Florida Museum of Natural History

Huge congrats! ?????? Our archaeologist Ann Cordell was recognized with a lifetime achievement award from the Southeastern Archaeological Conference this month. Her long career in the field earned her reputation as a premier expert on Florida pottery and an authority on ceramics from surrounding areas. She is also well known for her generosity of mentoring students and assisting peers. “I was one of 17 people who nominated her, and it boils down to two things,” said Neill Wallis, curator of Florida archaeology and bioarchaeology here at the Florida Museum. “One is her scientific contributions. She set the bar on how to do petrographic analysis on pottery, and for decades, she used exacting and meticulous methods that others weren’t. She’s also a force in training and collaborating with colleagues. She’s always going out of her way to help people with their research.” About her scientific contributions and professional path: https://lnkd.in/eygdfZhW

FREE Gallery Exhibit! ?? From mesmerizing mammoth tusks to swirly shells, our photographer Kristen Grace shares Museum treasures in a special light. Feature: Seminole coiled basket with doll lid This basket was a gift to the museum from the elders of the Seminole Tribe of Florida in 1997, after tribal experts consulted with museum staffers on the design of its South Florida Hall. Agnes Billie Cypress made the basket of sweetgrass and cotton thread. Lucy Johns crafted the lid with its palmetto fiber doll, in keeping with a tradition that a basket’s lid should be made by a woman past child-bearing age. Sweetgrass baskets and palmetto fiber dolls were not always a Seminole tradition. Missionaries encouraged Seminole women to make and sell them. FREE West Gallery Exhibit Florida: The State of Our Nature Be immersed in the Florida Museum of Natural History’s collections with a look at 14 images by our photographer Kristen Grace that showcase rare museum objects not often in public view. Their stories inspire and inform about the state of our natural world, touching on topics like invasive species, habitat loss and the work of researchers to preserve plants and animals that call the Sunshine State home. https://lnkd.in/epCwRvYK Plan Your Visit ? Florida Museum General admission to the Museum is FREE, although donations are gladly accepted. There is a cover charge for the Butterfly Rainforest. The Museum is CLOSED Thanksgiving Day but open normal hours the rest of the month. ??? Tickets, exhibits, parking and more: https://lnkd.in/grtzXjU

We ?? museum gift shops! ?? Bee sure to buzz over to our gift shop when you start your holiday shopping. From scarves and t-shirts to books on gardening and pollinators, there's a little something for everyone you want to bug! ?? Spark some curiosity with smart gifts this season. We're proud to bring you environmentally responsible, educational and meaningful products that inspire exploration. Invest in our natural world by shopping local and supporting the Museum. Thank you for sharing our mission to care about life on Earth! The Florida Museum and gift shop will be closed Thanksgiving Day ?? We're OPEN regular hours the rest of November. Be sure to make the Museum part of your plans! Plan Your Visit ? Florida Museum General admission to the Museum is FREE, although donations are gladly accepted. There is a cover charge for the Butterfly Rainforest. ??? Tickets, exhibits, parking and more: https://lnkd.in/grtzXjU

Time for a Museum visit! ?? School break? Family in town? Free time on your hands? Hey heyyyyyyy! We are OPEN regular hours all of November except we are CLOSED on Thanksgiving Day! From sharks to fossils to butterflies, we have a little something for every natural history fan. The museum is convenient and fully accessible, and easy to find on the University of Florida campus. ? Keep us in mind when the weather isn't cooperating! Plan Your Visit ? Florida Museum General admission to the Museum is FREE, although donations are gladly accepted. There is a cover charge for the Butterfly Rainforest. ??? Tickets, exhibits, parking and more: https://lnkd.in/grtzXjU

The Florida Museum’s Randell Research Center has a new director! ?? Michelle LeFebvre, curator of South Florida archaeology and ethnography, as well as Caribbean archaeology, recently began her three-year tenure as director. The Randell Research Center was established by the Florida Museum in 1996 on Pine Island along the southwest Gulf coast of Florida. The area was once home to the Calusa people, and parts of the island now serve as an archaeological cultural heritage site. “It’s an incredible opportunity to be able to work with the amazing staff of the center, care for a place like this and help support a group of invested community members,” she said. “The Randell Research Center is the premier off-site location of the Florida Museum serving our mission to inspire people to care about Florida’s cultural heritage and biological diversity.” LeFebvre specializes in the archaeology of human-environment interactions in island and coastal environments of Florida and the Caribbean, and she is especially interested in relationships between people and animals in the past. She works with community members and scientists across multiple disciplines to look at historical events and trends from different angles to determine how they affected modern patterns of biodiversity. Some of her recent research also delves into the links between cultural heritage and natural resources, and how conserving both can support community resilience to climate change and natural disasters. Full story: https://lnkd.in/dHYXH7db

In the Arctic, people made water-repellent coats or parkas from sea mammal intestines. Most museum examples are stiff and flattened after years of storage, but this gut parka is exceptionally well-preserved, in part because of the excellent care provided by the Reeves. "This 19th-century example is very well preserved and the vertical layout of the sewn panels indicates it could be from either Canada or Alaska," said archaeologist Susan Milbrath. "The parka would be linked with the Eskimo-Aleut linguistic group in Alaska, but in Canada it would be Inuit, the name preferred by the First Nations of Canada living in the Arctic." Featured: Parka Made by Eskimo (Alaska) or Inuit (Canada) Dates to ~19th century Gift of I.S.K Reeves & Sara W. Reeves Online Exhibit ??? Rare, Beautiful & Fascinating ?? Read and listen to more with Susan, and browse other objects from our collections: https://lnkd.in/ecQ9sjJt ?? Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

Team Limelight Rainforest! ?? Robert Guralnick, our curator of bioinformatics, is a member of an international team that won first place and $5 million in the five-year XPRIZE Rainforest competition. The XPRIZE Rainforest competition kicked off in 2019, hosting 300 teams across 70 countries. The collective goal of each participant was the acceleration of technological innovation to improve the speed and precision of biodiversity surveys in support of global conservation efforts. The Limelight Rainforest team also includes Niyomi House, Caitlin Campbell, Raphael LaFrance, Nick Gardner, and Julie Allen who have roots here at the Florida Museum. Read + watch: https://lnkd.in/eqEhcx92

Scientist Spotted ?? Rob Guralnick, our Curator of Biodiversity Informatics, is collaborating on a project looking at using artificial intelligence to improve the precision of mosquito control. “This research not only helps us make better decisions about where to apply larvicides but also protects the vital ecosystem functions of our coastal areas,” he said. “It’s about giving state officials and control programs the tools they need to do their jobs effectively while safeguarding the environment.” Story via UF/IFAS: https://lnkd.in/epCw-hxC

Happy #Butterfriday from the Butterfly Rainforest! ?? This dead leaf butterfly paused to catch some sunlight and dazzle us with their colors! You never know what you'll discover while you stroll around the exhibit. The peaceful atmosphere already inspires many visitors to slow down and enjoy the moment. But when you do, you're much more likely to spot fabulous residents like this that might blend into the scenery. As we head into the holiday season, we hope you include a Museum visit in your plans for family and friends. Or just come for a visit yourself to enjoy the our serene exhibit. ???? Remember: University of Florida students get in to the Butterfly Rainforest for FREE with a valid GatorOne ID card! Plan Your Visit ? Florida Museum General admission to the Museum is FREE, although donations are gladly accepted. There is a cover charge for the Butterfly Rainforest. ??? Tickets, exhibits, parking and more: https://lnkd.in/grtzXjU ?? Florida Museum photo by keeper Ingrith

FREE Gallery Exhibit! ?? From mesmerizing mammoth tusks to swirly shells, our photographer Kristen Grace shares Museum treasures in a special light. Feature: Schaus’ swallowtail butterfly (captive-raised caterpillars) So nimble that it can fly backwards, the endangered Schaus’ swallowtail butterfly flits through dappled light in tropical hardwood forests that once grew on high ground from Miami to the Middle Keys. The caterpillars look like bird or lizard droppings, which discourages hungry predators from eating them. Their forests have been sprayed with insecticides, razed for development, and raked by hurricanes. Only a handful survived Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Museum scientists hand-rear them and reintroduce them in Biscayne National Park and on Key Largo, where in 2021 volunteers counted more than 1,700 of them flying free FREE West Gallery Exhibit Florida: The State of Our Nature Be immersed in the Florida Museum of Natural History’s collections with a look at 14 images by our photographer Kristen Grace that showcase rare museum objects not often in public view. Their stories inspire and inform about the state of our natural world, touching on topics like invasive species, habitat loss and the work of researchers to preserve plants and animals that call the Sunshine State home. https://lnkd.in/epCwRvYK Plan Your Visit ? Florida Museum General admission to the Museum is FREE, although donations are gladly accepted. There is a cover charge for the Butterfly Rainforest. ??? Tickets, exhibits, parking and more: https://lnkd.in/grtzXjU