Dear subscribers,
In the spirit of the 2024 Olympics, visitor services staff worked hard to surpass a longstanding monthly attendance record of 4,000 visitors. As of yesterday morning, we still needed 98 more visitors to reach our goal by the end of July. Fortunately, the museum was bustling with activity thanks to the many families, adults, and school groups who explored our galleries. By the early afternoon, we had achieved a new record of 4,017 monthly visitors!Â
It's important to emphasize why an increase in visitor attendance at the Natural History Museum is a positive sign. First, visitors play a critical role in supporting the vitality of museum operations through their donations, feedback, and presence. Second, without visitors, our collections and research could not inform or inspire the next generation of scientists or foster scientific understanding. Engagement at the KU BI/NHM is a two-way relationship and we hope it is a long-term one! Whether you become a member or return for another visit next month, your visit makes a difference.Â
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Sincerely,Â
Natalie Vondrak
Communications CoordinatorÂ
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Saturday, August 10
9:00 AM-1:00 PM
110 McDonald Drive
Lawrence, KS
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The KU NHM is helping celebrate Lawrence Public School students and families with a fun-filled station at the 1st Annual Kids Expo. Visitors can see replica skulls and fossils and learn about upcoming educational opportunities for families and K-12 groups during the event.
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Friday, August 24Â Â
7:30-9:00 PM
KU Natural History Museum
Outside of Dyche Hall
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Welcome new and returning Jayhawks! Kick off the fall semester outside the Natural History Museum. Explore fluorescent minerals and bioluminescent sea creatures using UV flashlights and make glow-in-the-dark anglerfish stickers. Plus, get info on upcoming events and opportunities at the museum.
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Friday, August 30Â Â
10:00 AM-1:00 PM
KU Natural History Museum
Outside of Dyche Hall
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Grab a selfie with a dinosaur, learn about paleontology research, and pick up some fun freebies outside the Natural History Museum in honor of Hawk Week, a 10-day introduction and orientation to campus life for KU incoming freshmen and international students.
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Curating Collections: Informatics
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Did you know there are over 10 million biological specimens and 2 million
archaeological artifacts in the Biodiversity Institute's worldwide collection?
And each one has a story just waiting to be shared with you!
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Building a Sound Digital Infrastructure
Specimens contain a wealth of biological data used to solve some of today's most pressing challenges. But how does one access and maintain the records of tens of thousands of specimens? At the KU Biodiversity Institute, we rely on software designed by our Informatics Division, a team of biologists and software engineers internationally known for their multi-platform open-source database system called Specify Collections Consortium. Above is an image of a Specify Web Portal used to access data and pictures in the KU Herpetology collection. Using the portal, viewers can learn more about the specimen, where it was collected, and who it was collected by.Â
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KU paleontologist David Burnham resumes final excavation of the juvenile tyrannosaur
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David Burnham, preparator of vertebrate paleontology at the KU Biodiversity Institute, and his team of volunteers and students are on a four-week expedition in search of fossil remains belonging to the KU tyrannosaur, first discovered in 2016. A complete skeleton of the tyrannosaur would be around 25 feet long with a 3-foot-long skull.Â
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Photo credit: David Burnham
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Discovery of a new species of fanged frog in the PhilippinesÂ
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KU researchers have described a new species of fanged frog from Luzon Island in the northern Philippines. The frog, known as L. cassiopeia, had been overlooked for decades as a divergent of its sister species. However, after careful review by lead author EEB doctoral candidate Mark Herr and his team, distinct differences were identified concerning its sexual dimorphism, body size, and toe digits.Â
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Photo credit: Mark Herr
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KU Mammalogy identifies 18 mammalian endemics in Southeast Alaska
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The U.S. Forest Service is revising its Tongass Land Management Plan (TLMP) to guide forest and wildlife management in Alaska's Tongass National Forest. Students and faculty in the KU BI Division of Mammalogy contributed to the plan by reviewing the status of regional endemic mammals (species found only in that region) and specimen capacities for measuring change over time in this topographically complex island system.
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May your birthday BEE great
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Celebrate your birthday at the KU Natural History Museum and get a free birthday sticker inspired by one of our most beloved exhibits, the Bee Tree. Share your visit on social media and tag the museum!Â
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Adventure awaits this August
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Enjoy the last days of Sunflower Summer by visiting the KU Natural History Museum and 220 other venues for free! The program for Kansas families ends on August 11, 2024. Download the app and claim your voucher today.
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Staff & Student Spotlights
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Stay up-to-date with current activities and events by following us
on your favorite social media channels.
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KU Paleobotany and EEB Ph.D. aspirant Austin Nguyen received the 2024 Bill Dahl Graduate Student Research Award earlier this summer for his research in the evolution and development of conifer seed cones. The total award amount is $1,500.Â
Congrats, Austin!
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Dr. Claudia Nuñez Penichet, a postdoctoral researcher, gave a captivating presentation on Kansas butterflies and moths at the KU Field Station in late July. Attendees learned about the wide variety of lepidopterans in Kansas and gained a deeper appreciation for these insects beyond the iconic Monarch butterfly.
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In July, representatives from KU Endowment toured the Ornithology Division with curator Rob Moyle. The group learned about the broad research questions Rob and his team are tackling about the phylogeny, distribution, and diversity of birds.Â
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Andrés Herrera, a doctoral aspirant in EEB, is collecting bees this summer in a Colombian dry forest nature preserve (Mana Dulce). His research catalogs the diversity of bees in this threatened biome to understand their biography patterns and natural history.Â
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Pop Up Science: National Hummingbird Day
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Saturday, September 7
2:00 PM-4:00 PM
KU Natural History Museum
Dyche Hall, 1345 Jayhawk Blvd
Join us for several STEM activities in honor of National Hummingbird Day! Visitors will learn about the sugar differences in flowers hummingbirds drink from, explore unique adaptations of hummingbird tongues and bills, and compare human body elements to these small yet mighty creatures. This event is free and for all ages.Â
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