There’s a unique thrill in preserving historical specimens. It makes history real and gives me an affinity for the individuals who were really there at the time the specimens were […]
When Working at the Nature Museum Doesn’t Feel Like Work
I am approaching my second year of working at the Nature Museum and through my journey I have come upon unexpected discoveries, both personally and professionally. When I first graduated […]
The Red-Bellied Snake
I have spent the last three months georeferencing the herpetology collection for the Chicago Academy of Sciences / Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. Georeferencing is the practice of digitally mapping spatial […]
Club Mosses and their Mighty Ancestors
Some of the most visually striking organisms bear a resemblance to their extinct prehistoric relatives. They transport our imaginations to a time when the land beneath our feet looked very […]
Are there savannas in Illinois?
What is a savanna? What makes a wetland a wetland? We’re exploring some Midwestern ecosystems in our new, permanent exhibit – the Hawver and Lacy Families Nature’s PlaySpace. This play […]
Do Atlas moths eat?
Morpho butterflies and Atlas moths are two very cool insects that you can find in Animal Crossing AND see in real life at the Nature Museum! Entomologist Allen works with Atlas […]
It’s migration season!
This Saturday, October 8, is World Migratory Bird Day. Officially, World Migratory Bird Day is celebrated on the second Saturday in May and October to recognize both the northward and southward migrations. […]
How do we know where monarchs go?
Monarch migration is in full swing! But where do our local monarchs go for the winter? And how do we know where they end up? Dr. Doug Taron is here to […]
What & How Do Snakes Eat?
What do snakes eat? How do they eat? How do they eat big things? Today, Airen and Lalainya are going to walk us through a feeding featuring a few of […]
It’s Finally Thyme: Processing the Botany Backlog
In 1944, the Chicago Academy of Sciences’ Honorary Curator of Botany, Anna Pedersen Kummer, reflected on recent developments to the Academy’s Herbarium in The Chicago Naturalist: “Much excellent materials been […]
