San Diego Natural History Museum

10/26/2023

It’s time to dig into all things . 🌱🌼

Join us on 11/8 and learn from designer, author, botanist, and award-winning TV show host Nan Sterman, as she shares with us how and why native plants make your garden more climate-appropriate and sustainable and share timely tips and insights for success.

The begins at 7 PM, but come hangout at 6 PM to chat with partner organizations, who will be sharing information about plating native and even giving away native seeds to kickstart your own garden!

Let us know in the comments below what you want to learn about planting native! We can’t wait to see y’all there. https://bit.ly/3kUEuAk

10/24/2023

Everyone likes free stuff—especially when it’s free admission to your favorite . 😉

ends in one week, be sure to stop by and explore the before the month ends! https://bit.ly/3EY8D8f

10/23/2023

Our bat biologist, Drew Stokes, has been partnering with the San Diego Zoo Safari Park to document and create best practices around our native bats, which includes the building and installation of bat boxes at the park while bats are relocated from unfavorable roosting areas. With our help, the park has observed and identified a total of 12 species on the grounds.

Bats are keystone species in ecosystems around the world, pollinating plants like cactus and agave, and controlling insects like mosquitos. There are lots of reasons to love native bats!

10/20/2023

You did it—you made it to ! 👏

Pat yourself on the back, head on over to Nat at Night, and take in the beautiful views of .

Treat yourself to some great and delicious food from Wolf in the Woods and get in touch with your inner artist with Sketchparty.

See y’all soon!

10/20/2023

🌄 Looking for some new trails to explore this season? Check these out. ⬇️

• Batiquitos Lagoon | This 3-mile hike is great for kids and wheelchair accessible. It hugs the shoreline on the north side of the lagoon, and at low tide offers good views of mudflats where you can spot foraging birds.
• State Reserve Extension | Enjoy spectacular sights of the rare and endangered Torrey Pine in their native habitat.
• Santa Ysabel East—Coast to Crest Trail | One of San Diego County's best-kept secrets. Explore more than 11 miles of hiking trails encompassing oak woodlands, riparian, chaparral, and grassland habitats.
• South Fortuna Mountain, | At the city's largest regional park, the top of South Fortuna Mountain has sweeping views of all major peaks in Mission Trails.
• Mast Park | This easy stroll is under trees and along waterways, following the River throughout the community of Santee—a perfect space to forget about the busy city life.

Learn more about these hikes and more here: https://bit.ly/3rXkTmr

📷: Alan King | Batiquitos Lagoon

10/15/2023

Anyone else getting vibes?

These stunning images are from our Wings Over Water and are definitely not shots from Pride Rock. 😉

Come see our latest film and immerse yourself in the homes of all kinds of animals who call the North American their home.

This film is only on view for two more months. See it in our Subaru Giant Screen Experience before it flies away.

10/10/2023

Every day is Fossil Day at , but tomorrow, on , everyone else gets almost as excited about dead things as we do!

Join us from 10 AM–1 PM this Wednesday to hang out with our Paleo team in front of our demo lab. They will have activities for all ages, including fossil-related crafts and fossil prep. Word on the street is that you might get the opportunity to help prep a 15 million-year-old camel. 🐫🤯

Remember, it’s , so Kids Go Free with paid adults!

10/05/2023

In the 1920’s, our very first Director of , Carroll DeWilton Scott, wanted to find a way to share his knowledge—and specimens—to anyone, anywhere! 🦋

📚 So, he created traveling “Nature Cabinets” that could be loaned to schools and used as educational tools. The best part is... this amazing idea still lives on today as our to You Loan .

Anyone can visit the to check out taxidermized and kits! Learn more here: https://bit.ly/3RoKSgY

10/04/2023

🐈🐾We have a pretty paw-some on October 17 at 7 PM!

Join us and certified cat behavior consultant Dr. Mikel Delgado as she shares the scientific knowns and unknowns about cat play and how to keep your family members mentally and physically healthy with indoor playtime.

This Nat Talk is puurfect for all the feline fans out there, RSVP now: https://bit.ly/3kUEuAk

Tickets are $9 for members, $12 for non-members.

10/01/2023

In October, kids rule the city! 🧒👏

is back starting today, for the whole month of .

Here at , up to two children (ages 12 and under) get in free with one full-price paid adult.

Films aren’t included in this offer but can be added for just $5 per person.

So, what are you waiting for? Round up the family and come on over!
🎟 https://bit.ly/3EY8D8f

📷: Stacy Keck

09/29/2023

Our annual 21+ event is creeping back into town, and this year, we’re stepping into the eerie shadows of Old Hollywood Horror.

Mark your calendar for October 13, 7 PM and get ready to have a hauntingly good time.

🎶 Swing to the tunes of The Moonlight Serenade Orchestra
🧛‍♀️ Dress in your most hauntingly glamorous costumes for a chance to win the costume contest
📸 Strike your best spooky pose in the photo booth
🌱 Take home your very own carnivorous plant from the San Diego Carnivorous Plant Society
🦴️ Have a bone-chilling good time looking for fossils with our Paleo team
🌊 Dive into the abyss of the deep sea with Scripps Institution
🍻 Sink your fangs into delectable bites and local brews from your favorite restaurants and breweries including Wolf in the Woods, White Rice Bodega, Burning Beard Brewing, and more

And that's just the beginning! Stay tuned for more surprises as we get closer to the event. You won’t want to miss a single scream. 😉

Tickets are $25 for members, $35 for non-members, and include access to all exhibitions and activities. 🎟 https://bit.ly/3KFGIgI

09/29/2023

🕸️ Have you run face-first into a recently? You can probably thank your friendly neighborhood for that! 🕸️

It’s that time of year when these large yellow or orange are reaching maturity and spinning their famously large webs. While a web to the face might be unnerving, these spiders are absolutely harmless. So, if you happen to walk by one of these massive webs soon, take a moment to thank the universe you didn’t walk into it and then spend some time admiring the intricate work! 🕷️

📷: ghazard on iNaturalist

09/26/2023

One mammal’s skeleton is another man’s treasure—that's definitely how the saying goes! 😉

Construction crews have been busy boring into the rock of our basement to dig footings for a brand-new collections space. (Stay tuned for more about that!) Naturally, our monitored the work and found evidence of , clams, snails, and invertebrate burrows.

🦴 Check out this segment from Karlene Chavis at Channel 8 to hear about the discoveries beneath the and the importance of these fossils. https://bit.ly/48sHnw5

09/17/2023

Hey nature nerds, we wanted to give you a heads up!

We will be closed on 9/20 for the annual San Diego Climate Summit hosted by the Climate Science Alliance.

We will resume business as usual on 9/21. See you soon! 👋

📷: streetbeastphoto on Instagram

09/13/2023

Say hello to our new Curator of , Shahan Derkarabetian!
Shahan joins us from University's Museum of Comparative Zoology. Originally from SoCal, Shahan specializes in genetic analyses, taxonomy, and the cutest little arachnids you've probably never heard of: , also known as harvestmen.

Here are a few highlights from his work:
🕷️ He's done some amazing ! (📷 2 and 3)
🕷️ He looks at the DNA of old museum specimens to understand animal relationships. (woah!)
🕷️ He's very active on iNaturalist, and has even published scientific papers with iNat community members. (Yaass!)
🕷️ When describing new species of , Shahan has given them pop-culture-inspired names, like Abaddon despoliator, to raise awareness among new audiences. (Any fans out there?)

We're so excited for the expertise and passion Shahan brings to our team!

09/10/2023

You'll want to be at this powerful on 9/20.

communities are at the forefront of transformational climate adaptation efforts and solutions and are often overlooked in climate discussions and the media.

Join us on 9/20 to hear from Indigenous filmmakers and culture bearers about the reclamation of fire stewardship practices, the protection of sacred waterways, and the leadership of Indigenous communities in local climate adaptation efforts.

During this Nat Talk, we will watch special previews of MAATHAAW: The Fire Within Us from Condor Visual Media and Respect Water (working title) from Sacred Places Institute for Indigenous Peoples, with a panel of the Indigenous filmmakers and storytellers featured in their documentaries to follow.

This Nat Talk is in partnership with the .
Space is limited, RSVP here: https://bit.ly/3kUEuAk

📷: Condor Visual Media

09/08/2023

When push comes to chevre, the goats gotta go. 🐐
The just released a short podcast about The Nat's conservation work on Isla Guadalupe, a biological paradise-turned-wasteland-turned-recovery story some 250 miles off the coast of .
Listen to the BBC's 9-minute audio segment here: https://bbc.in/44LG7Bb
Watch their 2-minute video here: https://bit.ly/3LehpSY
And read the full story on our website: https://bit.ly/3qWmAjL

An island expedition helped save Guadalupe's wildlife from extinction...and goats

09/07/2023

Happy !
"Biodiversity" is quite the buzzword. What's the big deal? 🤔

It helps to think of life on our planet as one big piece of fabric, where each thread represents one species. 🧵

If the fabric is densely packed with millions of fine threads, the fabric will be strong and resistant to anything that pokes or pulls at it. Think of your sturdiest pair of denim jeans. If a few threads break, their neighbors might feel some strain, but the fabric remains durable and . 👖

This is what it's like to have high biodiversity. Each species contributes to the resilience of its ecosystem.

Now imagine your most ragged, threadbare pair of jeans. They have holes. Threads are pulling apart at the seams. The hold-out strands are hanging on, but a deep squat could ruin the pants entirely. 😬

An ecosystem that has lost its biodiversity is equally unstable and vulnerable to damage. Without the diverse that makes up our home planet, our collective denim jeans would be unable to support us. And there is no second pair—we must take care of what we've got. 🌎

The Nat is Here to study and celebrate one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet. The Nat is . Let's defend our denim! ✊

09/05/2023

PSA: Nat at Night is back to a monthly event! We repeat—Nat at Night is back to a monthly event! 📢

Hi. Yes. Sorry for yelling, we just wanted to make sure you heard. 😁

Labor Day marks the honorary end of summer, which means returns to a monthly event (the third Friday of the month).

Mark your calendar for these dates:

∙ September 15, 2023
∙ October 20, 2023
∙ November 17, 2023
💤 In December and January, Nat at Night will go into hibernation. 💤
∙ February 16, 2024
∙ March 15, 2024
∙ April 19, 2024
∙ May 17, 2024

And fear not, on May 24,2024—Memorial Day Weekend—Nat at Night will return weekly!

08/28/2023

Check out our collaborative research happening now in Baja California! We're working with several partners in Mexico and the U.S. to study the coastal wetlands of our binational region, and a very special--but endangered--bird that calls them home: The Ridgway's rail.
Thanks to Joatam de Basabe for covering the story!

08/27/2023

Sssslithering into your feed to remind you that this is our last week of extended hours. 🐍🏛

Come by with the family after school and enjoy half-priced admission after 5 PM!

Our hours are as followssss:

8/28-8/31: 10 AM–7 PM
9/1: 10 AM–10 PM
9/2-9/3: 10 AM–5 PM
9/4 (Labor Day): 10 AM–7 PM

08/25/2023

Happy ! 👷 🦴
Check out or story today (8/25/23) to follow along with our consulting team while they monitor a construction site for . Spoiler alert: they found something!

Our PaleoServices department is one of the only paleontological firms in the United States that is affiliated with a museum. That means 100% of the fossils we find and keep go into our research collection, where they can be studied by scientists around the world for years to come.

We've been monitoring construction sites across for several decades now. About 80% of our collection comes from these jobs, including most of the fossils on display in the Museum!

We know development is an inevitable part of society. We're here to get as much scientific value from it as we can, and preserve our ancient history from the scrape of the bulldozers.

08/21/2023

🗣 This just in! The dropped their new schedule for the 2023-2024 season. 🌄

Join these expert naturalists on a free, guided to get up close and personal with in our region. There are 60 hikes to choose from, taking place throughout the county between September 2023 and June 2024.

The hikes are free, but in order to help create the best experience for hikers and the least impact on the environment, capacity is limited, and advanced online registration is required. Registration opens to members five weeks prior to the hike date, and publicly opens one month prior to the hike date. Visit our website to sign up. https://bit.ly/3OMCRiS

The Canyoneers program is supported by dedicated volunteers and Subaru of America.

08/19/2023

We will be closed tomorrow (Sunday, August 20) because…. weather. Stay safe, !

08/19/2023

Imagine your life’s most precious moments, captured on...glass? 😳
Sounds a bit risky, no?

In the past, Nat staff took great care to photograph important moments, landscapes, each other, and so much more... . And it’s all printed on glass. Now, it’s our job to make sure these delicate glass photographs are accessible to the world and safe for generations to come. Our team of Parker photo digitized and archived the for public access, and one member, Alex Tomeo, captured her own glass plate photos.

A student at Palomar College, Alex has studied alternative photographic processes of the past, and after being brought on as a Parker photo apprentice, she became fascinated with glass plate photography. From the late 1800’s to the late 1920’s, photographers often used dry glass plate negatives, which are thin squares of glass coated in light-sensitive chemicals (similar to film) that are then dried for an “easy” and clean photographing process. Working with the Museum’s plates inspired Alex to take her own glass portraits of current Nat staff (pictured here).

The Museum’s archive is filled with glass plates that show the work life, personalities and achievements of the staff that once ran the . A hundred years from now, Alex wants the full picture to be there. Thanks to her, not only will The Nat have thousands of plates from the 1900’s, but some from 2023 as well.

Read all about this project on our blog: https://bit.ly/3QFzKMo

Plate 1: Kevin Clark, Director of Bioservices
Plate 2: Michelle Thompson, Director of Conservation Biology
Plate 3: Pamela Horsley, Entomology Collections Manager
Plate 4: Bradford Hollingsworth, Herpetology Curator

08/17/2023

Ah—tide pooling. 🐚🦀

A favorite activity among many San Diego nature nerds! And while the tide might be too high right now to search for some mind-blowing anemones or little crabs, sees over 350,000 people at the every year. It's one of California's best-protected rocky intertidal areas, which we can thank the for. 👏

Join us next Thursday, 8/24, at 7 PM to hear from NPS' Dr. Keith Lombardo as he shares stories from three stunning parks: Cabrillo National Monument, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, and Channel Islands National Park.

RSVP now: https://bit.ly/3kUEuAk

Photos by Cypress Hansen

08/15/2023

Behold! A smol being with a starring role. 🐹
If Stephens' had their own little celebrities, this guy would be world-famous.

Welcome to a new series of posts where we explore interesting from each decade of our 150-year-long history. Next stop: the 1880s.

This "K-rat" was collected by our first Museum Director, Frank Stephens, in the San Jacinto Valley in 1885! At the time... the rat and its species had no name. That is, scientists hadn't formally described it yet. And when a creature has no name, we can't mail it love letters! 💌
More importantly, we can't protect it from .

Thankfully, this exact specimen helped mammalogist C.H. Merriam describe the species in 1907—and so began a long, heroic mission: Keep these adorable animals alive on our planet. ✊

Stephens' kangaroo rats have been listed by the as Endangered or Vulnerable since the 1980s, but their habitats have been shrinking for much longer. Their natural range is small, restricted to the area seen in the third photo, with their largest population near Lake Henshaw in San Diego County.

If not for this Stephens' kangaroo rat specimen, and the others in our research , our understanding of their population, distribution, and status would be rudimentary at best. The more we know about these rats, the better we can protect them.

Let's hear it for the O.G. Stephens' K-rat! 🤩

08/13/2023

Oh yes—it's that time of year again. When people start running for their lives from these clumsy jewel-like beetles. But these green friends aren't out to get you, they aren't blind, and they don't mean to run into everything; they are just bad pilots. 🤷

Figeater beetles (Cotinis mutabilis) are a type of scarab beetle that eat lots of soft fruits, like figs (duh)! They live as grubs underground most of the year, eating rotting plants and roots. Summer is mating season, so they are pretty busy right now looking for love and laying eggs.

Give them space, know they can’t hurt you, and see if you can glimpse their beautiful, iridescent undersides.

📷: dloarie on iNaturalist

08/12/2023

How can thousands of dead bugs save the lives of millions more? It's all about the DNA. 🧬

Join Eva Horna-Lowell in the field for our latest blog post, as she takes part in ’s answer to the —the California Insect Biodiversity Initiative.

From traipsing through montane meadows to sorting thousands of in the lab to barcoding DNA samples in Canada... this project is a doozy.

Read the full story: https://bit.ly/3OKLA6t

08/11/2023

🥳🌲️ The National Park Service is celebrating its 107th birthday on August 25!

We love our and the incredible flora and fauna that call them home. But how have these treasures thrived for over 100 years? 🤔

Hear from NPS’ Dr. Keith Lombardo on 8/24 at 7 PM. He’ll take us on a fascinating ecological journey through three stunning parks: Cabrillo National Monument, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, and Channel Islands National Park.

Dr. Lombardo will share tales of hope and warning hidden in the decades of scientific data, and how data shape the way we manage and care for these precious natural resources in .

Reserve your spot now! 🔗 https://bit.ly/3kUEuAk

08/09/2023

At , we love books, and we love too. 💚📚

For our One Book, One Museum program this year, staff and volunteers have been reading Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake.

🍄 And these are definitely expanding our minds! 🍄

As part of the program, we’ve gone on mushroom farm tours, tried truffle chips and , and had some very interesting conversations about psychedelic mushrooms. 😵

We also found 19 different species of on our foray, grew mushrooms out of books (they’re just dead trees after all!), and got deep on mycorrhizae.

As we started this year-long program, we didn’t know what to expect, but as our always says, you never know where an interesting book will take you!

We hope you can take time on tomorrow to put your phone away and pick up a book instead. If you’re looking for a copy of or one of our own Nat publications, you can find them in our Museum store. 😉

08/07/2023

Want a peek at what the life of the largest animal ever to roam looked like? 🦕

Be sure to check out our new film Titanosaur next time you’re at ! Your admission ticket gets you access to all films in the Subaru Giant Screen Experience. https://bit.ly/44keW1s

08/06/2023

Who insists on buying groceries from multiple markets each week? 🙋
Who would starve if their favorite market shut down? (Looking at you Trader Joe’s shoppers) 👀
If you answered "ME" to these questions… then you might be a coastal California gnatcatcher.

These little grey birds munch on bugs all day in the rare coastal sage scrub habitats of and —Yummy! And how do they find insects to ingest? By following the flowers! 🌼 In spring and summer, blooms are booming, bugs are everywhere, and the grub-gobbling gnatcatchers turn into little fatcatchers, finding bugs on multiple plant species.

But each fall, things can get real bleak, real quick. 🥺
The coastal sage scrub gets drier each day. The bugs begin to disappear. The nights grow longer and colder. And according to a new study from our BioServices team and WSP USA , if late-blooming plants like coyote brush and Brickellbush aren't around to keep attracting insects, the gnatcatchers—a threatened species—can starve to death during winter.

Coastal sage scrub is a shrinking and millions are spent each year to restore it. Yet the late bloomers mentioned above are rarely included in such efforts, and there is no guidebook on how to restore this unique habitat. This new study is changing that.

If you are looking for low-effort plants to grow in your garden, consider adding Baccharis pilularis, Brickellia californica, and Artemisia californica to help gnatcatchers and other make it through the dry season.

📷: M Claire, H Kibak, D Johnson, P Holroyd, K Clark.

08/04/2023

“I swear it wasn’t me!”

We got a recent submission and just HAD to share.

Marie and her family have four dogs and a cat. One day they woke up to a little “accident” on their couch. It wasn’t normal for their pets to behave like this, so they set up a wireless camera in the room to see which bandit was behind this mess.

Turns out it wasn’t any of their pets, it was a crafty that found its way inside through the doggy door and decided to pop a squat on the couch. 🦝️💩

Marie shared another photo of a mama raccoon and her babies on their patio, it turns out they have lots of raccoons around their neighborhood this year.

But... there is no way these cuties could be behind that mess. Look at those little faces. They're obviously innocent no matter what that camera shows... 😉

📷: Marie B

08/01/2023

"In 1874, when San Diego was a little town... several met in the law offices of Daniel Cleveland, a botanist, and founded the original San Diego Natural History Society." —From the Archives, 1929

Welcome to a new series of posts where we explore interesting from each decade of our 150-year-long history. First stop: the 1870s. 🕯️

These tiny, pinned beetles and fragile pressed plant don't look like much (who does after 150 years? 😅), but they were collected by our founders, D. Cleveland and O.N. Sanford in 1874. This is where it alllllll began.

Do you think these two naturalists expected their to last until 2023 (and beyond)?
Do you think they knew they were seeding what would become the most valuable scientific collection for Southern California and the Baja California Peninsula?

They probably didn't. But they figured it was important work nonetheless. You gotta start somewhere, right? Who knows, maybe someday your weird collections of cat whiskers, matchboxes, or frog figurines will become an important part of history too!

📷1: Pinned scriptured leaf beetles collected by O.N. Sanford
📷2: Pressed California brickellbush collected by Daniel Cleveland
📷3: Portrait of our cofounder, Daniel Cleveland
📷4: Live scriptured leaf beetle by Sam Kieschnick
📷5: Live California brickellbush by Madeleine Claire

07/29/2023

Relax Al!

There is still plenty of time for all our friends to hang out with us at the this . 🏛🌙

You still have 38 days left to enjoy extended hours and half-priced admission after 5 PM! Don't forget to say hi to Al while you're at it. 😉🦖

Tag your friends below and start planning your visit with us!

Our hours are as follows:
Monday-Thursday: 10 AM – 7 PM
Friday: 10 AM – 10 PM
Saturday-Sunday: 10 AM – 5 PM

(Last film screening Mon-Fri. is at 5 PM.)

📷: streetbeastphoto on Instagram

07/27/2023

is bursting with . Here's what some nature nerds have spotted around our county this month!

🌸 Hellooooo beautiful. This —AKA Charming Centaury or Canchalagua—is thriving!

👀 We love a good side-eye. The western fence is known for its blue belly during mating season.

🦋 If you didn't know... it's ! Please "ooo" and "ahhh" with us over this emerald moth, Chlorochlamys appellaria. P.S. We're having a moth party this Friday at Nat at Night. Check the link for more details. 😉 https://bit.ly/3OvjVWZ

🐝 What’s buzzin’? Have you ever seen a Texas striped sweat bee before? Their flight season is peaking right now!

🐤This hooded oriole is probably planning its next meal at your feeder. These blackbird relatives are major in our region!

📷1: Jasonschock on iNaturalist
📷2,5: Ericklug on iNaturalist
📷3: Madily on iNaturalist
📷4: Milliebasden on iNaturalist

07/23/2023

Come get mothy with our team this Friday!

For 2023, we're hosting a free insect blacklighting party outside the Museum from 8-10 PM on Friday, July 28.

And what is a blacklighting party you ask? Well, there won't be neon clothing or glowsticks (unless you bring them). But there will be a UV lamp shining on a big sheet, which will attract all sorts of nocturnal insects like moths, beetles, katydids, and more. 🐞

This is how our scientists survey insects for their research, but if you're nerdy about , it's a great way to spend your Friday night. 😎 The set-up lets you get a close look at the beautiful, intricate bodies of the moths and other insects fluttering around the park. You never know who might show up!

Catch us outside the Museum's north entrance by the giant, Moreton Bay fig tree at 8PM, then head up to our roof for Nat at Night. See you there!

07/21/2023

Cloudy with a chance of... stunning views.

📍
📷: surrendermakesusbeautiful on Instagram

07/11/2023

Your July Hike of the Month is here, and it's great for kids and hot weather! 😎

Batiquitos Lagoon is a beautiful, 600-acre ecological reserve halfway between and . For 9,000 years, it was an important foraging ground for Indigenous Peoples due to its high diversity of plants, birds, and shellfish.

Why: can get a bit toasty around here, but this coastal trail offers a cool sea breeze, shady eucalyptus trees, and remains pretty flat. Children will enjoy the easy terrain, interpretive signs, and abundant .

The Terrain: This out-and-back trail hugs the lagoon's northern shore for 2 miles, making it a 4-mile route in total. It is rated as easy, with almost no elevation gain and well-maintained, wide-open trails.

What You'll See: Lots of impressive plants that can drink salted water and survive in salty soils, such as pickleweed, alkali heath, and salty susan. The lagoon also features one of the most diverse and threatened communities in : the coastal sage scrub. And did we mention? There are 180 species of birds found here! 😮

For directions and more info on Lagoon, tap the link: https://bit.ly/44o58CQ
📷 Peter Sharp, Bill Palmer, Edgar Schell