Behind the Scenes at the Smithsonian, Meet the Curators

The Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History houses over 144 million objects, with 99% behind the scenes. Experts like Carla Dove, Bob Robbins, Ellen Strong, Jeff Post, and Floyd Shockley manage collections of birds, butterflies, mollusks, minerals, and insects. These collections aid in scientific research, aviation safety, and understanding biodiversity and climate change.

What challenges related to global climate change can be addressed with the insect collection?

Why is it important to preserve specimens collected over a long period of time?