Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Their mission is to promote understanding of the natural world and our place in it. The museum’s collections tell the history of the planet and are a record of human interaction with the environment and one another.

Their scientists conduct research in thei laboratories and at sites around the globe. Boundless curiosity drives them to explore Earth, the species that depend upon it, the cultures that inhabit it, and the forces that alter it. Their work underpins their understanding of critical issues of our time, from conservation to public health, climate change to food security.
 
They steward a collection of 147 million specimens and artifacts. Each one reflects a moment in space and time; in these moments we find Earth’s story.  And their researchers continue to glean critical new information from these objects. These discoveries about the past help them model and anticipate the future.