Darwin (Evolution) Day 2018

On February 12, 2018 the Essig Museum hosted another great Evolution Day in honor of Charles Darwin’s birthday.  Over 120 students, staff, faculty, and folks from all around the Bay Area got a behind the scenes look at the Museum and some of our special displays. Thank you to our colleagues at the UC & Jepson Herbaria, UC Paleontology Museum, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, and UC Botanical Garden for supplying specimens and information for the displays.

At a reception afterwards, Dr. Peter Oboyski summarized some of the outstanding achievements of the Essig over the past year, including: a collaboration with the Muzeum of Vertebrate Zoology on a multi-taxon survey of the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia (hear more about this project this Friday at Essig Brunch); an Entomology at Cal Reunion in October; new specimen donations and accessions, and a temporary funding increase from the Vice Chancellor of Research and the Deans of Letters & Science and College of Natural Resources. The temporary funding increase will facilitate efforts to secure the financial future for the Essig Museum.

Our next big event is Cal Day on April 21 when we will welcome guests to view displays, touch live insects, and get behind the scenes tours of the museum in English, Spanish, Russian, and Mandarin – hope to see you there!

Entomology student, Jessica, talking about Orthoptera (grasshoppers and crickets).

   

Students checking out the giant African termite queens, and a marine iguana from the MVZ.

Specimens collected by Charles Darwin in Tierra del Fruego during the Voyage of the Beagle.

Entomology graduate student, Sean Perez, admiring a mimicry display by Professor Nipam Patel.

Carnivorous plants from the UC Botanical Garden.

Lots of happy guests enjoying their visit to the Essig Museum.

 

Thanks to Helina Chen (University of California Paleontology Museum) for taking photos!