SANTA BARBARA MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

COLLECTIONS & RESEARCH:THIS PROGRAM ENCOMPASSES THE ACTIVITIES OF SIX RESEARCH DEPARTMENTS WITH A STAFF OF CURATORS AND ASSISTANTS. EACH DEPARTMENT IS CONTINUALLY INVOLVED IN DEVELOPING AND CONSERVING EXTENSIVE COLLECTIONS OF SPECIMENS, ARTIFACTS, BOOKS AND MANUSCRIPTS, ETC., THAT NUMBER OVER 3.5 MILLION ITEMS, AS WELL AS MAKING THESE RESOURCES ACCESSIBLE TO RESEARCHERS, EITHER DURING ACTUAL VISITS OR THROUGH WEB-BASED SERVICES. EXPENSES INCLUDE STAFF SALARIES, COLLECTION ACQUISITION, CONSERVATION, BIODIVERSITY AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH, PRODUCTION OF PUBLICATIONS, ECOLOGICAL FIELD SURVEYS, PUBLIC EXHIBIT DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH.LIBRARY:THIS WAS A YEAR OF CHANGE FOR THE LIBRARY. IT BEGAN WITH STAFF PREPARING FOR A BOOK SALE, SPACE PLANNING FOR A MOVE, AND WEEDING PERIODICALS IN PREPARATION FOR LIBRARY CONSTRUCTION. THE LIBRARY BUILDING WAS TO GAIN A NEW ROOF, REINFORCEMENT OF THE CEILING TRUSSES, HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING IN THE MAIN READING ROOM, LIBRARIAN'S AND ARCHIVES & MANUSCRIPTS OFFICES, UPDATED STAIR TREADS, AND NEW FLOORING IN THE BASEMENT. BY THE SECOND WEEK OF APRIL, LIBRARY STAFF HAD VACATED THE LIBRARY BUILDING AND SET UP NEW WORK AREAS ON THE SECOND FLOOR OF THE INVERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY LAB. THIS BECAME THEIR PRIMARY WORK SPACE FOR THE REST OF 2023. THE LIBRARY STAFF CONTINUED ITS WORK ON COLLECTION PROCESSING, LIMITED REFERENCE ASSISTANCE AND MUSEUM-WIDE SUPPORT. ATTENDING TO A BACKLOG OF UNCATALOGUED BOOKS, DIGITIZING RESEARCH NOTES, HOSTING LOCAL HIGH STUDENTS FOR A RESEARCH PROJECT, RESTORATION OF ANTIQUE COURTYARD TILES AS WELL AS PROCESSING GIFTS OF NATURE PRINTS FROM VARIOUS ESTATES WERE SOME OF THE PROJECTS ENGAGING THE LIBRARY STAFF.

B. EXHIBITS AND VISITOR SERVICES:THE MUSEUM HAS TWO SITES. ITS MISSION CANYON CAMPUS AND THE SEA CENTER LOCATED ON STEARNS WHARF.GATE ATTENDANCE AT THE MISSION CANYON CAMPUS IN 2023 WAS 108,000. IN ADDITION, 8506 CHILDREN AND ADULTS ATTENDED EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, 20 CAME FOR COMMUNITY USES AND 28 CAME SPECIFICALLY FOR RESEARCH, FOR A TOTAL ATTENDANCE AT THE MISSION CANYON CAMPUS OF 116554. (NOT COUNTING THE NATURE ADVENTURES CAMPERS - SEE BELOW)GATE ATTENDANCE AT THE SEA CENTER IN 2023 WAS OVER 113,000. IN ADDITION, OVER 2000 CHILDREN AND ADULTS ATTENDED EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND OVER 1400 ATTENDED COMMUNITY EVENTS (FESTIVALS AND BEACH CLEAN UP) FOR A TOTAL ATTANCE AT THE SEA CENTER OF 116,400+.BUTTERFLIES ALIVE!:THE MUSEUM OPENED ITS OUTDOOR BUTTERFLY PAVILION IN A WAY THAT ALLOWS GUESTS TO EXPERIENCE AN UP-CLOSE INTERACTION. GUESTS ARE ABLE TO MOVE THROUGH A BEATUTIFUL GARDEN WHILE APPROXIMATELY 1000 LIVE BUTTERFLIES FLUTTER FREELY. THE EXHIBIT FEATURES DAZZLING VARIETIES OF BUTTERFLIES FROM COSTA RICA AND FLORIDA. VISITORS LEARN ABOUT THE LIFE CYCLE AND BEHAVIOR OF THESE SPECTACULAR INVERTEBRATES WHILE OBSERVING THEM UP CLOSE.0 TO 60: AN UNDERWATER ADVENTURE FROM THE EQUATOR TO ALASKA. A PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBIT BY RICHARD SALAS: AN EXHIBIT OF UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY DOCUMENTING 4000 MILES OF UNDERWATER ADVENTURE. THE MUSEUM BACKYARD AND NATURE CLUB HOUSE:THE MUSEUM BACKYARD AND NATURE CLUBHOUSE IS AN ADA ACCESSIBLE PLAY AREA NESTLED IN THE OAK WOODLAND ALONG MISSION CREEK. GUESTS CAN RELAX, EXPLORE AND PLAY ALONG THE BACKYARD CREEK. ACTIVITIES (MYSTERY BOX, NATURE STORIES, AND ROCKS IN A BOX) SUPPORTED BY FRIENDLY NATURALISTS ENGAGE VISITORS IN NATURE PLAY. THE CLUBHOUSE IS STAFFED WITH NATURALISTS THAT ANSWER QUESTIONS, SHARE ACTIVITIES ABOUT THE NATURAL WORLD AND WHAT MAKES THE SANTA BARBARA REGION UNIQUE. THEY SUPPORT THE POPULAR NATURE EXCHANGE PROGRAM, CREEPY CRAWLY ENCOUNTERS, AND ALLOW FOR NATURAL CURIOSITY THROUGH TACTILE INTERACTIONS.MAXIMUS GALLERY:THE JOHN AND PEGGY MAXIMUS GALLERY, LOCATED AT THE MISSION CANYON CAMPUS, IS DEDICATED TO THE PRESERVATION AND DISPLAY OF ANTIQUEPRINTS AND PRESENTS TWO TO THREE ORIGINAL EXHIBITS A YEAR WHICH HIGHLIGHT THE HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE SCIENCES.TWO ORIGINAL EXHIBITS WERE CREATED BY IN-HOUSE CURATOR AND STAFF EXHIBIT DESIGNER FOR THE MAXIMUS GALLERY IN 2023.DRAWN BY A LADY PROVIDED A FASCINATING LOOK AT GENDER ISSUES IN THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE. THE SPRING EXHIBIT SHED LIGHT ON THE LIVES OF EIGHT WOMEN AUTHORS AND ILLUSTRATORS WHOSE CONTRIBUTIONS TO BOTANICAL SCIENCE WERE DIMINISHED BY THE PREVAILING CULTURE IN THE 18TH AND 19TH CENTURIES. THESE WOMEN DEFIED CONVENTION IN AN ERA WHEN IT WAS SOCIALLY UNACCEPTABLE FOR THEM TO EARN A LIVING. DENIED ACCESS TO FORMAL EDUCATION, THEY USED THEIR SKILLS IN DRAWING AND PAINTING TO MAKE MEANINGFUL CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE EMERGING FIELD OF BOTANY. THEY WROTE AND ILLUSTRATED BOOKS, SOMETIMES PUBLISHED ANONYMOUSLY, USING THEIR HUSBAND'S NAME, OR CREDITED SIMPLY" BY A LADY."VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY, A NATURAL HISTORY EXPLORATION OPENED IN THE MAXIMUS GALLERY ON OCTOBER 13 AND CONTINUES UNTIL MARCH 10, 2024. THE IMAGES ON DISPLAY IN THIS EXHIBIT ARE A VISUAL RECORD OF FASCINATING DISCOVERIES MADE DURING NATURAL SCIENCE EXPLORATION. RECENTLY ADDED TO THE MAXIMUS ART COLLECTION, THEY WERE PUBLISHED IN REPORTS OF 18TH- AND 19TH-CENTURY SAILING VOYAGES. MANY HAVE BEEN PRESERVED FOR OVER 300 YEARS-A REFLECTION OF HOW MUSEUMS AND LIBRARIES HAVE LONG VALUED THESE METICULOUS OBSERVATIONS.AT THE SEA CENTER:GUESTS TO THE SEA CENTER ARE ABLE TO LOOK AND LEARN MORE ABOUT SEA HORSES, CORAL REEF INHABITANTS, JELLIES, AND SIMILARLY ELEGANT ANIMALS. VISITORS GET THEIR HANDS WET AS THEY EXPLORE THE WONDERS AND BEAUTY OF LOCAL MARINE LIFE IN THE INTERTIDAL WONDERS TOUCH POOLS. TRAINED NATURALISTS GUIDE EXPLORERS IN THE DISCOVERY OF A VARIETY OF MARINE ANIMALS THAT CALL SANTA BARABARA COAST THEIR HOME. ALONG WITH THE NATURALISTS, THERE WERE 114 VOLUNTEERS WHO DONATED OVER 10,000 HOURS OF SERVICE TO INTERPRET THE INTERACTIVE STATIONS FOR VISITORS.WHITE ABALONE CAPTIVE BREEDING PROGRAM:AS A PARTNER IN THE WHITE ABALONE CAPTIVE BREEDING PROGRAM AND A MEMBER OF THE WHITE ABALONE RECOVERY CONSORTIUM, THE SEA CENTER CONTIUES TO CARE FOR THE WHITE ABALONE AND PARTICIPATE IN COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS SUCH AS SPAWING ATTEMPTS AND JUVENILE RELEASES. IN 2023, THE SEA CENTER RELEASED TWO JUVENILE COHORTS INTO THE WILD.WET DECK REFRESH:THE SEA CENTER COMPLETED THE REFRESH OF THE WET DECK IN NOVEMBER. THE POPULAR EXHIBIT AREA WAS THE LAST SPACE TO BE REFRESHED. THE SPACE WAS PAINTED, NEW MOON POOL WALLS AND GRAPHICS WERE INSTALLED WITH A VIEW PORT FOR LITTLE ONES. NEW CABINETRY AND A DEDICATED QUARANTINE AREA WERE INTRODUCED. THE SPACE RETAINS ITS ESSENCE BUT IS MUCH MORE INVITING TO VISITORS.