By rssfeeds-admin She took on the role of executive director pro bono back in 2016 when the museum was in dire financial straights.
“As a scientist and a teacher and an educator and a lover of all of these things, I took the attitude over my dead body is this museum closing,” she said.
Dawn Monge, president of the Burpee Museum Board of Trustees, credits Weerda with turning the Burpee Museum into a world-class museum.
“I can’t say enough good things about her. She is just a godsend for this museum,” she said.
“She built all these displays. She literally, her and her father who’s a retired doctor, built half the displays in here,” said Michael LaLoggia.
Burpee Museum may be best known as the home of Jane, the world’s most complete and best-preserved T.rex dinosaur.
The museum also features a number of rescue animals, like snakes, turtles, geckos, and lizards, including a pair of black and white Argentine tegus.
“They lived in my bathroom. And we trained them to be a little calmer. We trained them that people are good and they provide delicious snacks and good enrichment and now these guys are our best outreach animals,” Weerda said.
The animal ambassadors are always a hit with kids visiting on school field trips.
“Sometimes the teachers are like, ‘Quiet down. We’re in a museum.’ And I’m like, No! This is the joy. This is what we want. We want you to be excited. We want you to look around and be ‘Oh my gosh! Look at how beautiful our world is. And look at all these cool things we’re going to do.’ That’s my favorite part,” she said.
Weerda’s supporters say she has brought energy and joy to the museum.
“She works more hours than anyone knows that she puts in,” Monge said. “She will do everything in her power to bring everybody into this museum and love science and love the animals and just learn about all the great things in our natural world. And she just deserves some recognition.”
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