Biodiversity Science:
City and Nature
In 2012, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County launched a new research initiative: NHM Biodiversity Science: City and Nature (NHM BioSCAN). This first-of-its-kind scientific investigation will discover and explore biodiversity in and around one of the world’s largest cities: Los Angeles. In three years of sampling from the urban core right out through less-urban surrounding areas, we will focus on the insects, the most diverse group of animals on our planet.
We will discover and document the diversity of insect species living with us in Los Angeles as well as test intriguing hypotheses about how natural areas around the city affect its biodiversity, and specifically, how light in the urban environment is affecting its inhabitants. NHM BioSCAN will take full advantage of our Museum base by directly engaging the public in the discovery and exploration of their home city.
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10 June 2013
Nature Lab Opens
Following the Centennial Celebration on June 9, the NHM’s Nature Lab and Nature Gardens are now open to the public. Planning and work on both of them has been going on for years. The last few weeks, though, have been an amazing journey. Truly, the Exhibits group here performs miracles.
Seven weeks to opening...
Framing just going in and we have less than two months?
Five weeks to opening...
Basically a month left and we’ve reached the wallboard stage. Partly.
Today.
It’s been a busy few weeks.
That’s an impressive piece of development.
BioSCAN staff are now working at the Demo Table (rear right in the last photo) seven days a week. We’re sorting Malaise trap specimens while the public watches the microscope field on a video display right behind us. So far, we’re delighted with the response we are getting.
Come visit us! BioSCAN is in the Nature Lab between 10AM – 2PM Monday through Friday and 10AM – 4PM Saturday and Sunday.
4 June 2013
Merkin Middle School Visit
We had a great visit from students and teachers of Merkin Middle school! Aided by staff from the Marine Biodiversity Center, the Crustacea section, and NHM’s Education division, we were able to give the class a taste of research-grade insect sorting as well as giving them a chance to catch insects out in the Nature Garden.
21 May 2013
Bug Fair 2013
NHM Bug Fair: an intimate annual gathering at the Museum — just us and 11,000 of our closest insect-bedazzled friends.
This event is one of the biggest insect-themed fairs in the country, so we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to let people know about the BioSCAN project. It made a great venue for recruiting participants who are interested in hosting a BioSCAN sampling station or might want to participate in this summer’s NightWatch project.
This year’s theme was bees, so the BioSCAN gang (ably led by Lisa Gonzalez) was able to give folks a much better perspective on how L.A.’s native bees live and work, and how they relate to the imported honeybee, Apis mellifera.
Thanks to all the visitors, and especially thanks to those who worked at Bug Fair, some to the extent that their throats still haven’t recovered!
24 February 2013
Working with L.A. Makerspace
We’re starting to cook with a new collaboration: NHM BioSCAN and the wonderful folks at the LA Makerspace. In a meeting today we hashed out how folks at the Makerspace will design, prototype, test, and build the light-trap equipment for our new BioSCAN: NightWatch project.
“What’s a Makerspace?” you ask. Glad you did. It’s: “A nonprofit, member driven community space for makers, tinkerers and DIYers of all ages to create and collaborate.”
“What’s BioSCAN: NightWatch” you ask next. We are planning a one-night BioBlitz-style insect trap project for later this summer. We’ll distribute something like 100 light traps to interested Citizen Scientists across L.A., and then, on one single night, have them all deployed. We’ll sort the catch in the same we we sort the standard BioSCAN trap samples. Our hope is that this “spot” sampling will pick up a diversity of insects that don’t normally show up in our Malaise traps.
This collaboration with the Makerspace is something we’re really excited about. We have a biological sampling technical problem (how to design and build really cheap but effective insect light traps). The LA Makerspace has expertise and people who thrive on chewing up problems like that.
A perfect match. Stay tuned for developments. We guarantee there will be.
