Nature in Los Angeles is diverse and fascinating, and the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County want to share its stories.
For over one hundred years, the Natural History Museum in Exposition Park has been devoted to the history of the planet—fossils, gems and minerals, the evolution of plants and animals, and the transformation of Los Angeles from tiny pueblo to metropolis. In 2013, we increased our focus on living nature when we turned asphalt parking lots into our outdoor Nature Gardens, and delved into Los Angeles’s wildlife in our interactive Nature Lab. Our work offsite is just as important to us: we bring scientists, educators, and people of all ages together to explore local green space and collect data through our many community science projects.
Today, most people on this planet live in cities. The plants and animals that share city space are understudied by scientists and, sometimes, undervalued by human city dwellers. When we think of nature, we often think of sparsely populated, faraway places little disturbed by urbanization. Many people don’t realize Los Angeles is teeming with incredible nature, or that Ice Age Los Angeles is revealed at the La Brea Tar Pits.
We want to shift that thinking, not only because we are passionate about Los Angeles but because we believe—and research is beginning to show—that urban nature exploration is linked to conservation. When we understand what’s out there, we better appreciate it. When we appreciate it, we protect it.
These stories of local nature will draw you in. They are marked by native and non-native species making a go of it in our mild Mediterranean climate, some challenged by urbanization and habitat change and others benefitting from it. The stories unfold in parks and hiking trails throughout the city, and in your backyards, courtyards, and schoolyards. Through these stories, we want people to see the nature close to them, not a distant, exotic phenomenon only available to experts and naturalists. It’s here for everyone—it’s right outside, right now.
Dr. Lori Bettison-Varga, President and Director, Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County, Natural History Museum, La Brea Tar Pits, and Hart Museum