Tag archives: Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

In life, the skull of this Duck-billed Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) contained a lot of sensing tools for finding prey underwater. The Y-shaped bones at the front supported a bill full of receptors, thousands of which could sense the electrical fields created by the movements of other animals in the water. Echidnas are the closest living […]

The Madagascan Sunset Moth, Chrysiridia rhipheus, was initially described as a butterfly, due to its brilliant colors. However, it lacks the clubbed antennae characteristic of butterflies and therefore is indeed a moth! These moths, which are only found on the island of Madagascar, are toxic to predators when consumed, and advertise their toxicity with their […]

This iconic image of the extinct Passenger Pigeon was drawn by Alexander Wilson who published eight volumes of American Ornithology in the early years of the of 19th century. During Wilson’s lifetime, there were millions of these birds darkening the sky. Loss of habitat and over-hunting caused their extinction. The last known of the species, a female, died […]

That’s correct, Mr. Spock! We humble humans are now viewing the first images made public by the NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, which is funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science (DOE/SC). The images were officially released the last week of June, and endearingly named […]

If you’ve ever visited the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History’s Butterflies Alive! exhibit at the Sprague Butterfly Pavilion, it won’t come as a surprise that USA Today ranked it among the top three butterfly exhibits in the nation. Walking through the display feels like stepping into a dreamlike realm, surrounded by creatures so stunning […]

The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum new exhibition The Swiftest Recovery: Island Fox Chronicles, features a photographic showcase by Chuck Graham (who also contributes to the MJ) that highlights one of the most remarkable conservation success stories in recent history – the tiny fox at Channel Islands National Park. This exhibition, which offers a glimpse into […]

Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History’s Butterfly Garden has received a BEST in the Nation nomination for USA TODAY’s 10BESTReaders’ Choice Awards. Join the effort to make this happen by voting online at the link in the 411. Voting can be done daily from April 14 to May 12. The nomination by USA TODAY 10BEST […]

Your Society Invites gal-Friday is pleased to share the 2025 Legacy Award Winners of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History (SBMNH), who were announced at a trés private soirée called the Leadership Circles of Giving Dinner held at the Fleischmann Auditorium. This year’s honorees are UCSB Professor Emeritus Michael Glassow, PhD; geologist John Powell, […]

Lucy Firestone, Gregory Fuss, and Greg Giloth have been appointed to the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Board of Trustees for a three-year term. Firestone is a producer, transformation coach and co-founder of Firestone Sisters’ natural perfume line, with more than 20 years’ experience creating content that inspires healing and growth. A Princeton graduate, […]

Brian Storr MBA is the newly appointed Chief Financial Officer for the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, as of May 2024. Storr was previously with the ABC-CLIO Goleta company in three positions, the Vice President of Finance & Manufacturing, Director of Manufacturing, Logistics & Strategic Analysis, and Director of Business & Financial Services. His […]

Nature lovers unite, it is time for the annual live butterfly expo at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, on now through September 2. The exhibit is held at the Sprague Butterfly Pavilion at the museum daily (except Tuesdays) from 10 am to 5 pm. There will be over 24 species and over 1,000 […]

Administered by the National Park Service, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) was updated effective January 12, 2024. The act was first established in 1990.  The NAGPRA requires all Federal agencies and all museums, institutions, universities, colleges, state agencies, and local agencies that receive Federal funds, to identify all Native American human […]

Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History announced its 15th Annual Legacy Awards honorees Kathy and Bob Harbaugh, Toni and Terry McQueen, Don Morris, and Ken Tatro, at a private dinner event on January 18 in the Fleischmann Auditorium. The Museum’s Legacy Awards acknowledge extraordinary contributions to the Museum and the natural world by community supporters, […]

Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History announced the newest members to its Board of Trustees: our town’s Hiroko Benko and Amanda Lee. Both women have long histories as professional businesswomen and philanthropists.  Benko is renowned for her historic ocean exploring vessel, The Condor Express, founded by her late husband Fred, for which she is the […]

Artist and gallery owner Ralph Waterhouse, who just celebrated this 80th birthday with a boffo bash at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, hosted his first solo exhibition in 25 years at his new gallery on Coast Village Road, just a tiara’s toss from Ca’Dario. “My wife Diane thought it would be a good […]

Iconic artist and art gallery owner Ralph Waterhouse celebrated his 80th birthday in style with a party for 90 guests at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History with his bubbly wife, Diane. The dynamic duo have owned an eponymous gallery in La Arcada for 39 years and last April opened a new outlet on […]

Oenophiles and gourmands were out in force at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History when the popular venue hosted the region’s premier food and wine event, attracting 1,400 supporters to the sprawling 17-acre Mission Creek campus, raising more than $200,000 for the museum’s programs and exhibits. Around 200 VIP tickets, giving early access to […]

Society News is pleased to share the 2023 Legacy Award Winners of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History (SBMNH), which were announced at a private Leadership Circles of Giving soirée last week. The Legacy Awards went to philanthropists Elisabeth and Greg Fowler; Renee Grubb,owner of Village Properties; andornithology supporter, John O’Brien. In his speech […]

Over 20 years ago I attended a talk on Madagascar at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. It was one long rant about how the ecosystems of Madagascar had been almost totally destroyed. How there were no indigenous organizations for outside conservation groups to work with. And how the Pope had gone there to […]