Using Museum Exhibits to Connect People and Nature

The natural history museum is an example of a 19th-century invention that still has momentum in the 21st century (Johnson, 2015) and a remarkable space for interdisciplinary research and knowledge acquisition. The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) opened its doors in 1910 and has evolved into an institution whose mission is defined by its commitment to increasing and disseminating knowledge and understanding the natural world and our place in it. The NMNH collection includes more than 148 million specimens, objects, photographs, and archival documents. About 300,000 new items are added each year. More than 4 million visitors experience NMNH’s exhibitions and collections annually, making it the world’s most visited national history museum. Informal educational spaces like NMNH provide opportunities for engagement and discovery through their exhibitions and programming. They instill a sense of wonder through self-discovery.

When the Smithsonian combines history, science, and critical scholarship on the natural world, it moves beyond academics, policymakers, and STEM educators to include the public. NMNH’s strengths include its ability to educate a broad, diverse audience about nature. This multidisciplinary approach provides an easily comprehensible way for museum visitors to understand how humans and the natural world are inextricably interconnected. The museum plays an important role in connecting the public to significant issues such as climate change.

In 2022, NMNH opened the temporary exhibit Our Places: Connecting People and Nature. Our Places is more than an exhibit. It is a space for visitors to discover personal stories of connection and inspiration from scientists and community leaders and to participate in activities that explore these personal connections. Shared stories include descriptions of communities in transition who are developing strategies to adapt to an evolving world impacted by climate change. The proposed presentation will feature examples of how a natural history museum has partnered with communities to inform and educate the public about the impacts of climate change through an innovative exhibit.

References

Johnson, Kirk R. 2015. Surrounded by science. Science 347: 618. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aaa0840