From Plant Press, Vol. 25, No. 3, July 2022.
The National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) opened its latest exhibition, “Our Places: Connecting People & Nature,” on July 1, 2022. “Our Places” explores how people form connections to the natural world through the places we live, work, study, and visit. Everyone is shaped by and are shaping their connections to the natural world. Through the exhibit and its accompanying programming, the museum hopes to inspire visitors to identify their special places in nature, reflect on their connections with them, and become more caring about them. Personal stories from Smithsonian scientists, including Jun Wen and Gary Krupnick from the Department of Botany, highlight how their connections with places inspire and enrich their own work.
“Our Places” is an experimental venue for exploring questions to help NMNH better understand museum visitors (how they conceptualize nature, connect with nature and others, and reflect upon these connections), and how different interpretive approaches engage museum visitors and enhance their experience. As such, “Our Places” will be successful if the museum learns something about its visitors and the interpretive approaches that can be used in developing future projects. Museum staff and interns populate the exhibit to interact with visitors, ask for their reactions to what they see, and encourage them to leave behind messages about their own special places. The exhibit intentionally has a “work in progress” look and feel because it will change over time in response to what is learned and as new stories are featured.
Where is your special place? The exhibit features an online StoryMap which invites participants to share your special places. You can explore and share stories of connection and inspiration from the comfort of your home, classroom, or cellphone at https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/8237f22e8e52462b83514f21c436928d.
The exhibition will be on view through July 2024.
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