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Annual Report
Research, Conservation, and Environmental Education Richard Louv's new book, Last Child in the Woods, struck a responsive cord with board members and staff at the San Diego Natural History Museum. Louv contends that children have lost the freedom to wander in the natural world, exploring their environment as the seasons change. Many children live in urban settings without access to open space, forests or shores. Their suburban and rural cousins may still be within reach of our dwindling unspoiled lands, but parents are reluctant to allow children the time to roam, either from security fears or tightly scheduled lives. But Louv's book doesn't just tell us what we already know, it also speaks to the implications of growing up without nature, or, as Louv puts it, with nature defi cit disorder. He talks seriously about the positive impact of nature on children's development and the real problems that come from a lack of natural experiences. Dr. Hager commented that "Richard Louv's book could serve as a case statement for the Museum." 
Why is Louv's book so relevant in the context of our Museum? Because our mission to educate about the natural world recognizes the importance of this information to both human development and to human impact on the environment. The Museum is actively involved in conservation projects for the southern California and Baja California region of global interest. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) named the islands of the Sea of Cortes a World Heritage Site, in large part due to the Museum's own film, Ocean Oasis, museum research and the hard work of many conservation organizations on both sides of the border. Conserving various environments, both for the species that call them home and for the people who want to experience them, is a delicate balance. The Museum continues to help balance this equation with education programs for people of all ages and the documentation and research of important species from the region. Museum hikes and trips help people interact with the natural world, learning as they enjoy. Lectures provide in-depth information on specifi c topics, enhancing the traveling exhibitions and providing access to experts from around the region and the world. As you read this annual report, you may well be struck by the number of projects either completed in 2004-05 or making signifi cant progress during this time. The Museum's work in creating atlases of birds, mammals, plants and reptiles is recognized as critical to monitoring the impact of everything from wildfi re to development. Birding Magazine commented on the release of the Bird Atlas this year: "Planners of atlas projects or distributional treatises at any geographic scale may be inspired to learn how high they can successfully set the methodological bar. 
Anyone attentive to conservation will be gratifi ed to see the book's strong underpinnings of environmental concern." What made this enormous project possible was the work of hundreds of citizen scientists, inspired by Editor Phil Unitt, to meticulously collect the data needed to complete the Bird Atlas. Although the purpose of an annual report is to chronicle the year just past, it is almost impossible not to share some of the excitement of the current year. A preview of what you can expect to see this year includes the extensive construction project that will complete half of the planned permanent exhibits. Fossil Mysteries, funded by the National Science Foundation, the California Cultural and Historical Endowment and the generosity of many donors, will be completed by late summer 2006. Provost Exequiel Ezcurra will be wrapping up a report on the world's deserts, sponsored by the United Nations, and will be deeply immersed in a complex, multi-agency effort to conserve the Sea of Cortes. Preparation for the Museum's blockbuster exhibition, The Dead Sea Scrolls, will occupy the efforts of many. The San Diego Natural History Museum, because of its facility expansion, state-of-the-art exhibition-development capacity and infrastructure growth, now stands out among top mid-size museums and scientifi c research institutions across the country. The challenge before us is large: to generate annual revenue, donations and endowment income to cover both the operating budget and bring exciting blockbuster events to San Diego. The Board of Directors has made a signifi cant investment in building a fundraising capacity to compete in our region and beyond for gifts and grants to carry out activities that benefi t many different constituencies in San Diego. And compete we will. But to do that, we will need the generous support of all our members and friends to achieve these ambitious goals. The Society has risen to challenges before and, with your help, will do so again. Board chair Jim Waring suggests that "If we are successful in building our economic and philanthropic engine, all the work of recent years to expand the facility and create an appropriate infrastructure will allow the Museum to enter a period of creative productivity." It is our hope that the report that follows helps to do just that. Please take the time from your busy day to relax and read this brief report. It contains both information on the year just past and the gratitude of the Board of Trustees and Museum staff for the help so many of you provided during 2004-05. Michael W. Hager Ph.D. Executive Director. 
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