People of all ages are looking for quality online content as a way to stay engaged and connected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the University of Alabama (UA) Museums are closed, they began livestreaming educational content March 27.

“The university will use a variety of platforms such as daily livestreams by scientists, historians, archaeologists and naturalists from UA Museums,” said William Bomar, executive director. “It is my hope that during this difficult time, our audiences across Alabama and beyond will take advantage of our educational resources and see our museums as a source of enrichment and comfort.”

Gorgas House Museum. (contributed)

The Alabama Museum of Natural History, Gorgas House Museum, Mildred Westervelt Warner Transportation Museum and Moundville Archaeological Park will include Facebook videos. Each museum will continue to provide educational outreach through daily programming featuring experts in various fields who will offer Q&A time.

In addition to the introduction of Facebook livestreaming, UA Museums will create short video and social media content, which will include museum staff recording “Isolation Observations” of the nature they encounter in their own backyards and neighborhoods. The first of this series comes from Mary Beth Prondzinski, manager of the Natural History Collection, as she takes morning walks and discusses apiaries, blueberries and blackberries.

Livestreams start at 10 a.m. and include:

Moundville Archaeological Park on Mondays at Facebook.com/MoundvillePark. Lindsey Gordon, education outreach coordinator, will share information about artifacts found at Moundville.

History on Tuesdays at Facebook.com/GorgasHouse and Facebook.com/mwwtm. The Gorgas House Museum started a “Gorgas House Artifact Series,” which is social media posts with facts about artifacts found inside Gorgas House.

Archaeology on Wednesdays at Facebook.com/Office.of.Archaeological.Research.

Collections or museum-based research on Thursdays at Facebook.com/ALMNH.

Nature and natural science on Fridays at Facebook.com/ALMNH.

Facebook archives livestreams will be available to view anytime.

Learn more about the University of Alabama at ua.edu/news.