by AIDA MALLARD
Special to The Guardian

In conjunction with Black History Month, the University of Florida Black Student Union will be sponsoring two major events for the Gainesville community.

The community is invited to take part in Kids Day, a day of fun with education included, and the 13th annual Health Fair for the entire family.

Kids Day will be held from 11 am-3 pm Saturday at the T.B. McPherson Recreation Center, 1717 SE 15th St. The Health Fair, which also is sponsored by the Minority Association of Pre-Health Students, or MAPS, will be held from 10 am-4 pm Febuary 26 at Idylwild Elementary School, 4601 SW 20th Terrace.

Shannon Pringle, a member of the Black Student Union, said Kids Day will focus on fun and education. "We want to give students a taste of what it's like to be a student at the UF," said Pringle, adding that the event will have a carnival-like atmosphere with a full slate of fun and games, food and giveaways. The theme is education.

Christina Desnoyers, the Kids Day co-director along with Cecil Duffie, said Kids Day is open to everyone, but targets children in elementary and middle school. Activities will include bounce houses, giant slides and more. Food offerings will include, but are not limited to, cotton candy, snocones and more.

"We want to motivate parents and families to make healthy choices," Duffie said. While playing with the children, Pringle said UF students will also be encouraging them to pursue a college education.

"We want them to pursue a college education and to be physically active," said Pringle, adding that the goal is for the children to see that, "we are the same color and ethnicity as them, and if we can be successful at the UF, so can they," she said.

Pringle, who along with Elaine Duran is co-director of the health fair, said the health fair will provide services for everyone and will include blood glucose testing, blood pressure screening, vision screening, immunizations, including flu shots, HIV testing, and "Ask the Doctor" and "Ask the Pharmacists" booths.

In addition, LifeSouth will be accepting blood donations and providing those who donate blood with sickle cell trait testing.

There will be free dance and gymnastic classes, free food for breakfast and lunch, giveaways and goodie bags for the children.

Dr. Barbara Henry, principal at Idylwild Elementary, said the health fair will provide opportunities for the community and promote health in the family.

For more information, visit http://ufblackhistorymonth.com

What: Kids Day and the 13th annual Health Fair by the UF Black Student Union.

When: Kids Day, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday; Health Fair, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Feb. 26.

Where: Kids Day, T.B. McPherson Recreation Center, 1717 SE 15th St.; Health Fair, Idylwild Elementary School, 4601 SW 20th Terrace.

Cost: Free.

Information: Visit http://ufblackhistorymonth.com/descriptions.aspx.

http://www.gainesville.com/article/20110209/GUARDIAN/110209396/-1/entertainment?p=all&tc=pgall&tc=ar

By Alexandra Chachkevitch
Correspondent, Gainesville Sun

In the spirit of Valentine's Day, Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's romantic music will take audiences on a journey of passion, love and despair courtesy of the Gainesville Chamber Orchestra.

Translated into music, classical stories of love, passion and intrigue will resonate inside the University Auditorium on Friday kicking off the Valentine's Day weekend.

“What better way to celebrate a Valentine's day than bringing a hot date to a concert on a Friday night?” says Evans Haile, the Gainesville Chamber Orchestra's conductor.

The orchestra will perform Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's selected repertoire at its year's first concert, “Music for a Passionate Valentine,” at the University Auditorium on Friday at 7:30 pm.

The 60-member orchestra will perform the Russian composer's two, full music pieces, “Romeo and Juliet” and Symphony No. 4, as well as two short ones, “Polonaise” from the opera “Eugene Onegin” and a section from “The Snow Maiden.”

“No one is more passionate of a composer than Tchaikovsky,” says Haile, orchestra's artistic and music director. “His music really defines the high romantic passion and sex.”

The orchestra plays the 19th-century composer's music at least once a year at its annual Beloved Pops concert in March, said Virginia Lamboley, 52, orchestra's personal manager and principal violist.

But this will be the first time the concert is completely Valentine's Day themed with an only concentration on Tchaikovsky.

“He's my mother's favorite, my daughter's favorite,” Lamboley said. “He's almost everyone's favorite.”

His famous “Romeo and Juliet” love theme has been used widely in TV shows and films, everything from “Clueless,” “Wayne's World” and “Sesame Street” to the video game “The Sims.”

On the other hand, “Symphony No. 4” is a personal reflection of Tchaikovsky's own life in the 1870s.

At the core of the music piece are the composer's unhappy marriage with his wife Antonina Miliukova and his artistic relationship with his patroness Nadezhda von Meck, to whom the symphony was dedicated.

“I consider it to be a menage a trois piece,” Haile said. “It's perfect for Valentine's day.”

The way the music soars in Tchaikovsky's work gives it a strong romantic quality, Haile said.

“You could close your eyes and see the [“Romeo and Juliet” play] in your head because of the way the music is written,” he said.

Haile, who has been conducting the Gainesville Chamber Orchestra for 11 years, said the orchestra's main purpose is to bring some of the world's best music to the public.

“The orchestra is one of the crown jewels of our community,” said Santa Fe College President Jackson Sasser, adding that he and his wife Layne attend the performances whenever they can. “I don't think some people in this community realize that.”

Sasser said he hopes Santa Fe will soon become another home for the orchestra with its new fine arts hall opening in about two months.

‘Tchaikovsky: Music for a Passionate Valentine'

What: Gainesville Chamber Orchestra performs Valentine's Day-themed concert

When: 7:30 pm, Friday

Where: University Auditorium, Newell Drive and Union Road, UF campus

Tickets: $25, $20 for seniors, $15 for students and children under 12

Info: http://gcomusic.org/

http://www.gainesville.com/article/20110210/ARTICLES/110209409/1006/NEWS?p=all&tc=pgall

CALICO JACK’S: 3501 SW Second Ave., 371-1675. 1982 BAR: 919 W. University Ave., Gainesville. Tonight: Jana Pelle and the Half-Steps, Dirty Fist, Jacqueline Le’Bleu, Giselle, Allie Wetzel. Friday: Open mic. Sunday: Jump Radar, Camp Kidneys, Shotgun Diplomacy, Plane Out of Context, No Parts, Sleeping Spiders. Wednesday: Jonathan Tony.

ATLANTIC: 15 N. Main St. Friday: Paint Me Irrational, Bad Moves, David Cook, Fools and Horses. Saturday: DJ Wax Atom and Curb Cut.

BACKSTAGE LOUNGE: 1315 S. Main St. 373-0281. Tonight: Ammo Nation, Shaken, The Banditos. Friday: Dead Will Rising, Razorz Edge. Saturday: Kill Kurt Reifler, Kostic Law, Green Ampt. Monday: Karaoke. Tuesday: Karaoke. Wednesday: Chasen Hampton, Paleface, Matt Adkins and Jay DiBella.

BEEF ‘O’ BRADY’S: 1999 NW 43rd St. 338-7771. Saturday: Cliff Knizley. Wednesday: Moondog.

BLUE WATER BAY: 319 State Road 26, Melrose. 475-1928. Tuesday: Killer B’s. 

CALICO JACK’S: 3501 SW Second Ave. 371-1675. Friday: Midnight Pistol.

COMMON GROUNDS: 210 SW Second Ave. Tonight: That One Guy. Friday: Duppies, Magadog, Waxed Curbs. Saturday: The Shoddy Beatles, Cassolette. Monday: Live Band Karaoke with Third Base and the Hits.

DIRTY BAR: 2441 NW 43rd St. 373-1141. Tonight: Wolfgang. Friday and Saturday: Area Code. Tuesday: Karaoke. Wednesday: DJ Pacman.

DURTY NELLY’S: 208 W. University Ave. 374-9567. Friday and Saturday: Spade McQuade.

EAGLES LANDING: 7118 W. University Ave. 332-4454. Friday: Studio 235.

EMILIANO’S CAFE: 7 SE First Ave. 375-7381. Wednesday: Karl Weismantel Duo.

FARAH’S ON THE AVENUE: 1120 W. University Ave. 378-5179. Tonight: Alan Stowell and C.P. Heaton.

FRANCESCA’S TRATTORIA: 4410 NW 25th Place, 378-7152. Sunday: Karl Weismantel Duo.

GATOR TALES: 5112 NW 34th St. 376-9500. Tonight: Karaoke. Friday: String Kings. Wednesday: Mark Miale.

GREAT OUTDOORS RESTAURANT: 65 N. Main St. (386) 454-1288. Friday: Late Night Delivery. Saturday: Sno Rogers.

KICKIN’ DEVIL CAFE: 2017 NE 27th Ave. 505-6660. Tonight: Ed Barker, open mic. Friday: Moondog. Saturday: Quarter Moon. Sunday: Linda Pottberg. Tuesday: Progressive Madness. Wednesday: Karaoke.

THE LABORATORY: 818 W. University Ave. 505-5337. Tonight: Oh Fortuna, Bastard Lovechild of Rock N’ Roll, Levek, (MC)2. Friday: Ars Phoenix, Earth Empire, Finite Automata, Mine Canary. Saturday: Killer Robots, Waylon Thornton and Heavy Hands.

LEONARDO’S 706: 706 W. University Ave. 378-2001. Tonight: Ivan Fowler back by the Jazztet.

LIGHTNIN’ SALVAGE: 1800 NE 23rd Ave. 395-6622. Tonight: Bridget Kelly. Friday: Boilin’ Oil. Saturday: Mama Trish. Wednesday: Open mic.

LILLIAN’S: 112 SE First St. 372-1010. Tonight through Saturday: Killer B’s.

MUNEGIN’S: 4005 NW 13th St. 335-0300. Tonight: Karaoke. Friday: Tuff Times Band. Saturday: Sinwaggin. Tuesday: Open mic.

NAPOLATANO’S: 606 NW 75th St. 332-6671. Friday: Karaoke. Sunday: Crooked Council.

RED ONION: 3885 NW 24th Blvd. 505-0088. Friday: Chris and James. Saturday: Blues Lightning. Wednesday: Michael J.

SANTA FE BAR: 23731 S. U.S. 441, High Springs, 386-454-9461. Friday: DJ Wildman. Saturday: DJ Wildsis.

SPINDRIFTER LOUNGE: 16130 NW U.S. 441, Alachua, (386) 462-9081. Friday and Saturday: Stryke. Wednesday: DJ Wildman.

SUNSHINE EAGLES @ DUBS: 4562 NW 13th St. 335-4518. Tonight: Karaoke. Friday and Saturday: The Imposters. Saturday: Valentines Dance.

THE VENUE: 233 W. University Ave. 374-4114. Tuesday: Afroman, Half Track, D.P., B Brown.

1996: The first chess game between a human champion and a computer takes place, with international grandmaster Garry Kasparov losing to IBM’s Deep Blue in Philadelphia.

Had Kasparov gone on to lose the whole match, it would have only stoked the fears of those believers in a dystopian world where man is ruled by his inventions.

But Kasparov, who became the world’s youngest grand master in 1985 at the age of 22, recovered his equilibrium after his initial stumble. He won the next game, then drew twice before taking Games 5 and 6 to win the match, 4-2.

Kasparov lost a rematch to Deep Blue the following year — his first match loss ever to any kind of opponent. Then, in 2001, he managed a 3-3 draw against Deep Junior, an entirely different software program.

Aside from their stunt value, these man-vs.-computer matches have changed the way that chess is played, and not necessarily for the better. “We don’t work at chess anymore,” complained grandmaster Evgeny Bareev. “We just look at the stupid computer, we follow the latest games and find small improvements. We have lost depth.”

Others, however, are more philosophical: “Cars can outrun us, but that hasn’t stopped us from having foot races,” said U.S. grandmaster Maurice Ashley. “Even if a computer is the best player on the planet, I’ll still want to go around the corner, set up the chess pieces and try to kick your butt.”

Matt Blum assayed the significance of the first match on Wired.com’s GeekDad blog in 2010:

While nobody could have known at the time, this was the moment when machines truly began their conquest of Earth. Despite Kasparov rebounding from his first-game loss to beat Deep Blue in the match, the computer’s win demonstrated the inevitability of the rise of artificially intelligent devices. When the upgraded Deep Blue won the rematch against Kasparov the following year, there were those who thought this presaged humanity’s downfall, but they were largely scoffed at as conspiracy theorists.

So raise a glass in toast to our robot overlords… Did I say “overlords?” I meant “protectors.”

http://www.wired.com/thisdayintech/2011/02/0210computer-deep-blue-beats-chess-champ-kasparov/

"Foreign aid: A transfer of money from poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries." 

Today

Rain in the morning, then slight chance of rain and drizzle in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 50s. North winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80 %.

Tonight

Mostly cloudy. Lows in the upper 30s. North winds 5 mph.

Hazardous Weather

Cold rain associated with a low pressure system will continue across the area today with clearing from the northwest during the afternoon. Total rainfall amounts are expected to be one quarter inch to one inch.

Forecast Details

A cold front is across northeast Florida early this morning with St. Augustine the most recent site reporting a 180 degree wind shift from southeast winds to northwest. MSAS analysis centers a low the northeast Gulf and another near the northeast Florida coast. With these lows traveling along the front and near zonal flow aloft, the front will be slow to move out of the area. Isolated lightning has occurred as storms move onshore off the Gulf. Most storms have been weakening as they track eastward. NAM suggests mu convective available potential energy of around 200j over Suwannee Valley in pre-dawn hours, then decreasing by sunrise as front drifts southeast. Isentropic lift is keeping most of precipitation on north side of front, and will keep likely to categorical probability of precipitation for most of the area through the morning while the system slowly moves toward the southeast. Rain/drizzle is expected to end for most of southeast Georgia and Suwannee River valley by early afternoon and will go with 20-30% for northeast Florida coast inland to Gainesville and Ocala after 1 PM.

By tonight, models have the front stalled over South Florida as low pressure develops near the Bahamas. This low will track toward the North Atlantic Friday and Friday night.

Today's Pollen Levels: 3.9 Low Medium(on a scale to 12); Predominate Pollen: Juniper.

For additional information visit the National Weather Service in Jacksonville website on the internet at http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jax/

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I-75 that ribbon of concrete that runs from Canada to Miami right through the heart of north central Florida....

Here's a web site for all that you can do up and down the interstate and the Florida Turnpike ….

http://www.i75online.com/

The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office has seen an increased number of reported incidents involving subjects going door-to-door in neighborhoods soliciting magazine sales.  This is occurring countywide, but most reported incidents are occurring on the western half of the county.  At this point in time we do not have any evidence that the groups are connected to any criminal activity. 

We urge residents to be cautious and report any suspicious activity. 

• Use a peephole to identify who is at your door.
• Be cautious of unknown people at your door soliciting for anything.
• Ask for identification from the individual as well as the company they represent.
• Never give out personal information without knowing who you are dealing with.
• Never allow a stranger into your home. 

If you suspect these groups may be operating in your neighborhood, contact the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office at (352)-955-1818 or 911.  Try to provide the operator with physical descriptions of the suspect, the direction of travel from your location and the mode of travel. 

 For information on the Neighborhood Watch program, please call the Crime Prevention line at (352)-374-1800.  Together we can try to prevent crime from happening in your neighborhood. 

Three Rivers Legal Services, a federally funded non-profit corporation (located in Gainesville, Lake City, and Jacksonville) offering free legal services to qualifying clients, has a Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (partially funded by the Internal Revenue Service) for the sole purpose of providing FREE tax-related legal services to low-income eligible clients in Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Clay, Duval, Nassau, and St. Johns counties.

They handle state and federal tax controversies involving the IRS, represent clients in audits and appeals, and provide representation before the US Tax Court. They also provide educational services to clients with an emphasis on communities and individuals that speak English as a second language.

To see if you qualify and/or to make an appointment, please call the Gainesville office at 352-372-0519 or the Jacksonville office at 904-394-7450.

Alachua County Library District

Also, don't miss out on the tax services being provided throughout Alachua County by AARP & VITA. Find out if they will be at your library by visiting the Library District's events calendar, www.aclib.us/events

University of Florida

Dr. Sherman Jackson, Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies at the University of Michigan, will talk about the American perspective on Islam and Race. The event is brought to you by Islam On Campus, Office of the Provost, the Department of Religion, UF Black History Month, and Student Government. http://ufl.to/46

Islam and Race: An American Perspective

Location: University Auditorium

Time: 7:00PM Tuesday, February 8th

1996: “Cyberspace” is not yet a household word but is about to get a big boost in the public consciousness with an international, one-day event, 24 Hours in Cyberspace.

Top editors, photographers, computer programmers and designers, contributing from all over the world, collaborated to document a single day on the internet. It became not only a digital time capsule but a coming-out party, of sorts, for a medium whose impact was as dramatic in its day as television was a half century earlier.

24 Hours in Cyberspace was the inspiration of photographer Rick Smolan, who created the “Day in the Life” photo-essay series. Smolan used the same formula as “Day in the Life,” recruiting 150 photojournalists to go out and chronicle a slice of everyday life, in this case as it pertained to the then-counterculturish phenomenon of the web.

The technology of the internet was not the subject: Smolan wanted (and got) pictures of how different people in different cultures were using the internet, and the effect that the medium of cyberspace was having on their lives.

The resulting work was edited and then displayed on a website. It also appeared as the cover story of that week’s edition of U.S. News and World Report and, soon thereafter, as a coffee-table book.

Vice President Al Gore, already a vocal defender of the environment, wrote the forward. His wife, Tipper, was one of the photographers.

The project, billed as the “largest one-day online event,” cost around $5 million and was bankrolled by companies — like Sun Microsystems and Adobe — with a vested interest in the internet’s growth, as well as by individual contributors.

As it turned out, Feb. 8, 1996, fell on the very day that President Bill Clinton signed the Communications Decency Act (later overturned in court). Many activists turned their websites black that day, a protest mentioned briefly on the 24 Hours website and in the book. 

One of the most significant and rarely seen cultural sites in China’s Forbidden City will be the subject of a lecture on Thursday by Bonnie Burnham, president of the World Monuments Fund and a University of Florida alumna.

The free lecture starts at 6:30 pm in Holland Hall, Chesterfield Smith Classroom, Room 180.

“Restoring the Emperor’s Private Paradise: Qianlong Garden, Forbidden City, China,” will focus on the decade-long restoration of the Chinese Emperor Qianlong’s private retreat, an elaborate complex of 27 buildings with some of China’s most extravagant 18th-century interiors. The World Monuments Fund, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and protecting endangered ancient and historic sites, has been working with the Chinese government on the restoration of this national treasure.

Burnham graduated from UF in 1969 and is a member of the board of advocates for the College of Design, Construction and Planning’s Historic Preservation Programs. In 2004 she was the first recipient of the program’s Beinecke-Reeves Distinguished Achievement Award, an annual award recognizing an individual with a connection to the state of Florida who exemplifies the spirit of historic preservation and has demonstrated exceptional dedication to the field.

Marty Hylton, an assistant professor of interior design and acting director of the Historic Preservation Programs, organized the event as a way of bringing this beautiful but little-known piece of cultural heritage to public attention.

“The Qianlong garden interiors are some of the most significant in the Forbidden City and China,” Hylton said. “With Bonnie as an example, I hope students can gain a better understanding of the career choices available to them with a degree and background in historic preservation. For the public, this is an opportunity for an insight into a remarkable period of Chinese history and a glimpse of a highly significant heritage site that had, until 2010, not been open to the public in some 50 years.”

The lecture coincides with the opening of an exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on the Qianlong restoration. The exhibition, which was launched at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Mass., features 90 objects of ceremony and leisure that inhabited the private realm of the Qianlong Emperor. Many of these objects had never been seen outside China until now.

The event is co-sponsored by the Historic Preservation Programs and the Department of Interior Design, and seating is limited.

For more information contact Hylton at 352-392-4836 or mhylton@ufl.edu.

International travelers are advised to contact their medical providers and foreign travel clinics for information related to communicable disease threats in foreign countries.  

“Increased travel during the upcoming spring break periods provides an opportunity to review immunization status and identify region specific health threats.” stated Paul Myers, Assistant Director of the Alachua County Health Department.  “Minimizing adverse health impacts associated with international travel can be achieved through a medical consultation”.

Approximately 8-10% of travelers become sick enough to seek health care, either while overseas or after returning home. Within the last few months, outbreaks of measles have occurred in Canada, Spain, France, U.K., and areas of Africa and Asia. 

Carrying documentation of vaccines can prevent students and others from receiving an unneeded vaccine in an unwanted situation, or having to pay for it there. Even for close popular student destinations, such as the Caribbean and Mexico, travelers should have timely education and information about preventing diseases and accidents and have their immunizations reviewed and up dated.

Travelers are encouraged to contact their medical provider or the Alachua County Health Department’s Foreign Travel Clinic 4 to 6 weeks in advance of their trip at 352-334-8849.

For more information, visit http://www.alachuacountyhealth.com/.

By Christopher Curry

Staff writer Gainesville Sun

Looking to spur economic development and urban renewal almost eight years after the adoption of Plan East Gainesville, county officials are contemplating the establishment of a community redevelopment area for a swath of unincorporated land east of the city limits.

If eventually approved by county commissioners, it would be the first CRA in unincorporated Alachua County.

The current boundaries of the proposed CRA study area are directly east of Gainesville and the city's Eastside CRA. Generally, the area under consideration stretches from the city limits east to Southeast 51st Street. Its northern border is University Avenue, and the southern edge is Hawthorne Road.

State law allows a local government to establish a CRA for a geographic area that local officials determine to meet the state's definition of "blight." Some criteria include high poverty rates and low or stagnant property values. In a CRA, a local government invests money in infrastructure improvements, aesthetic upgrades and sometimes provides incentives to developers through a mechanism known as tax increment financing.

Under a TIF, property values within the CRA boundaries would be set at the year the district is established. After that, tax revenues from increases in property values would go back into the CRA boundaries to fund various projects instead of into the local government's general fund. A CRA typically has a lifetime of 20 to 30 years.

Ken Zeichner, principal planner with the Alachua County Growth Management, said the end goal is to "create a good climate to encourage private investment."

On Thursday, county staff held the first informational meeting on the proposed CRA. A small group of residents gathered at Eastside High School, which is within the study area's boundaries, and identified some upgrades they would like to see in the area. Those included central water and sewer, sidewalk and bike path construction and a farmers' market, said Michael Castine, the county planner overseeing the CRA process.

Currently, there are four CRA districts in the city of Gainesville and one each in Hawthorne and High Springs. Gainesville's Eastside CRA, which is directly west of the area under consideration by the county, was established in 2001 and expanded in 2006. In recent years, projects there have included a $316,000 landscaping and streetscaping project in the triangular area bounded by East University Avenue, Southeast 15th Street and Southeast Hawthorne Road. A restaurant specializing in classic Southern dishes is expected to open along the 1700 block of Hawthorne Road in a building in which the CRA invested $330,734 to remodel. Area businesses are also eligible to receive grants for facade improvements.

With the budget crunch facing governments, there was some focus in budget deliberations on the effect the various community redevelopment areas have on the county's general fund. According to county numbers, more than $3.9 million in tax revenues that otherwise would go into the county's general fund went into Gainesville's four CRA areas. The counter-argument is that revenue would not be generated if not for the redevelopment efforts within the CRA.

Tax revenues for the school district, the water management district and the municipal services taxing units funding the Sheriff's Office, the fire department and general services in the unincorporated county would not be affected by tax increment financing should the county form a CRA, Castine said.

Contact Christopher Curry at 374-5088 or chris.curry@gvillesun.com.

If you go

What: Community workshop on possible community redevelopment area in unincorporated east Gainesville

When: 5:30 pm February 17

Where: Compassionate Outreach Ministries, 320 S.E. 43rd St.

The Florida Museum of Natural History opens two exhibits exploring the state’s ranching and cowboy legacy this weekend.

“Florida Cattle Ranching: Five Centuries of Tradition” and “Florida Cowboys: Keepers of the Last Frontier, Photographs by Carlton Ward Jr.,” open at 10 am Saturday with a full slate of activities.

“Visitors can experience the excitement of Florida’s cattle ranching culture through our opening day activities,” said the museum’s education coordinator Kendra Lanza-Kaduce. “The number of groups scheduled to participate make this the largest public opening event the Florida Museum has hosted.”

“Florida Cattle Ranching” examines one of Florida’s oldest and economically significant traditions, from its 16th-century, Spanish origins to Seminoles, Crackers and modern-day ranching.

“Florida Cowboys” illustrates the role ranches play in Florida’s economic wealth and the conservation of nature as well as the raw beauty of Florida’s ranch land.

Today, more than 1 million cattle graze on 5 million acres of pasture and woodland, and Florida is one of the top five beef-producing states east of the Mississippi River.

Photographer Ward will present three “walk and talk” tours of his “Florida Cowboys” exhibit and discuss the important conservation role of cattle ranches. “The exhibit focuses on Florida ranch lands and culture and the environment it protects,” Ward said. “It’s an unseen and tremendously important part of Florida.”

Outside the museum, visitors will be able to interact with Florida Cracker Horse Association members displaying Cracker cattle and horses.

Visitors can also talk to 19th-century Florida cattle ranch re-enactors and learn traditional roping techniques from members of the Florida Cattleman’s Association.

Award-winning whip poppers from Polk County are scheduled to present demonstrations at 11 am and 1 pm.

”These activities provide a fun way to explore a significant part of Florida’s history that many of our visitors may not be familiar with,” said Darcie MacMahon, Florida Museum assistant director for exhibits.

Other planned activities include spur- and saddle-making demonstrations and displays of antique tools and ranching equipment collections.

Both exhibits run through May 8, and the Florida Museum of Natural History is the last stop on the “Florida Cattle Ranching” tour.

For more information, visit http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/.