2025/07/01 by Patricia L. S. Wooden, Nikolai K. Artley, Caitlin M. Silva +1 · 1 voice
Psychology · #Animal and Plant Science Education
paper · pdf · doi:10.3897/nhcm.2.154471
Members of our society are currently spending an increasing amount of time engaging in virtual (digital) experiences and less time engaging in reality, including nature. It is imperative that people maintain a connection to the natural world and understand the value of natural history specimens. To facilitate that goal, the Museums in Miniature (MiM) project provides a drawer of curated local insect specimens for display in schools, libraries, and other educational institutions. Specimens of abundant taxa, or those missing data or otherwise unsuitable for research, are used as “ambassador specimens” in these drawers. Drawers provide real-life examples of pollinators, pests, invasive species, and beautiful and intricate insects. Additionally, fact sheets and other resources about specimens and entomology in general are provided as digital and hard copies. Museums in Miniature was inspired by difficulties in museum outreach experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, when programs were entirely virtual. The first MiM drawers were created in 2022 at Clemson University and used exclusively in South Carolina, but since then the program has expanded to encompass the entire Southeast. Through partnerships with other natural history collections, suppliers, and volunteers, we aim to expand coverage and possibly even adapt the MiM model to disciplines beyond entomology.