Falls of the Ohio State Park is inviting people to the ocean in the middle of the Midwest.

The park is launching “Marine Life of Today and Yesterday,” a series of programs that will take place at the park’s interpretive center beginning Saturday, Dec. 29 and running until June 2019.

Some programs are geared to adults and high school/college students, though the Family Nature Club and Meet the Paleontologist programs are appropriate for children. The standard admission fee applies for the programs unless otherwise noted. The programs, dates and times are listed below:

Dec. 29, 2 p.m.: Climate change and coral reefs

Jan. 6, 2019, 2 p.m.: Meet the Paleontologist - Fossil Fish Tales (Free)

Jan. 12, 2 p.m.: Geology of the Ocean

Jan. 20, 2 p.m.: Family Nature Club – Coral Reefs ($2 program fee for children only)

Feb. 3, 2 p.m.: Meet the Marine Biologist - So you want to study the ocean? (Free)

Feb. 24, 2 p.m.: Coral Reef Geology and Mass Extinctions

March 3, 3 p.m.: Meet the Paleontologist - Life in Ordovician – what fossils tell us (Free)

March 24, 2 p.m.: Geology and the Evolution of Marine Life

April 7, 3 p.m.: Meet the Paleontologist - Life in Silurian – what fossils tell us (Free)

April 21, 2 p.m.: Mass Extinctions and Ocean Life

May 19, 3 p.m.: Family Nature Club – Making a fossil collection ($2 program fee for children only)

May 26, 3 p.m.: Meet the Paleontologist - Life in Devonian – what fossils tell us (Free)

June 30, 3 p.m.: Meet the Paleontologist - Life in Mississippian – what fossils tell us (Free)

Programs will be presented by Alan Goldstein or Dr. Dominique Hansen. Goldstein has been an interpretive naturalist and paleontologist at the park for 25 years. Hansen, marine biologist and naturalist, is a graduate of James Cook University in Queensland, Australia and has extensive experience diving and researching coral reef geology, ecology and effects of climate change.

Falls of the Ohio State Park (on.IN.gov/fallsoftheohiosp.htm) is at 201 W. Riverside Dr. Clarksville, 47129.

To view all DNR news releases, please see dnr.IN.gov.

Media contact: Alan Goldstein, 812-280-9970 or agoldstein@dnr.IN.gov