[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 121 (Thursday, September 30, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1756]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING THE PEGGY NOTEBAERT NATURE MUSEUM

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                           HON. RAHM EMANUEL

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 29, 2004

  Mr. EMANUEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to acknowledge the tremendous work 
being done at one of Chicago's greatest institutions, the Peggy 
Notebaert Nature Museum, on the occasion of the opening of several 
exciting new exhibits.
  Since its beautiful building opened in Lincoln Park in 1999, the 
Notebaert Museum has served as a cornerstone for innovative scientific 
learning and environmental programs, and allowed thousands of visitors 
to come and see exhibits on the wonders of nature and our environment. 
And with the opening of ``Mysteries of the Marsh,'' ``Istock Family 
Look-in Animal Lab,'' ``RiverWorks,'' and ``Rooftop Stop and the Nature 
Museum Greening Project,'' the numerous educational opportunities the 
museum provides will be greatly enhanced.
  The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum grew out of the Chicago Academy of 
Sciences, founded by Robert Kennicott in 1857 as Chicago's first 
museum. The Great Chicago Fire destroyed many of the original 
collections, but by 1893 the Matthew Laflin building was constructed 
which housed the museum's collections for over 100 years. The museum's 
new building located along the northern Chicago lakefront is an 
architectural masterpiece worthy of the treasures located within.
  Today the Notebaert Museum continues the same tradition of education 
and enjoyment of the environment that was its original mission. The 
opening of these new exhibits will, no doubt, be a tremendous success.
  Mr. Speaker, I join with the people of the 5th district, indeed all 
of Chicago, in congratulating the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum on its 
continued importance to Chicago and the environmental community. I 
thank the staff and trustees of the museum for their diligent work and 
dedication toward making the museum one of the elite learning 
institutions in the country.

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