Press Room

Media Contacts

Science Communications Manager Paula Sternberg Rodriguez | 619.255.0220
Senior Director of Communications Rebecca Handelsman | 619.255.0262



After an international search, The Nat has appointed John O. Niles as its new Vice President of Science and Conservation. He steps into this role at the height of The Nat’s 150th anniversary—a historical moment for the Museum and its role in the region’s conservation. Niles’ appointment continues Museum's mission to lead with our science and be a voice for nature in our region.

View Details


The Nat’s anniversary year kicked off last Friday with the official groundbreaking of a new, native plant garden—Nature Trail at The Nat. This project is a cornerstone of the Museum’s 150th anniversary. The 22,000-square-foot outdoor exhibit, scheduled to open in early summer, will introduce visitors to the beautiful and beneficial native plants that support the incredible diversity of life in our region.


View Details


A grant of nearly $800,000 from The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation will help launch a statewide urban nature alliance and continue San Diego-based community science in urban canyons. This three-year effort will help enhance biodiversity and environmental equity research in San Diego, Los Angeles, and the San Francisco Bay Area.

View Details


In 2024, the San Diego Natural History Museum will celebrate its sesquicentennial—150 years of studying, protecting, and bringing people closer to nature. The Nat has grown from a small society of natural history lovers and collectors to a reknowned museum with more than 8 million specimens, an active research and conservation arm, spectacular programs, and award-winning exhibitions.

View Details


Visitors to The Nat can enjoy a recently completed 33-foot mural by San Diego-based artist Eva Struble. As the Museum approaches its 150th anniversary, this work is one part of a larger effort to turn the Atrium into a warm and inviting community gathering space that welcomes visitors to the Museum and introduces them to the specialness of nature in our region.

View Details


Dr. Shahan Derkarabetian joins The Nat by way of Harvard University. An expert on harvestmen or daddy longlegs, he likes to “focus on the weird, rare things that are in the back of the field guides."

View Details


Today, the Canyoneers with the San Diego Natural History Museum announced their new—50th—season of free, guided hikes. Sixty hikes will be offered this season, beginning September 10, 2023, and continuing through June 22, 2024. 

View Details


Canyoneers from the San Diego Natural History Museum are celebrating a major milestone in 2023—their 50th anniversary. What started out as a group of volunteers leading walks through Florida Canyon has evolved into a county-wide program that has introduced tens of thousands of people to the wonder of nature in our region. 

View Details


After an international search, the San Diego Natural History Museum (The Nat) is pleased to announce Michelle E. Thompson, Ph.D. as its new—and first—Exequiel Ezcurra Director of Conservation Biology. The role is a key part of the museum’s strategic plan to lead with its science to help preserve biodiversity in our region. 

View Details


A sabre-toothed predator from 38 million years ago offers insight on the origins of today’s meat eaters. This new-to-science species was recently described by scientists from the U.S. and Japan in the journal Biology Letters.  

View Details