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Idaho Museum of Natural History

The Idaho Museum of Natural History is Located on the ISU Campus
Established	1934
Location	Pocatello, Idaho, United States
Coordinates	42.8668588°N 112.4333117°W / 42.8668588; -112.4333117
Type	Natural History Museum
Director	Dr. Herb Maschner
Website	www.imnh.isu.edu

Idaho Museum of Natural History is the state's official museum of natural history located in Pocatello on the campus of Idaho State University. Founded in 1934, it has collections in anthropology, vertebrate paleontology, earth science, and the life sciences. Additionally, it contains an archive of documents and ethnographic photographs.

History

Paleontologist Marie Hopkins and Crew excavating a Bison latifrons

The founding of the Idaho Museum of Natural History can be traced back to 1934 when a group of dedicated professors and researchers decided to collect, preserve, and display the regions natural and cultural heritage. The museum was originally established as the Historical Museum at the Southern Branch of the University of Idaho. In the beginning, the museum’s collection consisted of 5,000 objects that were primarily anthropological, archaeological, and historical artifacts that were donated by the Pocatello Chanber of Commerce, faculty, and supporters of the university's southern branch.

Originally, the museum was governed by a 17-member Historic Museum Committee until the mid-1950’s when it was renamed the Idaho State College Museum. During this time, the museum was appointed a full-time director. By 1963, the Idaho State College was renamed Idaho State University and the museum changed its name to the Idaho State University Museum.

In 1977, the museum shifted its focus towards natural history, the Ray J. Davis Herbarium, and zoological collections. A majority of the collections were transferred from the Idaho State University Department of Biological Sciences to the museum. Also during this time, the Idaho State University Museum had gained control of historical collections from the Idaho State Historical Society, the Bannock County Historical Society, and the Idaho State University Library.

In May 1977, the Idaho State Board of Education adopted a resolution requesting that Governor John V. Evans designate the Idaho State University Museum as the Idaho Museum of Natural History (IMNH); which was signed into law on July 1, 1977. In 1986, the Idaho State Legislature confirmed the Idaho Museum of Natural History as Idaho’s official state museum of natural history.

Mission Statement

The missions Statement for the museum is:

The Idaho Museum of Natural History actively nurtures an understanding of and delight in Idaho's natural and cultural heritage. As the official state museum of natural history, it acquires, preserves, studies, interprets and displays natural and cultural objects for Idaho residents, visitors and the world's community of students and scholars. The Museum also supports and encourages Idaho's other natural history museums through mentoring and training in sound museological practices.

Collections

The Idaho Museum of Natural History houses over 500,000 specimens in its collection. The museum collects, conserves, and documents the natural history of Idaho and the Intermountain West. Collections are divided into three areas: anthropology, earth sciences, and life sciences. A majority of the artifacts found at the Idaho Museum of Natural History have been discovered and analyzed by staff and students of Idaho State University.

Anthropology

The anthropology collection displays human cultural diversity, archaeology, language, human biology and evolution. The anthropology collection focuses on Idaho, but is not limited to the region. The collection displays a number of anthropological artifacts that help explains how the environment effected the Native people of the region. Anthropological objects help explain a number of techniques used for survival by the original inhabitants of the area including modern bead-working traditions and other techniques such as tool development.

Earth Science

The earth science collection focuses on the natural history of earth rocks, minerals, and fossil records while protecting them for future generations. A number of different specimens can be found in the earth science collection from a number of different studies including paleontology, geology, paleobotany, and comparative osteology.

Life Science

The life science collection is comprised of a number of studies including the study of living organisms such as plants, animals, and human beings. The museum’s life science collection is one of the most complete collections of the biological makeup of Idaho. The Ray J. Davis Herbarium houses over 70,000 pressed plants, bryophytes, fungi, and lichens. The zoological collection consists of roughly 1,200 mammals, 1,800 birds, 2,500 reptiles, and 1,000 fish.

Exhibits

The Idaho Museum of Natural History has a number of exhibits on display. These exhibits come directly from the museum’s collections and help describe the natural and cultural history of the surrounding area.

Anthropology

The Idaho Museum of Natural History displays a diverse collection of artifacts collected from Idaho's Native people

The anthropology exhibits present a number of artifacts from the Snake River Plain, including children’s dolls and games, sagebrush bark clothing, corn husk bangs, bows and arrows, basketry, cradleboards, beaded attire and much more. There is also an abundance of exhibits that display tools and materials used by individuals from the Paleoindian. Lastly, the Wasden exhibit displays materials excavated from Owl Cave including artifacts such as mammoth bones and associated Folsom points, bison bone from a kill event, and other artifacts.

Earth Science

A few of the earth science exhibits on display at the Idaho Museum of Natural History

The Earth Science exhibits display Idaho’s geology, trackways of Idaho, and Ice-age megafauna. The Idaho Geology exhibits display a number of artifacts from minerals to fossils. The geology exhibits allow individuals to discover and learn about the geology of Idaho by providing individuals with hands on activities. Trackways exhibits display ancient footprints left in sandstone by animals. Prints that can be found in these exhibits vary from spiders, dinosaurs, and early mammals. The Ice-age Megafauna exhibits display the areas fossil history. These exhibits allow individuals to discover the skeletons of large prehistoric creatures such as saber tooth cats, giant bison, and the Hagerman horse.

Life Science

The Idaho Museum of Natural History has one of the most diverse life science exhibits in the Idaho

The Life Science exhibits highlight the diverse flora and funa of the Snake River plains. Some of the artifacts that are currently on display include a diverse array of rodents including flying squirrels, kangaroo rats, beavers, and marmots. Owls and sage groups are also on display. The Life Science exhibits also display a diverse collection of native reptiles, amphibians, and fish of Sothern Idaho. Lastly, the Ray J. Davis Herbarium allows the Idaho Museum of Natural History to display a wide arrangement of native plants, some of which are extinct. Plants that are on display include the yellow glacier lily, camas, syringe, and many more.

Education

The Natural History Academy is one of many programs offered to children

Educational programs developed by the Museum are intended to provide individuals with a rich learning experience. Educational programs range is targeted age groups and content. Educational programs include:

• Forays into the Field: A week-long science experience specifically for Junior High and High School aged young women, which takes place every summer.
• Natural History Academy: A program that offers scientist of any age an exciting learning experience.
• Natural Science Inquiries Series: A scientific enrichment class specifically for children who are homeschooled.
• Pint-Sized Science Academy: A scientific enrichment class for children that provides investigative learning through hands on experiences.
• Science in Depth: A program designed for 6th through 8th grade students that is intended to investigate specific science disciplines in greater depth.
• Science Trek: An overnight program located within the museum for children from 3rd grade to 5th grade. Science Trek is geared to explore the frontiers of science with practicing scientist.
• Summer Science Snack: Is a week-long program that is offered for children who have completed 1st through 6th grade.

The Role of Idaho State University

The Idaho Museum of Natural history was established under Idaho Statutes with the intention of:

Recognizing the importance of our natural heritage to citizens of the state of Idaho, and the need for a state museum of natural history which would preserve and interpret natural history objects and which would provide educational services about our natural heritage for both residents and visitors through its own facilities and by supporting and encouraging local municipal natural history museums throughout the state of Idaho, there is hereby created and established at Idaho State University a state museum of natural history to be known as the Idaho Museum of Natural History, where tangible objects and documents reflecting our natural heritage may be collected, preserved, studied, interpreted, and displayed for educational purposes.

Under Idaho Statute, the Idaho Museum of Natural History is intended to display Idaho’s natural history. However, the Idaho Museum of Natural history is also used for academic purposes. The museum allows students the opportunity to conduct research on many of the artifacts that are in the museums collection.

External links

• Idaho Museum of Natural History Official Website

Category:Museums established in 1934 Category:Museums in Pocatello, Idaho Category:Natural history museums in Idaho