fernbank Museum of Natural History from February 14 through May 17, 2009. The exhibition is included with Museum admission. Tickets are $15 for adults, $14 for students and seniors, $13 for children ages 3-12, and free for children ages 2 years old and younger and for Museum members.

Fernbank Museum of Natural History is located at 767 Clifton Road in Atlanta. Tickets are available by phone at 404.929.6400 or online at fernbankmuseum.org
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Georgia Aquarium Has a Splash With Great Offers for the Season

Has the recent economic news kept you from the great family events around the Atlanta area? Don't be afraid to take a dip at the Georgia Aquarium where you can purchase special packages for Stone Mountain, King Tut, Fernbank, Zoo Atlanta and other local attractions.

Visit the Georgia Aquarium to see the specials. Note some of the specials must be purchased at the Aquarium. Enjoy Atlanta!

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Antarctica Ices Over Fernbank’s IMAX® Theatre

Experience the icy mysteries and exquisite beauties of the highest, driest and coldest continent on Earth in the giant screen film Antarctica opening June 7, 2008 at Fernbank Museum of Natural History.

Audiences will witness penguins, seals and other exotic life forms that call this southernmost expanse home while learning about its history and scientific research stations. The only place on Earth with no permanent human inhabitants, Antarctica is home to an incredible diversity of life that thrives in one of the harshest environments, giving an air of wonderment to this delicate ecosystem. This five-story film experience illustrates the magnificence of the crisp, blue skies and bright, white ice along with the deep crevasses and towering mountains of the Antarctic.

Observe scientific endeavors in this remote region aiming to spread the message of protecting the fragile balance of the Earth’s ecology. The Antarctic ice sheets hold 70 percent of the world’s water, demonstrating the importance of slowing global warming, preserving the ozone layer and, ultimately, helping our planet.

“Antarctica is a film that uses the IMAX® format so well, taking audiences to one of the Earth’s natural wonders in a way that most people will never experience on their own,” said Heather Heimmer, Fernbank’s Director of Environmental Education. “It’s a great companion to our special exhibition, Ends of the Earth—giving people a hands-on exploration of our polar regions in the exhibition, and a dramatically beautiful view beneath the icy waters and across the frozen expanses of Antarctica in the film.”

Fernbank has combined the splendor of Antarctica with the special exhibition, Ends of the Earth: From Polar Bears to Penguins, to maximize an exciting adventure to the freezing, yet lively, environments of the world. Penguins of the Antarctic: A Photographic Expedition will also be featured at Fernbank from June 8-August 31, allowing Museum visitors to get an up-close look at the Adelie, Gentoo, Macaroni, King and Emperor Penguins that are found in Antarctica.

Antarctica shows daily at Fernbank Museum of Natural History from June 7, 2008 through January 2, 2009. Ends of the Earth: From Polar Bears to Penguins is on view from June 7, 2008 through January 2, 2009.

IMAX® tickets are $13 for adults, $12 for students and seniors, $11 for children ages 3 to 12, $8 for Museum members, and free for children ages 2 and under. Martinis & IMAX® tickets, available on Friday nights, are $15. Value Pass tickets, which combine Antarctica, Ends of the Earth: From Polar Bears to Penguins and Penguins of the Antarctic: A Photographic Expedition with full museum access, are $23 for adults, $21 for students and seniors, $19 for children ages 3 to 12, $8 for Museum members, and free for children 2 and under.

Fernbank Museum of Natural History is located at 767 Clifton Road in Atlanta. More information is available to visitors at fernbankmuseum.org. Tickets can be purchased in advance at 404.929.6400.

Wild Ocean Takes IMAX® Audiences at Fernbank Museum on a Spectacular Underwater Adventure Where Africa Meets the Sea

Embark on an underwater adventure where Africa meets the sea, in the new large-format film Wild Ocean showing in Fernbank Museum of Natural History’s IMAX® Theatre from July 19 through November 14, 2008. This action-packed, inspirational IMAX® documentary explores the relationship between man and the ocean ecosystem.

Highlighting one of nature’s greatest migration spectacles, Wild Ocean plunges viewers into an underwater feeding frenzy—an epic struggle for survival where whales, sharks, dolphins, seals, gannets and billions of fish collide with the most voracious sea predator, mankind. Filmed off the Wild Coast of South Africa and set to the rhythmic dances and songs of the local people, Wild Ocean reveals the economic and cultural impact of the ocean while celebrating the communal efforts to protect our invaluable marine resources.

Wild Ocean chronicles the annual migration of billions of sardines that travel up the KwaZulu-Natal shoreline, known to locals as the Wild Coast. This migration has provided a food source not only for countless generations of people living along the African shore, but also for the ocean’s residents, including predators that journey from great distances to feast.

An amazing array of ocean life converges on the migration route in a dramatic and frenzied fashion. Bottlenose dolphins create superpods thousands strong to track down the huge shoals. Sharks sense blood in the water and join the hunt. Seals and common dolphins chase the fish from cooler currents up the coast into the warmer tropical waters. Cape Gannets, a species of diving birds, join the battle with aerial attacks from the sky. All of these animals are drawn to the scene, enmeshed in one of the most incredible mass feeding melees in the natural world.

Unfortunately such a richness of life is now rare in our seas. For centuries the ocean was considered a vast, limitless resource. As fishing practices grew more industrialized and efficient throughout the 20th century, entire fish stocks around North America, Europe and Asia began to collapse. The fish, hauled onto boats by the ton, were an integral part of a complex marine ecosystem, a link in a great food chain on which many predators depend. Eventually, entire fish species were decimated and the ocean predator populations went into a steep decline.

Now a new threat, global climate change, threatens to further damage the fragile ocean ecology. While Wild Ocean explores the causes and effects of man’s impact, it is an inspirational film looking toward a bright future, taking audiences to a rare and unspoiled marine wilderness to glimpse what the oceans of the world once looked like and reveals the steps being taken to help restore a healthy ocean ecosystem. The film champions the creation of marine reserves, ecologically friendly fishing practices, fishing limits and other measures necessary to bring our oceans back to life—with South Africa leading the way.

“Wild Ocean is a timely and uplifting film that celebrates the life in our oceans,” said Heather Heimmer, Fernbank’s Director of Environmental Education. “It’s an incredible look at how a balanced ocean needs healthy numbers from the bottom of the food chain to the top and how the South African culture has embraced this annual feeding event while doing their part to keep the ecosystem in check.”

Wild Ocean shows daily at Fernbank Museum of Natural History from July 19 through November 14, 2008. IMAX® tickets are $13 for adults, $12 for students/seniors, $11 for children ages 3-12, $8 for Museum members, and free (on a space-available basis) for children ages 2 and younger.

Fernbank Museum of Natural History is located at 767 Clifton Road, NE in Atlanta. To reserve tickets by phone call 404.929.6400. For Museum information call 404.929.6300 or visit www.fernbankmuseum.org.