Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

05/30/2026

Check out this mouthless moth! Schlinger Chair of Entomology Alex Harman, Ph.D., digs into the difference between butterflies and moths as he prepares hundreds of butterfly chrysalids and a handful of moth cocoons for the Butterfly Pavilion here at Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. (Exhibit details at sbnature.org/butterfliesalive ) The variety of species on exhibit depends on what we receive from Costa Rica Entomological Supply (CRES), and sometimes they send us these gorgeous _Rothschildea lebeau_ silkmoths. A few just emerged, so visit us soon if you want a chance to spot one in the pavilion. Don’t forget to pop into the Santa Barbara Gallery for a peek into the emergence chamber to see the chrysalids, and if we’re lucky, more cocoons like these. If you want to know what’s happening with the hot glue, check out our reel from a couple weeks ago, also featuring Dr. Harman.

05/29/2026

Book photo sessions in the Butterfly Pavilion 🦋🦋🦋 Capture the magic of summer in a beautiful garden full of butterflies at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History! 20-minute photo sessions with Kristen Smith of Veils & Tails Photography are available for just four dates, so sign up while space lasts: June 13–14 and August 15–16. Details at https://tickets.sbnature.org/events?category=Programs 🦋🦋🦋

05/28/2026

Congratulations Diego and Paul, Quasars to Sea Stars class of 2026! 🎓 You’ve come a long way from dropping cutlery and octopuses; now you are accomplished young Renaissance men on your way to UC Berkeley. You have four years of experience doing science and communicating it to the public—first as volunteers, then as members of our staff. We’ve been impressed by how you seized every unique opportunity Teen Programs offered you here and we can’t wait to see what you do next. 🌠 Know a stellar teen who could fill their shoes? More info at sbnature.org/quasars

05/27/2026

“There’s a bromeliad for every occasion.” Explore the diversity of with Ganna Walska Lotusland Associate Curator of Living Collections and Nursery Manager Anna Bower, reporting to you from the Sprague Butterfly Pavilion at Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. Bower and her colleague Bromeliad Gardener Mike Furner brought dozens of bromeliads from Lotusland’s abundance to the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, where the plants help the Costa Rican butterflies on exhibit feel at home. We are all grateful for this collaboration that we hope will get Museum guests thinking about how different plants play important roles in the habitats supporting butterflies around the world.

05/23/2026

“Costa Rica is bromeliads”— Ganna Walska Lotusland longtime Bromeliad Gardener Mike Furner knew Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History’s Costa Rican butterflies deserved , and he delivered on that vision! With help from Associate Curator of Living Collections and Nursery Manager Anna Bower, Furner got dozens of plants from this diverse family settled in time for the opening of the Sprague Butterfly Pavilion (now open). Even more plants are coming from Lotusland’s abundance to the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. We are all grateful for this collaboration that we hope will get Museum guests thinking about how different plants play important roles in the habitats supporting butterflies around the world.

05/21/2026

Thank you SLO New Times for highlighting the importance of returning Native ancestors, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony back to their communities: https://www.newtimesslo.com/central-coast-tribes-push-to-reclaim-ancestors-remains-and-belongings/ As part of a broader view on repatriation in the region, reporter Chloë Hodge visited the Museum and included an update on the daily work of our NAGPRA Officer Jonathan Malindine, M.A. Like he says, “consultation is the key” to this work, and we’re grateful to the tribes—now over 250 nationwide—that have participated in consultations with us since Malindine started doing full-time repatriation work here in 2022, leading to many meaningful returns.

Going home, San Luis Obispo, Central Coast, Morro Bay, Santa Ynez, Santa Barbara, NAGPRA, Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, Salinan Tribe of Monterey and San Luis Obispo Counties, Salinan tribe, yak titʸu titʸu yak tiłhini, Northern Chumas...

05/21/2026

This morning's overview of the Santa Rosa Island Fire is heartening: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/cacnp-santa-rosa-island-fire The news tab on that page archives past updates, and the evening update from May 20 contains helpful and detailed information for fans of the Torrey Pines. We've felt a lot of heartache watching this unfold, but the firefighting effort and weather improvements give us reasons for hope. Photo by J Foye / U.S. Wildland Fire Service

05/20/2026

Join us on Monday, June 1, to hear new perspectives on the why and how of longevity over the course of human evolution from UCSB Professor of Anthropology Michael Gurven, Ph.D., the author of Seven Decades: How We Evolved to Live Longer. Relying on the anthropological study of subsistence societies as an imperfect lens for gaining insight, Dr. Gurven will combine ethnographic, demographic, and biomedical studies to shed light on the timing and significance of the transition from “asset” to “burden” in late adulthood, with implications for navigating the global “Gray Wave” of population aging. Gurven argues that our evolved human lifespan is about seven decades, and that the multifaceted contributions of middle-to-older aged adults is part of the reason why. This free public lecture is presented by the Santa Barbara County Archaeological Society. Details at https://www.sbnature.org/visit/calendar/9169/a-natural-history-of-human-longevity

05/19/2026

Is sustainable lithium extraction possible? Join us at Dargan's Irish Pub & Restaurant in Santa Barbara on Monday, June 8, featuring UCSB Global Studies Associate Professor Javiera Barandiarán, Ph.D., for Science Pub: Investigating the Lithium Rush, a sobering examination of the history of lithium mining in the twentieth century. Dr. Barandiarán will explore the global scramble among nations and corporations to secure lithium reserves, probing the consequences for local communities and surrounding ecosystems. Courtesy of Chaucer's Bookstore, Barandiarán’s book Living Minerals: Nature, Trade, and Power in the Race for Lithium will be available for purchase at the event. Free talk starts at 6:30 PM, but early birds get the good seats. No tickets or reservations needed. 📸 🛰️ Clayton Valley ASTER image by JPL, speaker photo by Annete Hornischer.

05/18/2026

Happy ! Find out what museums can do for you in this joint op-ed by the board chairs of Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation, Santa Barbara Historical Museum, Santa Barbara Museum of Art, and Santa Barbara Maritime Museum: https://www.independent.com/2026/05/14/why-museums-matter-to-our-communities/