The Colorado Museum Of Natural History

BE A CATALYST! IGNITE OUR COMMUNITY'S PASSION FOR NATURE AND SCIENCE.

EXHIBITS, DIGITAL MEDIA, PROGRAMS & PARTNERSHIPS: TO ADVANCE ITS MISSION OF IGNITING OUR COMMUNITY'S PASSION FOR NATURE AND SCIENCE, THE DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE & SCIENCE PRESENTS A DYNAMIC MENU OF PERMANENT AND TEMPORARY EXHIBITS (ART OF THE BRICK, DOGS! A SCIENCE TAIL, SUE: A T-REX EXPERIENCE, STONEHENGE: ANCIENT MYSTERIES MODERN DISCOVERIES, NUMBERS IN NATURE: A MIRROR MAZE, SURVIVAL OF THE SLOWEST, GUITAR: THE INSTRUMENT THAT ROCKED THE WORLD), ENGAGING PROGRAMMING, EDUCATIONAL FILMS IN ITS IMAX THEATER, OFFSITE SCIENCE PLAY AREAS AND AWE INSPIRING SHOWS IN ITS DIGITAL PLANETARIUM. DIVERSE PROGRAM OFFERINGS FOR CHILDREN, ADULTS, FAMILIES AND TEENS INCLUDE EXCITING SCIENCE THEATER SHOWS AND FACILITATIONS, LECTURES, DOCUMENTARY FILM SCREENINGS, SCHOOL BREAK CAMPS, AND FAMILY ACTIVITY PROGRAMS. EXCITEED PROGRAMS FOR SCHOOLS INCLUDE RIGOROUS TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CLASSES AND SCHOOL GROUP FIELD TRIPS. IN 2021, THE MUSEUM SERVED 1.8 MILLION INCLUDING 800,000 ADULTS, FAMILIES, AND STUDENTS VIA DISTANCE LEARNING AND VIRTUAL PROGRAMS.

SCIENCE DIVISION: MUSEUM RESEARCHERS CONTRIBUTE TO SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE THROUGH COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA, WHICH ARE THEN USED TO GENERATE AND PUBLISH NEW UNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT THE EARTH, ITS INHABITANTS, AND BEYOND. THE SCIENCE STAFF MANAGES, PRESERVES, AND PROVIDES ACCESS TO THE MUSEUM'S COLLECTION OF 4.3 MILLION OBJECTS AND SPECIMENS. DURING 2021, STAFF FIELDED 473 RESEARCH REQUESTS FROM COLLABORATORS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE MUSEUM. THE SCIENCE DIVISION ALSO ENGAGED IN ABUNDANT EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH, COMMUNICATING SCIENCE TO 65,983 MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND ITS RESEARCH COMMUNITY THROUGH COURSES, EVENTS, TOURS, LECTURES, AND FIELDTRIPS IN 2021 ALONE. 1,162 OF THESE GUESTS ATTENDED COLLECTION OPEN HOUSES OR BEHIND THE SCENES TOURS OF THE AVENIR COLLECTIONS CENTER. 61,872 OF THESE GUESTS ATTENDED ONE OF OUR VIRTUAL PROGRAMS, OUR PRIMARY METHOD OF COMMUNICATING SCIENCE TO OUR AUDIENCES DURING THE PANDEMIC. SCIENCE STAFF SUPERVISED 24 INTERNS, HOSTED 20 TEEN SCIENCE SCHOLARS, AND MENTORED 27 UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE STUDENTS. OUR VOLUNTEER PROGRAM WAS PUT ON HOLD DUE TO THE PANDEMIC IN 2020, BUT IN 2021, WE WERE ABLE TO BRING BACK A LIMITED NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS. THE 152 RETURNING VOLUNTEERS CONTRIBUTED NEARLY 21,000 HOURS. IN ADDITION, STAFF PUBLISHED 38 PEER-REVIEWED PAPERS, BOOKS, AND BOOK CHAPTERS, PRODUCED 14 POPULAR ARTICLES, AND WERE CITED 2,395 TIMES. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE YEAR INCLUDE A PUBLICATION IN THE JOURNAL OF MAMMALIAN EVOLUTION, CO-AUTHORED BY FOUR DMNS STAFF MEMBERS (KRAUSE, LYSON, DOUGAN, AND PETERMANN) ON THE ICONIC PALEOCENE MULTITUBERCULATE MAMMAL, TAENIOLABIS TAOENSIS. THIS PUBLICATION REFLECTS THE CONTINUING SCHOLARSHIP COMING FROM THE COLORADO SPRINGS RESEARCH PROJECT. IN ADDITION, FRANK KRELL NAMED A NEW SPECIES OF BEETLE, PULCHRITUDO ATTENBOROUGHI, OR "ATTENBOROUGH'S BEAUTY" AS A DEDICATION TO THE ENGLISH BROADCASTER AND NATURALIST, SIR DAVID ATTENBOROUGH. FINALLY, THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO PRESS PUBLISHED THE EGYPTIAN MUMMIES AND COFFINS OF THE DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE & SCIENCE: HISTORY, TECHNICAL ANALYSIS, AND CONSERVATION, A VOLUME DETAILING THE REEXAMINATION OF THE MUSEUM'S TWO MUMMIES AND THREE COFFINS USING INNOVATIVE, INEXPENSIVE, AND ACCESSIBLE TECHNIQUES, UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF MICHELE KOONS.

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS: IN 2021, DIVERSE PROGRAM OFFERINGS INCLUDED AFTER HOURS VIRTUAL LECTURES, IN-PERSON FACILITATED FAMILY PROGRAMS, SUMMER AND SCHOOL BREAK CAMPS, NUMEROUS VIRTUAL PROGRAM OFFERINGS INCLUDING A VIRTUAL GIRLS & SCIENCE CELEBRATION, A VIRTUAL DIA DEL NINO CELEBRATION AND MANY MORE. THOUSANDS OF SCIENCE KITS WERE DISTRIBUTED TO FAMILIES AT FOOD DRIVES AND OTHER COMMUNITY EVENTS. EXCITEED PROGRAMS FOR SCHOOLS INCLUDED TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CLASSES AND SCHOOL GROUP FIELD TRIPS. DISTANCE LEARNING EXCITEED PROGRAMS REACHED MILLIONS VIA PARTNERSHIPS WITH PBS AND OTHERS. CURIOSITY KITS TRAVELED A TOTAL OF 4865 MILES TO REACH STUDENTS ACCROSS COLORADO.