The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest combination of museums, educational resources, and research. It is made up of 19 museums and the National Zoological Center, shaping the future by preserving our heritage, discovering new knowledge, and sharing our resources with the world. The Smithsonian’s mission is to advance and disseminate knowledge.

The mission of the National Museum of Natural History is to increase awareness of the natural world and understanding our place in it. The museum’s collections tell the history of the planet and are a record of human interaction with the environment and with each other. On any given day, our scientists conduct research in our laboratories and at sites around the world. Their work supports our understanding of the critical issues of our time, from conservation to public health, climate change and food security. We manage a collection of 145 million specimens and artifacts. Each one reflects a moment in space and time; and in these moments is where we find the history of the Earth. Our researchers continue to obtain critical new information from these objects. These discoveries about the past help us shape and anticipate the future.