Chick Hatchery Enjoys a Rebirth

The chicks are back. After being closed for three years, the chick hatchery, one of the most popular exhibits at the California Museum of Science and Industry, has reopened.

The hatchery, which had been a part of the museum’s educational exhibits since the 1950s, has been redesigned and relocated to the Science South Building. Visitors will be able to watch as chicks break through their shells and begin their development.

New educational materials showing the stages of development inside the egg have been added to the exhibit, as well as information on human embryonic development.

In addition, tanks containing bullfrog tadpoles and adult bullfrogs, where visitors can observe frog development, are now part of the exhibit.

The museum, in Exposition Park, is open seven days a week and the exhibit is free. Call (213) 744-7400.

ASTRONOMY

* The upcoming mission to Pluto will be discussed by Stephen Brewster of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the Western Observatorium’s monthly meeting 8 p.m. Friday in the Tanglewood Recreation Center in Cypress. Call (714) 220-1310.

* A public demonstration of the Russian Mars rover, set to be part of the Russian Mars 1996 mission, will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Anaheim Marriott Hotel, Marriott Hall Center, using virtual reality, computer workstations and large screen monitors. The Planetary Society’s international team will discuss the society’s role in developing the rover tests. Call (818) 793-5100.

MARINE SCIENCE

* Marine biologist Alisa Schulman will discuss research and identification of killer whales off the Southern California coast at the monthly meeting of the American Cetacean Society at 7:30 tonight at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro. Call (310) 548-7563.

NATURAL SCIENCE

* The natural history of Sedgwick Ranch, once a thriving cattle ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley now largely owned by UC Santa Barbara, will be the subject of a lecture series offered by the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History beginning Thursday. Geologist Helmut Ehrenspeck will discuss the ranch geology at 7:30 p.m. Museum naturalists will lead trips to study the natural history of the area Saturday . Call (805) 682-4711, Ext. 315.

* The flora and fauna of Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks will be explored in an outing led by members of the Sierra Club natural science section Sunday. Group size is limited and reservations are required. Call (805) 522-7344 or (805) 647-6792.

BOTANY

* The rebirth of a watershed from a devastating fire will be the subject of a “Fire-Followers Wildflower Walk,” to the Cold Creek watershed area led by members of the California Native Plant Society, Los Angeles/Santa Monica Mountains chapter at 10 a.m. Sunday. Call (310) 573-1805.