Membership Office 900 Exposition Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90007 Telephone 213.763.3426 www.nhm.org/membership

paid Los Angeles, CA Permit no. 13945

In This Issue: Traveling the Silk Road Exhibit Opens Taxidermy on the Move

Sunday, December 8 Taxidermist Tim Bovard will give guests an exclusive look at taxidermy techniques and a peek at dioramas not seen by the public. ScholarShare presents Scavenger’s Safari

Jan

Gorgeous

11 GEms

Saturday, January 11 Mineral Sciences Curator Eloise Gaillou shares the back stories of NHM’s extraordinary gems and meteorites.

RSVP required. Call 213.763.3316 or e-mail [email protected]. Free for Members at the Patron Family level and higher.

Section

Terrific

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18 Naturalist August /September 2012 

Dec

The Magazine of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County December 2013 and January 2014

Non Profit Org. U.S. Postage

Traveling the Silk Road Bringing the World to You

Ancient Pathway to the Modern World

December 22, 2013—April 13, 2014 From silks and saffron to camels and culture, this special exhibition in NHM’s new temporary exhibits galleries carries visitors to a desert oasis, spice markets, sea adventures, and more along the most celebrated trade route in history. Free tickets for all members! Reserve now at NHM.ORG/membertickets.

MEMBER PREVIEW DAYS Wednesday, December 18– Saturday, December 21

SHOP

Saturday, December 21 Fellows Cocktail Reception

Shop for the holidays at the Silk Road Marketplace Opens Friday, November 29

5–6:30 pm Renew or upgrade to the Fellows level ($2,000 annually) at NHM.ORG/joinfellows or call 213.763.3253.

Patron Party 7–10 pm ScholarShare presents Member Preview Days

Free for members at the Patron Family level or higher ($210 annually). Upgrade or renew now at NHM.ORG/jointhecaravan or call 213.763.3426

NHM.ORG/SilkRoad Traveling the Silk Road: Ancient Pathway to the Modern World is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York (www.amnh.org) in collaboration with Azienda Speciale Palaexpo, Roma, Italy, and Codice Idee per la cultura srl, Torino, Italy; the Museum at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore; and the National Museum of Australia, Canberra, Australia and Art Exhibitions Australia; the National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, Taiwan; and the United Daily News, Taipei, Taiwan.

As I look around our brand new Museum, now 100 years old, I am struck by how, amidst our transformation, what has not changed is our commitment to offer our visitors something that is new and different for everyone. You told us that you wanted to be able to experience exhibits both individually and in groups, with multi-aged families, with friends and we listened. Now, we have five extraordinary new galleries and gardens that are inspiring the wonder of nature and culture in each visitor, however they choose to take a journey through the Museum. We are inaugurating our new temporary exhibits gallery with Traveling the Silk Road: Ancient Pathway to the Modern World. Young visitors can mark their passage through the exhibition, which features spectacular sights of ancient civilizations, by stamping special Silk Road Passports. Families will see the planet in a more global way when they move past life-sized camel caravans, walk through a cargo ship, or smell the spices in the new Silk Road Marketplace. Our dedication to offer each visitor — from toddlers to grandparents to guests in town for the holidays — a way to experience science in fresh ways is also evident in our new permanent exhibition halls and programs. In the Nature Lab, young children come face to face with live animals in habitats we have positioned at their height. People of all ages can “put on their nature eyes” and explore the richness of local habitats in the Nature Gardens. Different generations can engage with a touch screen interactive model of L.A. in Becoming Los Angeles, while young adults can come for after-hours musical performances in our diorama halls. Whichever gallery or event, the Museum has a wealth of experiences waiting for you. I hope you will join us.

Jane G. Pisano President and Director

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Briefs

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The Route to Silk Road

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BioSCAN’s NightWatch

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Taxidermy on the Move

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For Kids

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NHM Next: Shirley Hoggatt

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Events and Calendar

Institutional Partners

The Naturalist magazine is a publication of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and is issued six times a year. As a member benefit, each issue provides a look at Museum exhibits, collections, adventures, research, and events. Through them, we inspire wonder, discovery, and responsibility for our natural and cultural worlds.

Cover: Graphic Courtesy of American Museum of Natural History, New York

1 Naturalist December 2013 / January 2014 

Your Journey

Natural History

A Diamond Butterfly Flyby The world’s most fanciful butterfly is flying into the Museum on Saturday, December 4. The Aurora Butterfly of Peace, a private collection of 240 fancy-colored diamonds in the shape of a butterfly, will alight for a six-month stay in the Gem and Mineral Hall’s Gem Vault. The curator, Alan Bronstein, spent 12 years assembling the spectacular collection —previously displayed at the Smithsonian Museum — one stone at a time. Natural colored diamonds are extremely rare, said Eloïse Gaillou, NHM’s Curator of Mineralogy, and this collection is a rainbow. There are purples from Russia, blues and oranges from South Africa, and violets and pinks from Australia. Gaillou will use these sparklers to further investigate which impurities lend pink, blue, and orange diamonds their hue. Dubbed “messengers of the deep earth,” diamonds yield information about geological mysteries. Visitors can see these colorful couriers in the Gem Vault through June 3.

Briefs

2 Naturalist December 2013 / January 2014

See the Aurora Butterfly of Peace displayed in the Gem and Mineral Hall’s Gem Vault December 4 to June 3, 2014

© by Alan Bronstein, Photo by R. Weldon © GIA 2010

When the Earthmobile rolls up to a school campus, that means a student-powered archeological excavation is about to rev up. NHM’s simulated field lab has been revamped with new tools and a design makeover this year, making it more equipped to dig through time. The focus of the two-hour program supported by the Max H. Gluck Foundation for students in grades 3, 4, and 5, is the daily life and history of the Chumash Native American peoples in Southern California. In the “trenches” of a made-up archaeological site inside the rig, students make observations and collect data to make connections among animals, plants, and people. They look for clues that reveal peoples lived on islands, the coast, or mountain regions and what they traded. In one trench, students find soapstone beads or a digging weight. In another, deer whistles or abalone shells. With newfound archaeological dexterity, Earthmobile veterans also take field trips to NHM Nature Gardens to delve even deeper.

Learn more about Earthmobile at NHM.ORG.

Dig into the dirt in the Nature Garden’s Get Dirty Zone. Find out more at NHM.ORG/nature

It’s time to take the wheel and steer toward an adventure. That’s the gauntlet NHM’s education staff has lain at the feet of all nature-loving 10- to 12-year-old Angelenos. There’s already the beloved Critter Club for 3–5 year olds (and their adult chaperones) and the popular Junior Scientist program for 6- to 9-year-olds. Now, Nature Navigators, a new, free monthly series launching on January 18 invites children and families to discover the abundance of biodiversity in L.A. It’s both collaborative and independent. Over a six-month “season” from January to June, a maximum of 15 children will meet and take part in self-guided citizen science projects at the Museum on a new topic of their choice each month. NHM educators will facilitate the exploration, which could be a survey of species in the Nature Gardens or a hunt for reptiles or ladybugs. The intrepid young navigators will decide the course.

Registration for Nature Navigators begins Monday, December 2. Find out how to register online at NHM.ORG/calendar

Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits

William S. Hart Museum

100 Years of Digging

Hart and Hats

The Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits recently celebrated 100 years of digging, and an unexpected gift was an international viral media blitz. Hundreds of television, stations, and websites from across the globe dove into covering the world’s richest deposit of late Ice Age fossils. The Los Angeles Times, among others, highlighted Museum scientists’ tiny fossil finds. The skeletons of mastodons, dire wolves, and saber-toothed cats harbor a treasure trove of data, but so do fossilized squirrel’s jaws, beetle’s wings, and twigs. Microfossils dug out of the asphalt, say Museum scientists, are yielding information about global climate shifts. There were also media stories about Zed, the not-so-micro Columbian Mammoth whose fossils are on display in the Fishbowl Lab. The same week, the Museum celebrated another honor — hosting the 73rd annual Society of Vertebrate Paleontology conference, which was attended by hundreds of scientists who are curious about the next 100 years.

Caps, fedoras, top hats, and bonnets — humans have donned headwear for thousands of years. Now, the William S. Hart Museum is celebrating this tradition with a collection of hats worn by Hart as well as some from NHM’s History Collection. The show, on view from Wednesday, January 15 through April 2014, also features hats from the movies and ladies, hats donated by Josephine “Jo” Doolittle, wife of the American general and aviation pioneer. Visitors can also pick up a little history of headwear: For centuries, they offered protection from the elements, falling rocks, and weapons. Hats were later worn for ceremonial or religious purposes. Head coverings also became symbols of status, authority, and military identity. Now, hats are fashion. Don yours and stroll by the Hart.

Visit tarpits.org and see the latest finds.

Visit HARTMUSEUM.ORG

Briefs

Earthmobile

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s nature’ ors Navigat

3 Naturalist December 2013 / January 2014 

Dig Into the

Family of Museums

Your Caravan Has Arrived

4 Naturalist December 2013 / January 2014

Written by Jessica Portner | Photography by

Written by Jessica Portner

“There can be no more thrilling way to inaugurate our renovated gallery for temporary exhibitions than to invite visitors to glimpse the spectacular sights of the great ancient civilizations,” said Dr. Jane Pisano, President and Director of NHM. “With Traveling the Silk Road, we will continue to look out at the planet in a broader, more global way.” The Silk Road was named for the prized Chinese fabric traded along the often-treacherous route. During its golden age (AD 600 to 1200), the Silk Road opened up the world to new ideas and products. It stretched 4,600 miles through scorching desert sands and freezing snowy mountain passes, from eastern China through Central Asia to the Middle East. Caravans conveyed a cornucopia of goods, including spices, fruit, precious gems and furs, paper, and glass. This pathway was more than an instrument for the transfer of material goods — it was a conduit for ideas. While Europe languished in the Dark Ages, the East housed centers of great learning and civilization, developing ideas that would change the world. Traders ferried scientific knowledge, technological The Silk Road Marketplace Opens Friday, November 29 from 9:30 am–5 pm

developments, folklore, art, music, religious beliefs, and travelers along the Silk Road and stopped in cities such as Xi’an, Turfan, Samarkand, and Baghdad, which were, at the time, the most tolerant and advanced places on earth.

Silk’s Story When visitor’s step into the exhibition and stamp their passport, they’ll first encounter a vehicle familiar to merchants, pilgrims, nomads, and scholars of ancient times: three lifesize camel models decked out in full caravan regalia and loaded with trade goods. The exhibition’s first disembarkation point is remarkable: Xi’an , the capital of China’s Tang Dynasty, was the largest city in the world at the time with one million– plus inhabitants. The city grew in large part because of Chinese silk, which was used as currency. Visitors to the galleries can see a colony of live silkworms and discover why the industrious caterpillar was important enough to name a whole road system after them. Nearby, a massive replica of a Tang-era loom shows how the precious threads were spun into the coveted fabrics. As visitors move through this section, they’ll experience the ambiance of a Xi’an street. A musical interactive display invites visitors to activate the sounds of Workshops, performances, and other Silk Road program information at NHM.ORG/silkroad

cymbals, drums, and other instruments, or queue up a traditional Chinese tune. Museum travelers will then be conveyed into the night market of Turfan , a desert oasis. Wandering through the re-creation of a Central Asian desert refuge, they will marvel at stalls overflowing with sapphires, silks, jades and rubies, leopard furs and peacock feathers, and fruits and spices that would have captivated Silk Road regulars during the city’s heyday 1,000 years ago. Ingenious irrigation systems brought cool water from nearby mountains to Turfan. This was the spot where thirsty camels could enjoy a drink, a chef could procure fresh ingredients, travelers swapped recipes, and a well-to-do merchant could acquire a fashionable hat.

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 ember Preview Days are Wednesday, M December 18–Saturday, December 21

Naturalist December 2013 / January 2014 

Every day at NHM, visitors are transported back to the Jurassic Period in the Dinosaur Hall. They feel the earth’s crushing power in the Gem and Mineral Hall and embark on a bug-hunting excursion in the Museum’s new Nature Gardens. Now, NHM is adding a special selection to our menu of adventures. Traveling the Silk Road : Ancient Pathway to the Modern World, which opens Sunday, December 22, marks the inaugural exhibition of the new 12,000-square-foot temporary exhibits gallery. The first time seen on the West Coast, Silk Road ferries visitors on a jaunt along the most legendary trade route in history.

Young explorers can mark their passage through the exhibition by stamping special Silk Road Passports issued to them at the exhibition entrance.

On NHM.ORG/silkroad Plan your excursion to Traveling the Silk Road online:

on display, which is based on early illustrations from China, Central Asia, and the Middle East and brings to life tales that travelers might have told, such as the still-popular The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs. Toward the end of the journey is the grand city of Baghdad . The section, resplendent in luxurious blue and gold, unveils a center of learning and commerce. The city’s House of Wisdom was a research center for studies in geometry, engineering, and astronomy. On display is a prime example of the mechanical sophistication of the time — a model of a water clock, designed by Islamic engineers 800 years ago. Visitors can peek into the glass model clock to reveal its inner workings. They can also experience an ancient Islamic astrolabe, which determines the hour by marking the position of “stars” embedded in walls surrounding the exhibit.

To the Sea Road Stories

Naturalist December 2013 / January 2014

The next post-oasis rest stop is the fabled city of merchants: Samarkand , a major center for long-distance traders located in what is now Uzbekistan. When Samarkand’s gates swung open, the bartering commenced. Samarkand was also the spot to explore the ancient crafts of papermaking and glassblowing 6 and to learn about the trader’s trusty transport, the two-humped Bactrian camel dubbed the “ship of the desert.” Not just a trader’s nirvana, Samarkand was also the hub for storytelling and cultural exchange. Museum visitors will notice a computer-animated book

The merchants and traders eventually sought a swifter route to haul around their treasures — the sea. Visitors will witness that dramatic shift that occurred in the ninth and tenth centuries, from overland routes to maritime ones, that is, from camels to vessels. There’s a 41-foot-long portion of a full-sized model of an Arab dhow, which visitors can step onto, loaded with cargo of ceramics and elaborate metalwork. As Traveling the Silk Road’s journey ends, visitors are invited to imagine today’s global routes of exchange from a new vantage point, having stamped their passports in an ancient, interconnected world. For details, visit NHM.ORG/silkroad

Pick Up Your Passport to the Silk Road

December 2013 Events

night WATCHERS Wanted

January 2014 Events

A disposable plastic bowl, a clear drinking cup, a tiny light bulb, a battery, and a rubber band. NHM scientists are employing these simple items for a grand purpose — a bug trap that could help us understand the biodiversity of insect species on the planet. That’s what our scientists, who recently launched BioSCAN’s NightWatch, are hoping for. The project enlists 100 Angelenos to help discover what’s buzzing and zipping around L.A. on one given night. The effort is an offshoot of BioSCAN (Biodiversity Science: City and Nature), the Museum’s three-year inventory of insects, the most diverse animals on earth. The BioSCAN team has already installed the more sophisticated Malaise traps — which have mini-weather stations and will collect insects for three years —  in 30 sites from downtown L.A. to Griffith Park (visitors who peek between bushes in NHM’s Nature Gardens will see the Malaise trap’s mini“tent,” looking like an overnight camping spot but catching plentiful arthropods). NightWatch, using the more modest traps deployed by citizen scientists, are spreading the bug hunt further. To build the best (and cheapest) insect trap, Museum scientists partnered with L.A. Makerspace, Written by Jessica Portner

whose crew of high school students spent a month designing, building, testing, and redesigning prototype traps. Museum visitors and participants signed up, set the traps up for a night, and checked that they were undisturbed by mischievous nocturnal animals, and that the traps’ ultra-violet light lures were operational. Participants then delivered their catches back to the Museum, where the insects were sorted. Sample sorting also goes on in the Nature Lab, where visitors can use a microscope to discover, alongside bug experts, the ways to properly identify a fly versus a bee, say. One NightWatch find: a tiny, wingless wasp. Air-dropped by plane over Texas ranches, Neodusmetia sangwani parasitizes a grass-feeding insect pest, saving the cattle industry billions of dollars — a great example of biological control. “People want to be more engaged in learning more about the natural environment,” said NHM’s Dean Pentcheff, who oversees BioSCAN. “This definitely does that.” Look out for NightWatch II, the sequel, coming to a backyard near you this spring.

Visit NHM.ORG/nature

h Above: A young NightWatcher at work.

7 Naturalist December 2013 / January 2014 

Start Your Journey Now

Silk Road Marketplace Opens November 29

Allis Markham assists in preparing and mounting specimens for the Nature Lab, including the North American opossum climbing a pole with a litter of eight babies on her back. The whimsical display shows that marsupials are urban explorers who turn obstacles into opportunities.

Written by Jessica Portner Photography by Christina Gandolfo

by pelts, plaster reference casts, mannequins, and other tools of the taxidermy trade. To create head-to-tail makeovers, Bovard, a zoologist, has to be equal parts sculptor and scientist and (clearly) must excel at anatomy. One of his most imposing specimens is the California mountain lion striding along a concrete rafter in the Nature Lab. Bovard repaired holes in the 1987 road kill, sculpted the manikin, set glass eyes, sewed up and positioned the young male cat so visitors can understand the perils of city living for a large mammal. In contrast to that idea, another exhibit shows parrots that thrive in Los Angeles. Once Bovard’s mammals arrive in the Museum, they are skinned and salted, and their bodies are measured to create an artificial body. After Bovard tans the pelts, he fits them over artificial bodies, sews them up, and grooms their fur. Due to the short production time, taxidermist

Tours: 5 pm, 5:30 pm, 6 pm Discussion: 6:30 pm with Zoobiquity authors Kathryn Bowers and Dr. Barbara Natterson-Horowitz about what animals can teach us about the human body and mind. Music: 5:30–10 pm, D. J. Lounge with Anthony Valadez and Jeremy Sole. Bands to be announced.

January 10 February 7 March 7 April 4 May 2 June 6

NHM.ORG/FirstFridays

— NHM taxidermist Tim Bovard

When Angelenos step into the new exhibition Becoming Los Angeles, they’ll encounter larger creatures. The exhibition tells a 500-year saga of how nature and culture shaped L.A. from a tiny pueblo into a metropolis. A central player in this L.A. story is a magnificent cow standing in the middle of the exhibit. Corrientes cattle once roamed the L.A. Basin and were central to the economy. Later, drought, floods, and grass-eating locusts decimated herds and the rancho lifestyle. Another L.A. giant, a grizzly bear that once lumbered through L.A.’s valleys, looms nearby in the exhibit. “These animals all have personality,” says Bovard. “What has always fascinated me is how to capture that.” See a video of NHM Taxidermist Tim Bovard in his studio at youtube/nhmla

Tap Into Your

Come celebrate your child’s evolution at the Museum! Second Nature, a new monthly series on nature and food, will offer workshops, from January to June, on canning and pickling in the Nature Gardens, as well as perfumery, spice, and tea workshops inspired by the exhibition Traveling the Silk Road.

Go to NHM.ORG/birthdays or call 213.764.3536.

To learn more about the Tea Workshop on January 18, 1–3 pm, e-mail [email protected].

9 Naturalist December 2013 / January 2014 

Naturalist December 2013 / January 2014

For nearly 30 years at the Museum, NHM’s taxidermist Tim Bovard has sculpted and groomed wild beasts, from otters to gorillas, to assume poses in the dioramas of the North American and African Mammal Halls. He has unruffled the feathers of the Bird Hall’s avian occupants. But now, Bovard’s masterworks are on the move, taking their places on pedestals in the new Nature Lab and Becoming Los Angeles exhibitions. Unlike the old days when animals were collected in the wild for dioramas, the hundreds of newer taxidermy creatures that populate the Museum are specimens salvaged after death, mostly acquired through zoos, rehab 8 centers, government agencies, and donations from private collections. “The ultimate is to take real things and make them look real again, to capture people’s attention and help tell a story about creatures in the natural world,” Bovard said in his studio surrounded

“The ultimate is to take real things and make them look real again, to capture people’s attention and help tell a story about creatures in the natural world.”

2014 Season Dates

January 10 (Second Friday) First Fridays explores L.A.’s natural history, wildlife, and how, as citizen scientists, we can contribute to the next chapter of L.A.’s ever-evolving story.

Activities

Hundreds of years ago in China and the Middle East there were no supermarkets or malls. People traveled across deserts and kingdoms to trade goods at outdoor marketplaces. Here are some fun things you’ll find at the Museum and maybe even in your home or school!

At the Museum

Like a Camel Camels have some surprising things in common with other creatures large and small. Match the animal to the fact:

Grows to seven feet tall.  an carry one-third of C its weight on its back.

2

Can survive for six months without a meal. Stores fats and extracts energy when needed.

NHM has five camels! Find two in the Age of Mammals and three more in Traveling the Silk Road.

1 3

4

Visit the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits and see a camel from the Ice Age! Visit tarpits.org

At Home Along the Silk Road, spices were as valuable as sapphires and rubies. Look in your kitchen at home to see if you can find any of these spices and discover where they came from.

Did you know? Silk Maker

Female silk worms lay about

Unwinding the cocoons makes silk threads.

500 tiny eggs.

turmeric

cinnamon

cloves

Kids

Kids

Silk, the most luxurious cloth in the world, could not be made without silkworms. Here are a few facts about these amazing little white caterpillars:

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Naturalist December 2013 / January 2014

Silk was first made in China thousands of years ago. C H I N A

Mark your passage through Traveling the Silk Road by stamping the special Silk Road Passport issued to ticket holders at the exhibition entrance. NHM.ORG/silkroad

It takes about

2,500

silkworms to produce one pound of silk, enough for one robe.

See live silkworms making silk in the Traveling the Silk Road exhibit, open December 22.  Member Preview Days are December 18–21.

Find the many rubies and sapphires in the Gem and Mineral Hall at the Museum and the many spices on display in Traveling the Silk Road.

Answers: Like a Camel: Top to bottom: Kangaroo, Human, Snake, Bird.

Naturalist December 2013 / January 2014 

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Traveling the Silk Road Exhibition opens Sunday, December 22 In a renovated gallery space that reinstates NHM’s ongoing traveling exhibits program, Traveling the Silk Road: Ancient Pathway to the Modern World brings to life the most celebrated trade route in human history. Visit NHM.ORG/silkroad. Dinosaur Encounters Saturdays and Sundays at 11:30 am, 1:30 pm, 2:30 pm, and 3:30 pm Ice Age Encounters New times on Saturdays and Sundays at 11:30 am, 1:30 pm, and 2:30 pm. Free for members.

Shirley Hoggatt

Radio Disney Meet ‘n’ Greet Karan Brar from Disney Channel’s Jessie Saturday, December 7, 12–2 pm

NHM Next

Naturalist December 2013 / January 2014

Long-time docent Shirley Hoggatt loves connecting NHM visitors to the wonders of nature and teaching them how to convert their observations into knowledge about the natural world. “If visitors go away having learned one thing, I’ve succeeded in my job as a docent,” says Shirley who likes to use the tiger and the zebra specimens in the Age of Mammals to teach visitors how to tell if an animal is a predator or prey by looking at their eyes. “When the eyes are in front like the tiger’s, you have binocular vision, which is very important to knowing how far you’ll have to chase your prey,” 12 says Shirley. “The eyes of a prey animal like the zebra are on the side to see what is coming. I always ask visitors, ‘where are your eyes?” Though Shirley has been a docent for more than 31 years, it is something

Photography by Christina Gandolfo

of a second career. Her first career as a pediatric nurse included two years as a civilian nurse in a U.S. Army evacuation hospital in Germany in the 1960s. After an interlude as a ski bum in the Alps, Shirley returned to California, earned a master’s degree in public health from the University of Washington, followed by a job as a liaison nurse at Rancho Los Amigos Hospital. She met her husband, Gene, in a ski club that made weekend trips to Mammoth. After their son, Barr, entered the fourth grade and was in school until 3 pm, Shirley began making weekly trips to NHM from Santa Ana to become a docent. The training, she recalls, “was like taking a college course without the exams. We studied every hall and wrote a research paper at the end.” Shirley’s paper tried to resolve the essential question, “Did dinosaurs

ski?” Though it sounds like a joke, it was instead a serious inquiry into climatic conditions in the age of dinosaurs, which led her to conclude that no, dinosaurs did not ski. All these years later, Shirley is still a docent and still adores NHM, particularly the Nature Lab, which she feels offers all sorts of opportunities to share observations and discuss nature with visitors. To celebrate her commitment, she has included NHM in her estate plan by making a large planned gift that she hopes will help the Museum to conserve its collections and to continue to renew itself to stay relevant to future generations. “I hate to think of NHM not being here. It is our responsibility to preserve it so that it can continue to be as exciting as it is now, and so that all of this important knowledge is cultivated and shared.”

Join the evolution! Contact Tom Jacobson, Senior Vice President of Advancement, at 213.763.3306 or [email protected].

Cowboys and Carols Saturday, December 7 Doors open at 7 pm; concert at 8 pm A delightful concert of western music at William S. Hart’s hilltop mansion. Teacher Workshop Saturday, December 7, 8:30 am–12:30 pm Integrate science notebooking into your classrooms to support Common Core Standards. Presented by J.P. Morgan. Critter Club: Cold Weather Quest Saturday, December 14, 10 am and 11 am Help us find winter habitats for our animal friends. For 3- to 5-year-olds and a participating adult.

January Dinosaur Encounters Saturdays and Sundays at 11:30 am, 1:30 pm, 2:30 pm, and 3:30 pm. Ice Age Encounters Saturdays and Sundays at 11:30 am, 1:30 pm, and 2:30 pm. Free for members.

Adventures in Nature Winter Day Camp Monday, January 6–Friday, January 10 The Art of Science. A hands-on, behind- the-scenes experience, winter camp mixes science with art. Visit.nhm.org/AINcamp First Fridays January 10, 5–10 pm This 2014 season, the theme is L.A. Stories, Walk on the Wild Side. Visit nhm.org/firstfridays Overnight Adventures Friday, January 10: Camp Goo Friday, January 24: Camp Archaeology for Girls Spend a night with activities and sleep near our famous exhibits! For ages 5 and up with participating adults. For reservations call 213.763.3536. Homeschool Day Wednesday, January 15, 9:30 am–5 pm Critter Club: Radical Reptiles Saturday, January 18, 10 am and 11 am Celebrate the scaly critters that call the Museum home. For 3- to 5-year-olds and a participating adult. Nature Navigators Saturday, January 18, 10 am A new program designed for 10- to 12-year-olds to discover the abundance of local biodiversity. Junior Scientist: Zoological Wonders Saturday, January 18, 10:30 am and 11:30 am Animals are changing with the seasons. Put on your warmest lab coat and explore zoological wonders!  

 Tea Workshop Saturday, January 18, 1–3 pm Tea workshop exploring blends from China and history of tea trade along the Silk Road. Register at nhm.org/workshops. Radio Disney Celebrates Chinese New Year Saturday, January 25, 11 am–1 pm

Members Only Scavenger’s Safari: Terrific Taxidermy Sunday, December 8 Join taxidermist Tim Bovard for an exclusive look at taxidermy techniques and a peek at dioramas not seen by the public. Free with Patron Family membership ($210) and higher. RSVP at 213.763.3316. Traveling the Silk Road : Member Preview Days Wednesday, December 18–Saturday, December 21, 9:30 am–5 pm Members get free tickets and are first to see our newest exhibition on one of the greatest trading routes in human history. Reserve your free tickets now at NHM.ORG/ membertickets or call 213.763.3426. Traveling the Silk Road: Fellows Cocktail Reception Saturday, December 21, 5–6:30 pm Join President and Director Dr. Jane G. Pisano for an exclusive evening celebrating the opening and return of our temporary exhibits program. Free with Fellows membership ($2,000). Call 213.763.3253 for more information. Traveling the Silk Road: Patron Party Saturday, December 21, 7–10 pm Celebrate the opening of our latest exhibit and party with live Chinese acrobats. Free for Patron Family level members ($210) and higher. Renew or upgrade at NHM.ORG/renew or call 213.763.3426. Scavenger’s Safari: Gorgeous Gems Saturday, January 11 Mineral Sciences Curator Eloise Gaillou sheds secrets on some of NHM’s extraordinary gems in the collection. Free with Patron Family membership ($210) and higher. RSVP at 213.763.3316.

For more information about all events, visit nhm.org/calendar.

The Membership Program is presented by:

Events noted with this icon are reserved for our members. Visit nhm.org/renew or call 213.763.3426 to upgrade your membership.

13 Naturalist December 2013 / January 2014 

December

10 am–12 pm Shadow Puppetry Workshop

1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour

4 pm Nature Walk

3 pm Meet a Live Animal

2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour

1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour 2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour 3 pm Meet a Live Animal

2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour 3 pm Meet a Live Animal 4 pm Nature Walk

4 pm Nature Walk

3 pm Meet a Live Animal

2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour

1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour 2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour 3 pm Meet a Live Animal 4 pm Nature Walk

21 1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour 2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour 3 pm Meet a Live Animal 4 pm Nature Walk

1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour 2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour 3 pm Meet a Live Animal 4 pm Nature Walk

20 1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour 2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour 3 pm Meet a Live Animal 4 pm Nature Walk

4 pm Nature Walk

3 pm Meet a Live Animal

2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour

1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour

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1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour 2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour 3 pm Meet a Live Animal 4 pm Nature Walk

1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour 2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour 3 pm Meet a Live Animal 4 pm Nature Walk

Dinosaur Encounters Get closer to dinosaurs than you ever thought possible in these amazingly real performances!

Ice Age Encounters Come face to face with our saber-toothed cat — don’t worry, she’s a puppet — and learn about life in the Ice Age! Critter Club Family-friendly classes, held monthly, which introduce the Museum's live animals to visitors and weave in science topics. Critter Club is for 3- to 5-year-old children and a participating adult. First come, first served. No reservations are required, but tickets are limited.

Junior Scientist Experience NHM as a scientist does! Feel what it’s like to do real scientific work by using the same tools and techniques as our own Museum researchers. Junior Scientist is designed for 6to 9-year-olds and their families.

Gallery Exploration and Highlights Tours In the new Gallery Highlights Tour, we’ll spotlight the Museum’s stars, from dinosaurs to gems. Sponsored by Farmers Insurance Group

4 pm Nature Walk

3 pm Meet a Live Animal

7 pm Traveling the Silk Road Lecture Series

4 pm Nature Walk

3 pm Meet a Live Animal

2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour

1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour

30

Nature Navigators Monthly from January to June. A new program for 10- to 12-year olds to discover the abundance of local biodiversity. Free for members or with paid Museum admission. Registration required.

Nature Gardens Exploration: Signs of Winter Bring your “nature eyes,” and we’ll bring nets and more! Discover the world of plants in NHM’s new Nature Gardens.

Member Preview Days As a special benefit, Members get to see all new exhibits before they open to the public. Presented by Scholarshare

Meet a Live Animal Drop by to meet different animals daily, from bugs to boas.

2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour

1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour

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Adventures in Nature Winter Day Camp: The Art of Science Winter camp offers kids the chance to mix the sciences with the arts! It's a hands-on, behind the scenes experience. Visit.nhm.org/AINcamp

ongoing event descriptions

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4 pm Nature Walk

3 pm Meet a Live Animal

2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour

1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour

23

7 pm Traveling the Silk Road Lecture Series

3 pm Meet a Live Animal 4 pm Nature Walk

4 pm Nature Walk

3 pm Meet a Live Animal

2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour

1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour

2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour

1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour

Hart's Hats Exhibit Opens 9:30 am–5 pm Homeschool Day

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Members receive free admission to all three museums in the Natural History Family.

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13

4 pm Nature Walk

3 pm Meet a Live Animal

2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour

1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour

10 am–12 pm Shadow Puppetry Workshop

9

This winter, January 6–10, Adventures in Nature day camp is exploring the Art of Science at the Page Museum! Visit.NHM.ORG/AINcamp

1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour

8

11:30 am / 1:30 pm Ice Age Encounters

1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour

2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour

2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour

2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour 3 pm Meet a Live Animal 4 pm Nature Walk

2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour 3 pm Meet a Live Animal 4 pm Nature Walk

11 am Nature Gardens Exploration: Signs of Winter

11 am–1  pm Radio Disney Celebrates Chinese New Year

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11:30 am / 1:30 pm 2:30 pm / 3:30 pm Dinosaur Encounters

1–3 pm Tea Workshop

11:30 am / 2:30 pm Silk Road Puppetry Show

11 am / 1 pm Silk Road Storytelling

10:30 am / 11:30 am Junior Scientist

10 am / 11 am Critter Club

10 am Nature Navigators

10 am–1 pm Teacher Workshop

Scavenger’s Safari Hang out with our scientists, then go on a scavenger hunt throughout the Museum! A free monthly program for members at the Patron Family level and higher. RSVP required at 213.763.3316.

Overnight Adventures Come spend a night full of activities and sleep near our famous exhibits! For ages 5 and up with participating adults. For reservations, call 213.763.3536.

Nature Walk Join us on a walk through the Nature Gardens to explore the amazing biodiversity of life that also calls L.A. home.

4 pm Nature Walk

3 pm Meet a Live Animal

2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour

1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour

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Traveling the Silk Road Lecture Series Explore the traded goods and ideas that helped lay the foundations for the modern world.

Teacher Workshops Explore our new Nature Gardens and learn how you and your students can participate in documenting L.A.’s wildife. Sponsored by J.P. Morgan

Second Nature: Tea Workshop Tea is steeped in history and tradition and, in this workshop, we will sample aromatic blends from the Silk Road. Join our tasteful adventure!

William S. Hart Museum 24151 Newhall Avenue Newhall, California 91321 661.254.4584 | hartmuseum.org

Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits 5801 Wilshire Boulevard Los Angeles, California 90036 323.934.PAGE | tarpits.org

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County 900 Exposition Boulevard Los Angeles, California 90007 213.763.DINO | nhm.org

nhm family of museums

Splash into Just Add Water, NHM's new special exhibition inspired by the L.A. Aqueduct.

3 pm Meet a Live Animal

2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour

1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour

11:30 am / 1:30 pm / 2:30 pm Ice Age Encounters

11:30 am / 1:30 pm 2:30 pm / 3:30 pm Dinosaur Encounters

11 am Nature Gardens Exploration: Signs of Winter

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4 pm Nature Walk

3 pm Meet a Live Animal

1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour

11:30 am / 1:30 pm / 2:30 pm Ice Age Encounters

11:30 am / 1:30 pm 2:30 pm / 3:30 pm Dinosaur Encounters

11 am Nature Gardens Exploration

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1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour 11:30 am / 1:30 pm / 2:30 pm Ice Age Encounters

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11:30 am / 1:30 pm / 2:30 pm Ice Age Encounters

11:30 am / 1:30 pm 2:30 pm / 3:30 pm Dinosaur Encounters

11:30 am / 1:30 pm 2:30 pm / 3:30 pm Dinosaur Encounters

11 am Nature Gardens Exploration: Signs of Winter

Scavenger Safari: Gorgeous Gems 11 am Nature Gardens Exploration: Signs of Winter

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4 pm Nature Walk

1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour

1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour

4 pm Nature Walk

11:30 am / 1:30 pm / 2:30 pm Ice Age Encounters

11:30 am / 1:30 pm / 2:30 pm Ice Age Encounters

3 pm Meet a Live Animal

11:30 am / 1:30 pm 2:30 pm / 3:30 pm Dinosaur Encounters

11:30 am / 1:30 pm 2:30 pm / 3:30 pm Dinosaur Encounters

3 pm Meet a Live Animal

11 am Nature Gardens Exploration: Signs of Winter

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Sunday

11 am Nature Gardens Exploration: Signs of Winter

4

Saturday

11:30 am / 1:30 pm 2:30 pm / 3:30 pm 6:30 pm Dinosaur Encounters Overnight Adventure 11:30 am / 1:30 pm / 2:30 pm Camp Archaeology Ice Age Encounters for Girls 1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour 2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour 4 pm Nature Walk

4 pm Nature Walk

3 pm Meet a Live Animal

2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour

1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour

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4 pm Nature Walk

3 pm Meet a Live Animal

2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour

1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour

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6:30 pm Overnight Adventure: Camp Goo

5–10 pm First Fridays

4 pm Nature Walk

3 pm Meet a Live Animal

2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour

1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour

10 am–12 pm Shadow Puppetry Workshop

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4 pm Nature Walk

11:30 am / 1:30 pm  Dinosaur Encounters

11:30 am / 1:30 pm Ice Age Encounters MUSEUM CLOSED

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2

1

Friday ay

Thursday

Wednesday

To learn more about the Museum’s programs and events, visit nhm.org/calendar.

4 pm Nature Walk

3 pm Meet a Live Animal

1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour

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6 2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour

Tuesday

Monday

Take a ride into the temporary exhibition, Traveling the Silk Road, which opens in a new gallery space on Wednesday, December 18 for members, and Sunday, December 22 to the public.

Friday

Sunday

7 Scavenger’s Safari: Terrific Taxidermy

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Saturday

6 8:30 am–12:30 pm Teacher Workshop

Thursday

5 1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour

Wednesday

4 1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour 2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour

11 am Nature Gardens Exploration: A Plant's Eye View

Tuesday

3 1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour 2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour 3 pm Meet a Live Animal

Monday

1 11 am Nature Gardens Exploration: A Plant's Eye View 11:30 am / 1:30 pm 2:30 pm / 3:30 pm Dinosaur Encounters 11:30 am / 1:30 pm / 2:30 pm Ice Age Encounters 2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour 3 pm Meet a Live Animal

2 1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour 2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour 3 pm Meet a Live Animal

4 pm Nature Walk

1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour 2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour 3 pm Meet a Live Animal

Pick up a holiday gift at the Silk Road Marketplace, open November 29, which accompanies our temporary exhibition, Traveling the Silk Road.

2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour 3 pm Meet a Live Animal 4 pm Nature Walk

11 am Nature Gardens Exploration: A Plant's Eye View

3 pm Meet a Live Animal 4 pm Nature Walk

11:30 am / 1:30 pm 2:30 pm / 3:30 pm Dinosaur Encounters

4 pm Nature Walk

11:30 am / 1:30 pm 2:30 pm / 3:30 pm Dinosaur Encounters

4 pm Nature Walk 11:30 am / 1:30 pm / 2:30 pm Ice Age Encounters

8 pm Cowboys and Carols

12–2 pm 3 pm Radio Disney Meet 'n’ Greet Meet a Live Animal Karan Brar 4 pm Nature Walk

11:30 am / 1:30 pm / 2:30 pm Ice Age Encounters

4 pm Nature Walk

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15

11 1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour

11:30 am / 2:30 pm

11 am / 1 pm Silk Road Storytelling

Holiday Activities 11 am Nature Gardens Exploration: A Plant's Eye View

Traveling the Silk Road Opens

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4 pm Nature Walk

3 pm Meet a Live Animal

2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour

11:30 am / 1:30 pm / 2:30 pm Ice Age Encounters

11:30 am / 1:30 pm 2:30 pm / 3:30 pm Dinosaur Encounters

14

10 1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour 2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour 10:30 am  11:30 am Junior Scientist: Zoological Wonderland

13

9 1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour 2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour 3 pm Meet a Live Animal

1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour

1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour 2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour 3 pm Meet a Live Animal

11 am Nature Gardens Exploration: A Plant's Eye View

2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour 3 pm Meet a Live Animal

10 am / 11 am Critter Club: Cold Weather Quest

2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour 3 pm Meet a Live Animal

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3 pm Meet a Live Animal 11 am Nature Gardens Exploration 11:30 am / 1:30 pm 2:30 pm / 3:30 pm Dinosaur Encounters 11:30 am / 1:30 pm / 2:30 pm Ice Age Encounters

20

Traveling the Silk Road Member Preview Days Teacher Preview Days

1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour

19 Traveling the Silk Road Member Preview Days Teacher Preview Days

11 am / 1 pm Silk Road Storytelling

4 pm Nature Walk

18 Traveling the Silk Road Member Preview Days Teacher Preview Days 1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour

4 pm Nature Walk

17 1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour 2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour

11:30 am / 2:30 pm Silk Road Shadow Puppetry Show

4 pm Nature Walk

16 1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour

11 am–5 pm Traveling the Silk Road Member Preview Days Teacher Preview Days 2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour 3 pm Meet a Live Animal

4 pm Nature Walk

1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour 2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour

2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour 3 pm Meet a Live Animal 4 pm Nature Walk

11:30 am / 1:30 pm / 2:30 pm Ice Age Encounters

4 pm Nature Walk

4 pm Nature Walk

2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour 3 pm Meet a Live Animal

Members receive free admission to all three museums in the Natural History Family.

3 pm Meet a Live Animal 4 pm Nature Walk

1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour

4 pm Nature Walk 3 pm Meet a Live Animal 4 pm Nature Walk

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Silk Road Shadow 5–6:30 pm Traveling the Silk Road: Puppetry Show Fellows Cocktail Reception 11:30 am / 1:30 pm / 2:30 pm Ice Age Encounters 7 pm–10 pm Traveling the Silk Road: 1:30 pm / 3:30 pm Dinosaur Encounters Patron Party

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24

11:30 am / 1:30 pm Ice Age Encounters

25

23 1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour

11:30 am / 1:30 pm Dinosaur Encounters

1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour

2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour

11 am Nature Gardens Exploration: A Plant's Eye View 1 pm Gallery Exploration Tour

11 am Nature Gardens Exploration: A Plant's Eye View

2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour

3 pm Meet a Live Animal

MUSEUM CLOSED

2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour

2 pm Gallery Highlights Tour

11 am / 1 pm Silk Road Storytelling

3 pm Meet a Live Animal

4 pm Nature Walk

11 am / 1 pm Silk Road Storytelling

3 pm Meet a Live Animal

3 pm Meet a Live Animal

11:30 am / 2:30 pm Silk Road Shadow Puppetry Show

4 pm Nature Walk

11:30 am / 2:30 pm Silk Road Shadow Puppetry Show

4 pm Nature Walk

4 pm Nature Walk

11:30 am / 1:30 pm / 2:30 pm Ice Age Encounters

31

4 pm Nature Walk

11:30 am / 1:30 pm / 2:30 pm Ice Age Encounters

30 11:30 am / 1:30 pm  Dinosaur Encounters

Institutional Partners

Teacher Workshops Learn how to integrate science notebooking into your classroom to support Common Core Standards. Sponsored by J.P. Morgan

Paid Events

NHM Fellows Events

NHM Member Events

Offsite Adventure

Overnight Adventures

William S. Hart Museum

Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits

Natural History Museum

nhm family of museums

1:30 pm / 3:30 pm Dinosaur Encounters

11:30 am / 1:30 pm  Dinosaur Encounters 11:30 am / 1:30 pm Ice Age Encounters

Nature Walk Join us on a walk through the Nature Gardens to explore the amazing biodiversity of life that also calls L.A. home.

Nature Gardens Exploration A Plant's Eye View You bring your “nature eyes,” and we’ll bring nets, lenses, and more! Discover the dynamic world of plants in NHM’s new Nature Gardens.

Member Preview Days As a special benefit, members get to see all new exhibits before they open to the public. Presented by Scholarshare

1:30 am / 3:30 pm Dinosaur Encounters

11:30 am / 1:30 pm Ice Age Encounters

Junior Scientist Join us each month to experience the Natural History Museum as a scientist does! Feel what it’s like to do real scientific work by using the same tools and techniques as our own Museum researchers. Junior Scientist is designed for 6- to 9-year-olds and their families. Ice Age Encounters Come face to face with our saber-toothed cat — don’t worry, she’s a puppet — and learn about life in the Ice Age! Meet a Live Animal Drop by to meet different animals daily, from bugs to boas.

Scavenger’s Safari Hang out with our scientists, then go on a scavenger hunt throughout the Museum! A free monthly program for members at the Patron Family level and higher. RSVP required at 213.763.3316.

3 pm Meet a Live Animal

Gallery Exploration and Highlights Tours In NHM’s award-winning tour, a Gallery Interpreter takes you on a journey featuring a fascinating new topic each day. Sponsored by Farmers Insurance Group

Dinosaur Encounters Get closer to dinosaurs than you ever thought possible in these amazingly real performances! Check the website for schedule updates.

3 pm Meet a Live Animal

ongoing event descriptions Traveling the Silk Road In a renovated gallery space that reinstates NHM's ongoing traveling exhibits program, Traveling the Silk Road: Ancient Pathway to the Modern World brings to life the most celebrated trade route in human history. Critter Club Family-friendly classes, held monthly, introduce the Museum's live animals to visitors and weave in science topics. Critter Club is for 3- to 5-yearold children and a participating adult. First come, first served. No reservations are required, but tickets are limited. .