the ‘greening’ of natural history museums

The ‘greening’ of natural history museums S. M. Nair

A strong aduocate of the natitral histo y tnirseiirn 5- educational missioii, the author bas had ninple oppoi-tzini[y to piit his idem intopractice CIS foiinder and director of the National Mifieurn of Natirval Histo y in New Delhi for more than twenty years. H e is uicepesident of the ICOM Natirral Histoty Corninittee and the fiiineirms Association of India, and serves as aduiser of the World Wide Fund for Nature - India. H e bas received internatioiial recognition through the J. D. Rockefeller III Fund Felloulship, the Homi Bhabha Fellorushap and the Smithsoninn National Museum Act Fellou~shp. H e waspresented with the Distinguished Scientist Aruard for 1993/ 94 b y the Gover-nment of India for his contribution to enuironinental education and mriseology.

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Traditional museums of natural history have a more or less common story of origin. Most evolved from collections of curios, souvenirs brought home by ex- plorers, trophies resulting from hunting expeditions and collections made by scien- tists. Today, the main functions of natural history museums are: the collection and preservation of objects; collections-based study- and research; exhibit presentation and display; and educational communication or dissemination of information for the benefit of the public.

Based on the manner in which they carry out these functions, natural history museums may be classified into three distinct catego- ries. The first consists of the collection- oriented museums, where collections and related research (taxonomy in most cases) occupy a pivotal role. The second represents those museum that give attention to exhibit presentation and education along with their traditional collection and research functions. The third comprises the smaller number of contemporary museums that consider education as their primary purpose and relegate all other functions to a supporting role.

The transformation from a collection- oriented museum to one that gives pride of place to display and education has been brought about by the need to cater to the growing museum audience and to sustain the public interest and support on which the future of many institutions de- pends. This change is taking place in one way or another in all the major natural history museums around the world. While dioramas depicting natural habitats of animals and plants and thematic exhibits dealing with various biological phenomena are widespread, collections of bottled specimens of animals and herbaria rarely appear today. Demonstrations using specimens, models or live exhibits have added a new dimension to communication, which

denotes the beginning of interactivity in natural history museums. Borrowing from the success of science and technology museums, natural history museums now use animation techniques in certain kinds of exhibits, for example, to show how blood circulates and how the brain works, to demonstrate bioluminescence in organisms, etc. Audiovisual aids such as guide- o-phones, films and videos are of great help in explaining complex phenomena or in depicting certain biological processes that cannot be readily explained through static displays. They improve the communication potential of exhibits showing animal locomotion, migration, animal and plant behaviour, evolutionary processes and a host of other phenomena.

Discovery rooms, live corners and public participation

Visitor participation as an effective means of communication has found a place in many modern natural history museums. This ranges from the simple act of pushing a button to animate an exhibit to such experiences as walking through a diorama and being in the midst of a natural habitat. Interactive displays add another dimension by involving the visitor in the manipu- lation of the exhibit, much like piecing together a jigsaw puzzle.

The concept of the discovery room is a major contribution to the interactive learning process of children; it is based on an approach where ‘learning is fun’ and unin- hibited, and where children are free to handle, manipulate, play and interact with specimens and exhibits. The National ivlu- seum of Natural History at the Smithsonian Institution inwashington, D.C., was the first to develop such a room; it was followed by the American Museum of Natural History in New York, the Academy of Natural Sciences

ISSN 1350-0775. Museum I~tternntiom?l (UNESCO, Paris), No. 190 (Vol. 48, No. 2, 1996) Q UNESCO I996

Published by Blackwell Publishers, 108 Cowley Road, Oxford. OX4 1JF IUIO and 238 Main Street, Cambridge, MA 02142 (USA)

The ‘greening’ of natural history museums

in Philadelphia, the Field Museum in Ch- cago, the Denver Museum of Natural His- tory, the Natural History Museum in Vienna, along with a host of others. In India, the National Museum of Natural History in New Delhi and the Regional Museum of Natural History in Mysore opened discovery centres for children.

Some museums have also pioneered the concept of ‘live corners’ as an interactive facility for visitors. Museums such as the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, and the Discovery Place at Char- lotte, North Carolina, have full-size aquari- ums which are part of the exhibit galleries. Live corners in the form of small aquari- ums, terraria or exhibits of live birds, reptiles, snakes, bees, ants, etc., were introduced in the Boston Museum of Sci- ence, the Lawrence Hall of Science at Berkeley, California, the Smithsonian Mu- seum of Natural History, and the Natural History Museum in Geneva, to name but a few, to provide visual relief as well as lessons in animal behaviour to help visitors handle and examine animals at close quar- ters. The live coral-reef exhibit and the Insect Zoo at the Smithsonian, and the live tropical-forest exhibit at the Discovery Place, are good examples of educationally effective live corners in museums.

The electronic media and computer technology have also opened up new possibili-

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ties for visitor interaction. Biological con- cepts presented in the form of games, quiz- zes and information-retrieval systems have today become effective tools for conveying directional and programmatic information to visitors on such themes as classification, evolution, and food chains. Most museums of science and natural history in Australia, Canada, continental Europe, the United King- dom and the United States, have introduced computer and videodisc technologies very successfully. Some of the best examples are to be found at the Exploratoriuin in San Francisco, the Lawrence Hall of Science, the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto, and the Museum of Civilization in Quebec City. The National Museum of Natural History in New Delhi has also developed a Bio-Sci- ence Computer Room along these lines, as has the Regional Museum of Natural History in Mysore.

Along with advances in the field of exhibition techniques, innovations have also enhanced the educational mission of natural history museums. Until recently, museum education was limited to guiding visitors in the galleries, providing film shows and organizing occasional lectures for the benefit of the public. With the rapid advance of information technology and communication media, which have become available to the mass public, museums have to explore new methods for

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An exhibit at the Natioiial Museznvi of Natural Histo-): N e u Dehi, sym bolizing hzmani2.y destroying the very basis of its existence.

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S. M. Nnir

A hnncls-on exhibit for children nt the Discorieyi Room of the National&Iiiseiim of Natural Histoy, Nelu Delhi.

fulfilling their educational role in order to avoid becoming obsolete. They have to face increasing competition from cinema, television, video, theatre, trade fairs and other attractions that vie with each other for a place in the average person’s leisure- time agenda. Those museums that have responded to this challenge have come up with innovative programmes that promote observation, questioning, testing, correla- tion and evaluation, and are aimed at ensuring a rewarding experience of educational enrichment. Many natural history museums now have separate education departments charged with the responsibility of structuring, programming and con- ducting various activities.

Museums are not (and should not be) like monuments, only to be visited and admired. This is all the more true for natural history museums which have understood that an emphasis on environmental education and public awareness cannot be achieved solely through exhibits and activities confined within the institution’s four walls. The museums must have recourse to real-life sihia- tions to provide learning opportunities to its clientele. Educational outreach programmes play a leading role and can be most effective in the form of field trips.

Educators in natural history museums real- ize that the museum is only a promotional agency for nature education and not a

Jbsi it1 X e !for nature il :self, . Educational programmes that involve visits to wildlife and other natural habitats have a key role to play; with careful planning and execution, they can help develop a keen sense of observation and understanding of nature, especially among children.

The National Museum of Natural History in New Delhi has a large number of such programmes, particularly for the benefit of children and schoolteachers. Field trips to national parks and wildlife sanctuaries are regular features of the museum, which also operates a school loan service of curriculum-oriented exhibits for enriching class- room instruction in biology. Temporary exhibitions are organized by the museum not only on its premises but also in other strategic locations, and a community environmental awareness programme is con- ducted through film and audiovisual pres- entations in different housing colonies of the city and in far-flung areas on request.

With most major natural science museums located in large cities, the growth of regional and neighbourhood museums has been a significant response to the need to reach out to the general public. The development of mobile museums is an attempt to go still further in this direction. These call for specialized planning skills and associate operational and administrative work in an entirely different way than in a traditional museum context. They have a tremendous value for extension education in rural and semi-urban areas where museum facilities are laclung.

Environmental education: a total picture

The question of maintaining and preserving our environment is of greater relevance and significance today than ever before, because

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of the degradation already suffered by natural eco-systems. Natural history museums can undertake the task of communicating information and creating public awareness through the medium of the exhibits and activities that they have at their command.

The number of natural history museums that have attempted to tackle environmental issues by these means is, however, relatively small. The American Association of Museums published an excellent book, Milseunis aiid the Eizuiroizmeat,’ in 1971, and the Museum of Civilization in Quebec City, Canada, issued a publication entitled The Rise of Eizviroiaineizt~lism itz Mzisetinis‘ in 1992. These broadly represent the concern of museum professionals on the “greening” of museums. The first publication states:

The intellectual, scientific and artistic authority of museums commands great respect. Museums have seldom applied their inîluence to public issues; but the time has come when these institutions, which through the years have preserved man’s treasures and nourished his spirit, must also apply themselves to the preservation of an environment fit for life.

The book provides outlines, themes, techniques and illustrations that museums can adapt for developing exhibits and programmes relevant to environmental education. The authors of the second book note that

Museums are not at the centre of the powerful surge in interest shown by the public for environmental concerns, and dis sets them far apart from the press or television. Environmental issues are just barely creeping into the world of museums. Indeed, the literature on the sub- ject of the environment - so abundant today - remains completely silent on

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museums and exhibitions. The great potential that museums have in promoting public awareness about the conservation of our natural heritage needs to be exploited fully.

Within the two decades that separate these landmark publications much has happened to awaken concern for environmental conservation all over the world. These issues have been reflected somewhat in the role played by museums, albeit not signifi- cantly enough. This is a challenge and a responsibility as well as an opportunity for natural history museums today.

An understanding of the need for conservation and wise use of natural resources can be achieved only through a basic knowledge of the plants and animals that exist in nature, their inter-relationships, the factors that contribute to the mainte- nance of balanced ecosystems, what hap- pens when these systems are disrupted or destroyed, and how humanity itself is affected by such imbalances. Thus, exhibits on several aspects of ecology, wildlife and conservation could be developed. A gallery on the theme ‘How Nature Works’ or ‘Understanding Ecology’ can be of vital interest. Aspects of the interdependence of living organisms in various natural habitats could be portrayed here. The whole question of biological energy, start- ing with plants that capture sunlight to synthesize basic carbohydrates, and the flow of this energy through herbivores, predators, etc., leading ultimately to death, decomposition and natural recycling of energy, can form an excellent theme to demonstrate the fundamental interrela- tionship between living organisms and the physical environment. Food chains in different ecosystems, the role played by various organisms in maintaining them and how human interference has brought about disastrous consequences can also

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S. 11% Nnir

A ‘kntiere trnil’for uisitors to the exhibition on Environment and Development ovganized by the&liiserim of LVatimzl Histoy in New Delhi.

be demonstrated through well-conceived exhibits. In dealing with the environment, it is important to provide a positive out- look, emphasizing the human role in ensuring a better environment for the future, rather than presenting a ‘dooms- day’ approach.

One of the pioneering efforts to focus attention on humanity’s thoughtless destruction of nature and its possible impact on human survival was a special exhibition organized in 1969 by the American Museum of Natural History in New York entitled Can filan Sriruive?Around the same time, the Natural History Museum of the Smithsonian Institu- tion set up a temporary exhibition called Endangered Animals. The Cleveland Mu- seum of Natural History set up an exhibition during this period focusing attention on conservation of nature. From such modest beginnings, natural history museums slowly started waking up to the new challenges of representing contemporary concerns on conservation of natural resources, adding another dimension to their traditional role of documenting and displaying the marvels of nature.

New galleries on ecology and the environment have been opened during the last twenty-five years in a number of museums: the British Museum (Natural History) in

London, the Science Museum in Paris, the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto, the Milwaukee Public Museum, the Cincinnati Museum of Natural History, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, the Smithsonian Institution, the Australian Museum in Sydney, the National Museum of Natural History in New Delhi, among many others, represent this new surge of interest and concern for promoting environmental education through museum exhibits.

Special programmes for special groups

The educational mission of the museum cannot be fully accomplished without spe- cific programmes and activities designed for various target groups, such as schoolchil- dren, college students and youth, teachers, families, handicapped persons, villagers, farmers and, of course, the general public.

One of the most important contributions that natural history museums can make to environmental education for schoolchil- dren is to develop projects and activities that enrich the curriculum and supple- ment and complement formal learning. This is possible only if teachers are made aware of the processes involved in in-

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troducing environmental topics. Orienta- tion and motivation of teachers as efficient communicators to promote environmental education at the school level therefore assumes great significance. The role of the natural history museum should be to provide assistance, incentive and guidance to teachers not only by utilizing the infra- structure of the museum but also by using nature itself as a teaching laboratory. An imaginative teacher should be able to develop a large number of teaching aids and resource materials which generate interest and excitement among students. Such projects can combine an element of discovery, innovation and ingenuity leading to a high degree of environmental awareness and a commitment to conservation.

Another concern in the creation of environmental awareness is the fact that most people have no idea how they may contribute to environmental conservation. Bombarded with information about defor- estation, pollution, destruction of wildlife, etc., many people feel helpless and cyni- cal, not to say apathetic, about the prob- lem. W e have to change such attitudes and this is possible only by relating environmental issues to everyday life. The fact that conservation can begin at home and become a way of life, firmly ingrained in personal habits and ethics, needs to be emphasized. Wise utilization of natural resources, conservation of energy and water, recycling materials, cleaning and greening one’s surroundings, safeguarding bodies of water from pollution, avoiding excessive noise, etc., are all matters to which every individual can contribute. The direct linkage of these actions to environmental protection can be demonstrated through museum exhibits and educational programmes.

museum and at outside venues; contests and competitions for children and adoles- cents and the use of innovative communication media such as puppetry, dance, drama and street plays, make a dynamic contribution. It is only through such well- conceived and well-executed educational programmes and outreach activities that natural history museums can fulfill their obligation to society and face the challenges of change by becoming relevant to public education on the conservation of biological diversity and the wise utilization of natural resources.

Notes

1. American Association of Museums, Musezims and the Enuironii~ent: A Handbook for Ed~ication, New York, Arkville Press, 1971.

2. Jean Davallon, Gerald Grandmont and Bernard Schiele, The Rise of Eiîziiroiiii7entalisin ill Mziseir?ns, Quebec City, Musée de la Civilisation, 1992.

A bird-watcbirzg oeitreach progmnz m e orgazized at the Rangmznti~ittzi Bird Sailctuaiy by th? Museum of Natilral Histo y in Mysore.

Temporary exhibits on these themes should also be organized, both within the

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the ‘greening’ of natural history museums

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