Home / Lifestyle / Museum Loans Out 1,400 Wildlife Specimens!
Museum Loans Out 1,400 Wildlife Specimens!
8 Sep
Summary
- San Diego Natural History Museum offers 1,400 specimens for public checkout.
- The unique program allows members to borrow wildlife items like books.
- Specimens range from taxidermy to fossils and snake jars for home display.
The San Diego Natural History Museum provides a distinctive public service, allowing individuals to borrow from its vast collection of natural history specimens. This program, unique in the United States, offers approximately 1,400 items, ranging from taxidermied bobcats and beetles to snakes preserved in jars and whale ribs. Similar to a book library, members can check out these specimens for home display or use in projects.
The museum's "Nature to You" initiative, which began with school 'nature cabinets' in the 1920s, expanded to the general public in the early 2000s. This trend aligns with a broader museum movement toward accessible collections. The specimens, while not part of the research collection, serve educational and artistic purposes. Popular items include predator mammals and seasonal draws for Halloween and spring.
In the past year, the library served 186 members, with 60% being schoolteachers. Specimens are utilized for diverse purposes, from theatrical productions to background displays for video calls. The museum fundraises to maintain and expand the collection, with new taxidermy pieces being costly. While donations are sometimes received, the museum typically does not accept unsolicited animal carcasses.
