Georgia Museum of Natural History facts for kids

The Georgia Museum of Natural History (or GMNH) is Georgia's official museum for natural history. It is located in Athens, Georgia. This museum has eleven different collections. These include Anthropology (human history), Arthropods (insects), Botany (plants), Geology (rocks and earth), Herpetology (reptiles and amphibians), Ichthyology (fish), Invertebrates (animals without backbones), Mammalogy (mammals), Mycology (fungi), Ornithology (birds), and Zooarchaeology (animal remains from archaeological sites).

The museum also has cool exhibits, archives, and fun activities for kids. The main Exhibit Gallery is free to visit during certain hours. If you want to see the special collections, you can schedule a tour.

The GMNH helps people learn about nature and supports research. They also have an Internship Program. This program lets University of Georgia (UGA) students get hands-on experience with the museum's collections. In 1999, the state of Georgia officially named GMNH its natural history museum.

Museum History

The museum was officially recognized by the University of Georgia in 1978. It was renamed the Georgia Museum of Natural History in 1999. However, some items in its collections are much older, dating back to the early 1800s!

In 1801, a person named Josiah Meigs started gathering items for a natural history collection at UGA. Later, in 1817, Henry Jackson added minerals and science tools from France. In 1824, more minerals were donated, which meant they needed a special cabinet to keep them.

UGA's Philosophical Hall, built in 1821, was the first home for these collections. Then, New College was built in 1823 to hold the growing collections. Sadly, a fire destroyed New College and everything inside it in 1830.

After the fire, new efforts began. In 1831, Malthus Ward started the Botanical Garden at the University. The mineral collection also grew quickly in the late 1830s.

In 1856, the Botanical Gardens were sold. The money helped build the famous iron fence and Arch that you can still see at UGA's North Campus today.

The museum collections moved to the third floor of the new Library Building in 1862. The collections kept growing very large. By 1880, the natural history collection had over 300 specimens. Today, it has more than 7 to 8 million!

Learning and Community Programs

The GMNH Education and Outreach Program offers many ways to learn. They have events, exhibits, and special "Science Boxes." These boxes are filled with artifacts, posters, games, and books about natural history topics. They are given to teachers for students in kindergarten through 8th grade.

The museum also offers tours for schools and other groups. These tours let visitors explore the museum and its collections.

You can also visit the GMNH website. It has virtual slide shows about the "Habitats of Georgia." These shows teach you about different natural areas in Georgia. They also explain environmental issues these places face.

The "Friends of the GMNH" group helps support the museum's learning programs. They do this by raising money and spreading awareness.

Internship Opportunities

The GMNH has an internship program for students at the University of Georgia. This program lets undergraduate students get hands-on experience. They work with the museum's collections during the fall, spring, and summer.

Interns learn about natural history museums and collections. They work closely with museum staff for about 105 hours each semester. They help with tasks like collecting, identifying, preparing, and organizing specimens. Interns can also join tours, outreach events, and field trips.

Museum Collections

Each collection at the GMNH is the largest of its kind in Georgia. These collections are used for research, public service, and educational programs. About 100 scientists visit each year to use the specimens for their research. Specialists manage each collection. The GMNH also lends specimens to researchers all over the world.

Anthropology Collection

The Anthropology Collection has over 3 million artifacts and specimens. It includes pottery and other remains from human history. This makes it the largest collection of its kind in Georgia. It is kept at the Archaeology Laboratory at UGA.

Arthropods Collection

The Arthropods Collection is part of UGA's Entomology Department. It holds over 1 million insect specimens. Most of these insects are from the southeast U.S.. Many of them have been identified down to their exact species.

Botany Collection

The Botany Collection is one of the biggest collections of plant samples in the southeastern United States. People and agencies from all over the country ask this collection for help identifying plants. It is part of UGA's Department of Plant Biology.

Geology Collection

The Geology Collection has three smaller parts: the Allard Collection for Economic Geology, the Mineralogy Collection, and the Paleontology Collection. Together, they have over 33,500 specimens, fossils, and casts. The Allard Collection can even be viewed online! This collection is part of UGA's Department of Geology.

Herpetology Collection

The Herpetology Collection started being organized in 1940. Now, it has over 46,000 reptile and amphibian specimens. These specimens represent most of the species found in the Southeast.

Ichthyology Collection

The Ichthyology Collection began growing in the 1940s. Today, it holds over 825 different types of fish in more than 325,000 bottled specimens. Many of these specimens are rare or endangered freshwater fish from the Southeast.

Invertebrate Collection

The Invertebrate Collection has over 10,000 freshwater mussels. It also includes many other non-insect invertebrates. Some specimens are from Gray’s Reef. Many specimens in this collection are now extinct or endangered.

Mammalogy Collection

The Mammalogy Collection started in the 1940s. It includes specimens from the early 1900s, which helps us understand mammals in Georgia over time. It has over 25,000 specimens, like skins, bones, and preserved mammals. It is one of the few mammal collections approved by the American Society of Mammalogists.

Mycology Collection

The Mycology Collection has over 30,000 specimens of fungi. Most are from the Southeast and other parts of the world. It is especially rich in fungi called ascomycetes from Georgia and tropical America. This collection is important for research by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Ornithology Collection

The Ornithology Collection was formed in the 1940s. It now has over 5,650 bird specimens, mostly study skins. It also has 800 bird egg clutches from around the world. Many specimens are from areas in Georgia that have changed from rural to urban.

Zooarchaeology Collection

The Zooarchaeology Collection helps identify animal remains found at archaeological sites. It is used by universities, museums, and government agencies. It has over 4,100 skeletal specimens of fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. This collection is part of UGA's Department of Anthropology.

See also

• Elizabeth Reitz