Merced County Courthouse Museum will open a new exhibit entitled “Endangered Species of California’s Central Valley,” on Thursday, August 13. This award-winning educational exhibit produced by the Effie Yeaw Nature Center is filled with sights, sounds and interactive experiences designed for visitors of all ages and abilities.

Photos and artwork of plant and animal species abound throughout the exhibit. Crawl through the human-sized kit fox burrow and learn about the endangered San Joaquin kit fox, blunt-nosed leopard lizard and giant kangaroo rat. Try on a pair of 10 ft. fabric condor wings, then learn about the efforts to bring this endangered bird back from near extinction. Explore the life cycle of the salmon through photos, games, artwork and text. An electronic game helps clear the confusion over terms like "threatened" and "species of concern." Discover the history of California wildlife protection and the ways that people are working together to save wildlife. Learn how farmers are restoring wildlife habitat on their property and benefiting from wildlife-friendly farming practices. Get a close-up look at tiny vernal pool shrimp, and watch a video on endangered plants. These are just a few of the attractions the exhibition has to offer.

At the opening reception, local musician and artist Skyhawk Haynes will perform authentic Native American dances in honor of endangered species at 6 p.m. The event is free to the public. The exhibit will run through November 15. Transportation grants are available for school field trips to view the exhibit. For more information, please contact the museum office at (209) 723-2401.