the opening reception, including an article in the New 

 York Times. As a result of contacts with the Hispanic 

 media in the United States and with the correspondents 

 of the media of Latin America, the Caribbean, Canada, 

 Portugal, Spain, and Italy, extensive local and interna- 

 tional coverage of the "Symposium of the Americas" 

 resulted. 



September 4—7 



■ Quincentenary The "Symposium of the Americas," a 

 hemisphere-wide overview of cultural identity in the 

 Americas, was organized by the Office of Quincentenary 

 Programs and produced by the Office of Conference 

 Services. 



September 



m Education The Anacostia Museum's George Wash- 

 ington Carver Nature Trail opened informally. The trail 

 provides an opportunity for greater understanding and 

 appreciation of natural resources in an urban environ- 

 ment. The development of the trail and an environmen- 

 tal study kit was assisted by funding from the 

 Smithsonian Women's Committee and the Educational 

 Outreach Program. 



September 



■ Agreement The National Museum of the American 

 Indian reached an agreement with New York City and 

 New York state regarding funding for construction at 

 the museum's George Gustav Heye Center in the Old 

 U.S. Custom House in lower Manhattan. 



September 



■ Cultural Diversity In response to a request by the 

 Smithsonian Council, the Smithsonian's Cultural Educa- 

 tion Committee published a status report on "Cultural 

 Diversity at the Smithsonian." 



September 



■ Publication The National Science Resources Center 

 published the second units of hands-on science instruc- 

 tion for elementary schools in its Science and Technol- 

 ogy for Children program: The Life Cycle of Butterflies 

 (grade 2), Experiments with Plants (grade 6), and Magnets 

 and Motors (grade 6). 



September 



■ Ceremony Jake Swamp, chief of the Wolf Clan of the 

 Mohawk Nation, conducted a blessing ceremony for the 

 George Gustav Heye Center of the National Museum of 

 the American Indian, which will be housed in the Old 

 U.S. Customs House in New York City. 



September 6-14 



■ International Programs The Smithsonian National As- 

 sociate Program sponsored events in celebration of the 

 Festival of Indonesia held in Jakarta, Yogyakarta, and 

 Bali. 



September if 



■ Research The Magellan spacecraft began extensive 

 radar mapping of the surface of Venus from its orbit 

 around the planet. At the National Air and Space Mu- 

 seum, scientists Jim Zimbleman and Tom Waiters of 

 the museum's Center for Earth and Planetary Studies 

 began a study of images of tectonic and volcanic land- 

 forms provided by the spacecraft. An exhibit in the 

 museum's Milestones of Flight gallery displays com- 

 puter-simulated flights over the complex surface re- 

 vealed by Magellan. 



September if 



■ New Facility Construction of the new Costumes, Tex- 

 tiles, and Fragile Organics Laboratory for the National 

 Museum of American History's Department of Conser- 

 vation was completed, providing state-of-the-art facili- 

 ties to treat the museum's 40,000 costumes and textile 

 objects and to rehouse paper and three-dimensional 

 objects. 



September ip 



■ Special Event The first event launching the Smithson- 

 ian Benefactor's Circle, a distinguished recognition soci- 

 ety for the Institution's top donors, was held in the Arts 

 and Industries Building rotunda. 



September 20-22 



■ Meeting The Smithsonian National Board fall meet- 

 ing held in Washington, D.C., focused on the changing 

 role of the board, research at the Smithsonian, and 

 Quincentenary programs. 



Jl 



