Latest news with #NaturalHistoryMuseumofLosAngelesCounty
Los Angeles Times
20-05-2025
- Science
- Los Angeles Times
26 awe-inspiring gardens in Southern California you must visit at least once
The gardens around the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County in Exposition Park are a triple treat — especially during the milder temperatures of spring and fall. At the entrance a living wall of giant sandstone splinters curves into the garden, acting as fence and planter. The top is filled with succulents, Mediterranean-climate plants and many California native flowers, perennials and shrubs, and the sides are laced with more plants sprouting from the rocks, providing homes to insects and lizards. The 3.5 acre garden opened in 2013, and one of its primary goals was to provide habitat for urban wildlife, especially birds and pollinators. The Sarah Meeker Jensen Pond is alive with thirsty birds, dragonflies and even Arroyo chub, the little native fish that once thrived in the Los Angeles River. There's also a small 'urban waterfall,' and a broad shallow creek where children can wade on hot days and a wildlife viewing platform for birds and other creatures, dotted with feeders, bee 'hotels' and plenty of nectar providing flowers. Further in, you'll find the Erika J. Glazer Family Edible Garden, where beautifully tended raised beds grow a large assortment of delicious-looking produce. If your children (or you) aren't sure where vegetables come from, here's a chance to discover up close how plant food is grown. The museum offers guided tours of the garden (free with museum admission) from 11 a.m. to noon most Saturdays and Sundays, and there's a 'Get Dirty Garden,' where children can balance on a path of logs and tree stumps, search for insects in compost piles and explore a house made from willow branches. Finally, next door to the nature gardens outside the California Science Center is the the Exposition Park Rose Garden, billed as the country's largest when it opened in 1927, according to a PBS report. It opened with more than 100 species of roses and by 1949, reportedly boasted 150 species and some 15,000 roses in all. It's still an awe-inspiring sight, but you'll want to visit after April when the roses start blooming, because the pruning in the winter leaves the bushes bare. Admission: Visitors can tour the Nature Gardens with a ticket to the Natural History Museum; $18, or $14 for seniors 62+ and students with ID, ages 13-17, $7 for ages 3-12 and free for members and children under 2. Los Angeles County residents can also visit the museum for free Mondays through Fridays between 3 and 5 p.m. Admission to the Exposition Park Rose Garden is free. Hours: Open 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, except the first Tuesday of every month, Jan. 1, July 4, Thanksgiving day and Dec. 25. Exposition Park. Rose Garden is open daily, 8:30 a.m. to dusk. Food: You can purchase food at the Natural History Museum and the California Science Center next door. Other: Restrooms are available at the museum. The gardens are wheelchair-accessible and visitors can borrow wheelchairs from the museum on a first-come, first-served basis.
Time of India
07-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Rare butterflies documented in city nature challenge
Panaji: TOI Rare butterfly species — the Aberrant Oakblue and Banded Royal — were among the standout finds in Goa during the City Nature Challenge (CNC), 2025, that was held last week. The Banded Royal, known for its elusive behaviour and forest habitat, and the shimmering Aberrant Oakblue, a seldom-seen species, were both documented by observer Devesh Naik, who also emerged as one of Goa's top contributors in the event.'The sightings of these exciting additions to Goa's butterfly records are reminders of the hidden wonders that still await discovery in Goa,' said Aditya Kakodkar, state coordinator – Goa for WWF-India. 'The documentation of such biodiversity is very important because without data we cannot fathom the amount of biodiversity or its destruction,' he toldThe CNC encourages participants to observe and document biodiversity by capturing photos of living organisms in their surroundings and uploading them via the 'iNaturalist' app. Given Goa's compact size, the entire state was counted as a single city for the proved to be a haven for biodiversity, emerging among the top performers in the global biodiversity documentation event that ran from April 25 to 28. A total of 20,265 nature observations and 1,927 species were recorded as Goa ranked fourth in India for most observations and fifth for most hundred and fifty-five Goan participants joined the effort, contributing to a vibrant mosaic of flora and fauna that included birds, butterflies, insects, and plants. Leading the charge was Suhani Sahani with 2,224 observations, followed closely by Devesh Naik with 2,167 and Ankush Sahani with 1,740. In terms of species diversity, Devesh Naik again led the charts with 481 unique species, followed by Vithal Naik (405) and Anvay Chati (332).'We need to encourage more people to document the biodiversity of Goa and city nature walks are a great way to do that,' Kakodkar event was coordinated by zoologists Ankush Sahani and Vaishnavi Rajesh Naik, with support from Lisha Da Costa, senior programme officer with WWF-India, who managed the initiative CNC, originally launched by the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the California Academy of Sciences, has evolved into a global initiative where cities compete to record the highest number of species and observations. This year, Hyderabad led the Indian cities with a record 33,989 observations, while Nanakmatta in Uttarakhand topped the species count with 2,574.
The Hindu
25-04-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
Chennai joins global City Nature Challenge to spotlight urban biodiversity
Did you know that there are around 100 species of wildflowers and 150 species of butterflies in Chennai? One might be skeptical, but a closer look would reveal this biodiversity. Residents of the city have joined the global City Nature Challenge (CNC), which runs from April 25 to 28. Organised by the Community Science teams at the California Academy of Sciences and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, the challenge involves participation from various cities, wherein nature enthusiasts share observations of flora and fauna on the iNaturalist platform. CNC aims to raise awareness about urban biodiversity and encourages people to engage in citizen science by spotting and documenting trees, birds, and other wildlife they might not typically notice. P. Harini, a 21-year-old nature enthusiast, participated last year as well. She says she took up the challenge on a whim, introduced to it by her sister. What started as a casual hobby of observing both flora and fauna has now evolved into what Harini describes as an 'exhilarating obsession.' A resident of Triplicane, she visits nearby parks and even observes nature from her terrace. On the first day of the challenge this year, she spotted around 45 species of flora and fauna. Among them were the Great Banded Hornet, Chinese Apple, and Garden Tent-web spider. 'Last year, the larvae were particularly exciting to spot,' she recalled. Although she hasn't discovered anything extraordinary this year so far, there are still three more days to go. M. Gowtham of Palluyir Trust, which is coordinating the CNC in Chennai this year, sees it as a unique opportunity to observe the often-overlooked aspects of nature. He visited the Kotturpuram Urban Forest and Adyar river trial this year. Gowtham, who will lead a walk at Chitlapakkam Lake, points out that there are many fascinating stories about smaller creatures, which rarely get the spotlight compared to larger animals. Harini also says, 'By taking the time to notice and observe our surroundings, we unlock an entirely different world. Only then can we realise how everything is interconnected and start thinking about conservation.' For Claudia, the exciting part of the challenge is joining fellow nature enthusiasts as part of a team. During her observations, she spotted several species, including the Portia tree, Bauhinia, two-tailed spider, lacewing eggs, short-horned grasshopper, Indian black ant, and the ant-mimic spider. Along the Adyar river, Claudia also heard the distinctive stridulation of crickets and managed to spot several individuals, which are typically difficult to find. She is eagerly anticipating a wasp walk with the Madras Naturalists Society later in the challenge. Through these walks and observations, participants are discovering how much nature thrives in urban spaces and, more importantly, learning how to protect and preserve it. The results of CNC will be announced on May 5.
Los Angeles Times
05-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Censored artwork finds a home in the newest wing of the L.A. Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County recently opened its newest wing on November 17th, 2024, which includes a new entrance, cafe and gift shop. Though the museum has many entrances, this one stands apart from the rest – not only because of its modern architecture, but because of the way it fosters community. The newest entrance to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles -Photo taken by Morgan Ebright This new entrance is referred to as the 'NHM Commons,' a communal lounge area which connects to the new wing. While a ticket must be purchased to see the regular exhibits, guests can enjoy the Commons without for free, engaging with one of the museum's most revolutionary (and controversial) exhibits to date. The piece in question is L.A. History: A Mexican Perspective by Barbara Carrasco, which hangs proudly along one wall of the Commons. This eighty-foot-long mural was commissioned by the Community Redevelopment Agency in 1981, and illustrates the extensive history of Los Angeles beginning with the Ancient People in the 'cavemen times', and ending in 1981. Seen here is a portion of the mural by Barbara Carrasco -Photo taken by Morgan Ebright Carrasco paints the progression of Los Angeles in fifty-one small scenes – sparing no expense when it comes to the violence, oppression, and cruelty that have defined our shared history. When the mural was completed, the Agency deemed it 'too controversial', and Carrasco was asked to remove fourteen of the scenes she had painted. Some of these scenes that were almost eliminated included the depiction of the 1943 Zoot Suit Riots, the killing of civil rights activist Ruben Salazar, and prisoners crammed into a Japanese internment camp – events that were certainly controversial, but also integral to this city's legacy. Carrasco refused to censor her mural, and as a result the artwork was suppressed and hidden from the public for over 40 years. L.A. History: A Mexican Perspective had only been publicly seen three times, before finding its new home in the NHM Commons room of the Natural History Museum. This picture depicts a Japanese internment camp, one of the scenes asked to be removed -Photo taken by Morgan Ebright It's inspiring to see that the Natural History Museum is providing a public home for this masterpiece, bravely reclaiming this 'controversial' mural, and fighting so that it won't be lost to history. What's more, the display is accompanied by a touch screen computer that lets you click on each scene and explore the history behind it, digging into the motivations that suppressed this artwork. In this, the museum confronts the tumultuous history of this piece by accepting the past rather than hiding it, a stark contrast to what was done to this mural for so long. By making this controversial mural the focal point of the NHM Commons room, the museum encourages visitors to reconnect with their history at a community level, connecting with our flawed past and learning how we've persevered to build beyond those obstacles. As a student visiting the new wing, I sincerely enjoyed my time engaging with these 51 scenes and learning about the controversy that kept this beautiful piece hidden for so long, and I hope that others visiting this mural will find the same sense of community and inspiration that I've discovered in this art. Related
