Photo I Courtesy of the EcoTarium
A Clark Voorhees, Jr. wooden sculpture of a narwhal whale
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EcoTarium receives narwhale tusk, other rare donations from Southbridge couple
Photo I Courtesy of the EcoTarium
Peter Dirlam stands with a 210-centimeter narwhal tusk.
Worcester science museum EcoTarium has enhanced its collection of mammal artifacts and sculptures, along with an unspecified monetary donation, from benefactors Peter and Joan Dirlam of Southbridge
Included in the Dirlam’s contribution are whale jawbones, an antique narwhal tusk, and six sculptured wood whales by artist Clark Voorhees, Jr., according to a Jan. 30 press release from the EcoTarium.
The narwhal tusk was obtained by Peter Dirlam through a legal purchase from the Alaska Native Arts Foundation, before the Marine Mammal Protection Act was established in 1972. With more 170,000 mature Narwhals, the animal is classified as a protected species.
The Dirlam’s have also donated an undisclosed financial gift to the EcoTarium, which will be used to establish the Dirlam Fund to acquire and preserve animals at the museum.
“We are tremendously grateful to the Dirlam family for their generous support of our non-releasable wildlife and animal ambassadors at the Museum,” Noreen Johnson Smith, EcoTarium president and CEO, said in the release. “The fascinating narwhal tusk and carved whales will be displayed for public enjoyment and will contribute to our environmental education programs.”
Having welcomed 130,000 visitors in 2023 with 50 local employees, the EcoTarium is the 13th largest tourist attraction in Central Massachusetts when ranked by 2023 attendance, according to data compiled by WBJ’s Research Department.
Mica Kanner-Mascolo is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the healthcare and diversity, equity, and inclusion industries.
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