Arts at the Great Marsh, billed by organizers as an event that brings art and science together, will be held at the Great Marsh Institute (GMI), Elverson, on Saturday, Sept. 17, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Featured during the day will be lectures on the Great Marsh's land and animals; dance demonstrations by Fidget, a nonprofit performing arts group; and children's activities.

"It will be set up almost like a musical festival with different locations. We have one building that we call the nature center, where we will have three members of the science advisory board, who will offer lectures on the Great Marsh's land and animals. They will also talk about the latest projects and research taking place on the property," explained GMI administrative assistant Mijka Smith. "Under the tent is where we will have our kids' programming, an arts and crafts table going on all day and a kids' lecture on animal tracking."

There will also be a musical performance at noon by the Pizza Collection. Each ticket for children ages 4 to 12 includes one slice of pizza. Additional slices will be sold at the door. The musical group Almost June is set to perform at 2:30 p.m.

"The trail section is where we will have live dance performances by Fidget," said Smith. "There will be a tractor - like a hayride - to those three locations on the farm. Everyone, when they check in, will receive a program with the events schedule, location of the performances and bios about the speakers and artists."

According to http://www.greatmarshinstitute.org, the Great Marsh covers about 700 acres. It is private property, which is protected by conservation and agricultural easements, but events such Arts at the Great Marsh are open to the community. Also offered are monthly bird walks, and there is a public access trail available in collaboration with French & Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust.

"The Moore family owns the property and started the nonprofit in 2018 to formalize the research that was already going on by researchers and college groups that came onto the property," Smith said. "Our mission is to support scientific studies and educational opportunities and to protect the marsh."

GMI is located at 34 Moores Road, Elverson. In the event of rain, Arts at the Great Marsh will be held on Sunday, Sept. 18. For more information, visit the previously mentioned website or http://www.facebook.com/greatmarshinstitute.

Tickets purchased online are discounted. Tickets will also be sold at the gate. To register in advance, visit https://atgm22.eventbrite.com.