The University of Nebraska State Museum and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln School of Natural Resources will host the first-ever ‘NaturePalooza Nebraska’ 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Oct. 2 at Morrill Hall, south of 14th and Vine streets on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln City Campus.

"NaturePalooza Nebraska" provides a day of discovery and hands-on activities throughout the museum with stations staffed by the school’s faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduate students. Activities and games will help visitors better understand Nebraska’s rich natural resources and ways to help protect them.

Scientists from various groups within the school will provide interactive stations that explain the science behind Nebraska’s water, weather, and wildlife. Topics covered will include birds, fish, plants, geography, conservation, climate change, and more. Make birding journals to record species found in nature. Take a photo with “Pebbles,” a larger-than-life piping plover. Identify different kinds of fish, as well as algae and insects that live in water. See live reptiles and amphibians on display. Learn about “alien invaders” in Nebraska -- the invasive species that threaten natives-- and how we can prevent their spread. Plant a soybean and observe its lifecycle. Investigate ground and surface water movements through demonstrations with “The WATER Machine,” a 6-foot flow model. Play games using a real-time weather station and test your knowledge about drought. Explore how geographers use mapping technology to understand Nebraska’s climate. Scavenger hunts, giveaways, and more will round out the event.

Mueller Planetarium will present a variety fulldome shows throughout the day. Show times are 11 a.m., and 12, 1, 2, and 3 p.m.

The University of Nebraska State Museum is open 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Wednesday and Friday-Saturday; 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursdays; and 1:30-4:30 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $5 for adults (19 and over), $3 for children (5-18 years, 4 and under are free), and $10 for families (up to two adults and children). UNL staff, faculty and students are admitted free with valid NU ID. There is an additional charge for planetarium shows. Planetarium tickets are sold at the museum's front gate the day of the show. Note about parking: There will be a UNL home volleyball game at 3:30 p.m. at the NU Coliseum. If parking is full in front of the museum, visitors are encouraged to park in the 14th & Avery garage and surface lot located north of Morrill Hall. Parking is free to museum visitors in front of the museum and in the 14th & Avery garage and surface lot. For more information, contact Dana Ludvik at (402) 472-3779 or dludvik2@unl.edu, or visit www.museum.unl.edu. For more information on Mueller Planetarium, visit www.spacelaser.com. For more information on the UNL School of Natural Resources visit www.snr.unl.edu.

Set in the midst of war and political upheaval during the Taiping Rebellion of the 1860's, General Pang barely survives a brutal massacre of his fellow soldiers by playing dead and joins a band of bandits led by Er Hu and Wu yang. After fighting back attackers from an helpless village, the three men take an oath to become "blood brothers," pledging loyalty to one another until death, but things quickly turn sour and the three men become embroiled in a web of political deceit, and a love triangle between Pang, Er Hu and a beautiful courtesan.