Carnegie Museum of Natural History

On Monday, Kathy Hollis, Director of Collections Care and Access, gave an excellent talk on future-proofing museum collections as part of the R.W. Moriarty Science Seminar series. She spoke about her role developing a more accessible system for the National Fossil Collection, her work as Collection Manager for Paleobiology at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, and the comprehensive strategy she is leading to future-proof the Carnegie Museum of Natural History collection.    If you missed it, you can still learn more about Kathy Hollis and her work in her Q+A with Carnegie Magazine. https://lnkd.in/eCe6JT8k

Please join us Monday, December 9 to hear our Director of Collections Care and Access, Kathy Hollis, speak as part of the R.W. Moriarty Science Seminar series! She will discuss what it takes to future-proof museum collections, ensuring preservation and accessibility for generations to come. This free talk begins at noon. We hope to see you in-person in the museum’s Earth Theater or online via Zoom. https://lnkd.in/ex3sGJcT

Recently, Nicole Heller, Associate Curator of Anthropocene Studies, participated in a panel discussion with the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation as part of their annual Heinz Lecture. Zealan Hoover, Senior Advisor to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator and Director of Implementation, gave this year’s lecture, in which he made the case for why we can and should be optimistic about the climate.  Hoover made the case for climate optimism with five main points: 1.        The curve in greenhouse emissions has bent down over the last 10 years, reducing the amount of warming projected this century. 2.        US emissions have been decreasing, down about 15% since 2005. 3.        There are new tools to help accelerate existing emissions reduction trends. 4.        Private investment in green energy products is increasing and supports the US manufacturing sector. 5.        Technology continues to outpace our expectations. For example, solar energy has become available much more quickly than economic models predicted. Hoover emphasized the need to talk about the positive actions that are happening. In response to his comments, Heller shared some of the lessons from the museum’s Climate and Rural Systems Partnership (CRSP), including how CRSP has helped professionals and public audiences talk about climate in our region, acknowledging Pennsylvania's important fossil fuel heritage. She discussed the importance of talking about climate action and positive futures as opposed to talking about climate impacts and past losses. Heller advocates that talking about doable actions not only feels good, but also empowers people with the belief they can help fix climate problems. Learn more in the paper “Shifting Climate Communication Narratives Toward Actions and Futures in a Rural Area of Appalachia” co-authored by Heller in the journal Science Communication (free and open-access). https://lnkd.in/erTnsMu7

The next free R.W. Moriarty Science Seminar is November 11 at noon! Please join us to hear Keith Crandall's talk "Genomics, Informatics, and Conservation." He will discuss omics technologies and ongoing work at the Crandall Lab, which develops tools for omics data analyses (especially DNA/RNA sequence data) and integration with other data types. We hope to see you in-person in Earth Theater or online via Zoom. Learn more and register for the Zoom on our website. https://lnkd.in/ek4nqzTf

Please join us for the next R.W. Moriarty Science Seminar! On Monday, October 7 at noon Molly Hardy presents, "Imperial Order: How the Herbarium Shaped Botany from the Enlightenment to the Early United States." We hope to see you in-person in Earth Theater or online via Zoom for this free talk. More information is available on our website. https://brnw.ch/21wNqPa

Carnegie Museums is hiring a Program Director in our Information Technology department! The Program Director will direct the implementation of Tessitura and Prospect2 as well as subsequent integration with Carnegie Museums systems. Visit this link for more information and to apply: https://brnw.ch/21wMWtK

Please join us for the first R.W. Moriarty Science Seminar of the 2024-2025 season! On Monday, September 23, Curator of Mammals John Wible presents "Searching for Thylacines (Tasmanian Wolves or Tigers) in Natural History Collections" at noon in the museum's Earth Theater and online via Zoom. Learn more and sign-up for the Zoom option here: https://brnw.ch/21wMT0T

Associate Curator of Invertebrate Zoology Ainsley Seago and colleagues recently described a new genus and species of Australian beetle, naming it Myopagyrtes tasmanicus. This is the fourth new genus and 17th new species described by Seago who describes it as a “fascinating little round beetle from the forests of Tasmania. Its lack of wings and extremely tiny eyes suggest that it’s well adapted to feasting on fungus in a leaf litter habitat.” Learn more: https://brnw.ch/21wMBBq

Assistant Curator of Minerals Travis Olds was recently elected to the Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification of the International Mineralogical Association. In this lifetime appointment, he will be responsible for assessing and approving or rejecting discoveries of new minerals. Congratulations, Travis!

Thank you to all of our educators and volunteers who hosted an outstanding season of summer camps at Carnegie Museum of Natural History! These amazing educators provide a safe, engaging, and fun space for our campers over 11 weeks of summer. Their hard work, dedication, creativity, and patience are unmatched! Here’s a look at the 2024 Summer Camp season by the numbers: • Carnegie Museum of Natural History hosted 52 camps with 917 campers, led by 35 educators. • Powdermill Nature Reserve hosted 6 camps with 63 campers, led by 5 educators. • 26 Teen Volunteers provided classroom support and gained valuable work experience. Congratulations on a fantastic summer of exploration and discovery!