San Diego Natural History Museum Stands Out

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Stands Out

In the urban forest that is Balboa Park, the San Diego Natural History Museum stands out. From a northern vantage point, other than the California Tower, it is the only building that can be seen above the lacy eucalyptus treetops. The recently-added modern facade and its glass-topped atrium have made this possible. But what's going on inside makes this institution a stand-out from any perspective.

At 130 years, the San Diego Natural History Museum (SDNHM) is the second oldest scientifi c institution in California and third oldest west of the Mississippi. While proud of her history, the Museum hardly remains tied to the past; rather she has evolved into an important research institution for the 21st century. The number of Ph.D.s in residence (nine), as well as its valuable collections, supports this position. Experts such as Dr. Tom Demere in evolutionary history and paleobiology of pinnipeds and cetaceans, and Dr. Jon Rebman in the fl ora of southern California and the Sonoran desert, among many others, publish recordchanging papers, conduct fi eld research and increase the body of knowledge every year in their disciplines. Other scientists from around the world conduct research by studying some of the over eight million specimens carefully preserved, catalogued and stored by the Museum.

SDNHM's role in solving science mysteries affects world-opinion leaders as well as local decision-makers. San Diego's location along the border of Mexico's Baja California peninsula has infl uenced the Museum's strategic direction in studying, and championing the value of, the rare ecosystems of our binational region. The Museum's research on this region helps inform decisions to protect the area's resources and yields valuable information for populations in other water-starved areas of the planet.

One such area whose resources have been exploited by humankind for thousands of years is the Middle East. In 2007, SDNHM will host a traveling exhibition of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The Museum will enhance the exhibition with information on the similarities between San Diego and the arid region where the Scrolls were discovered, revealing the science behind one of the greatest archaeological fi nds of the last century. Based on the enthusiasm of staff and board members, the Museum's experience in developing awardwinning exhibits, and its state-of-theart facilities, the Israel Antiquities Authority chose SDNHM to be the only site in California to present the rare Scrolls. This is just one example of the many ways in which this dynamic institution continues to lead.

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