Shanghai Natural History Museum

Shanghai Natural History Museum上海自然历史博物馆

Shanghai Natural History Museum has over 280,000 items in its collections, including objects from the natural world and human historical relics. These pieces come from East China, China as a whole, and from every part of the world, falling into 5 major categories: botany, zoology, paleobiology, geology, and anthropology. There are over 150,000 botanical specimens, and over 4,000 mammal pieces. Fish, birds, amphibians, and reptiles have over 1000 pieces each, insects nearly 33,000, and other invertebrates over 5,000. There are over 5,000 geological specimens, over 8,000 paleobiological specimens, and over 3,500 pieces of anthropology and folk culture.
The newly founded Natural History Research Center is based on the Museum’s rich collection of specimens. Within its natural history research remit, it will focus on such fields as the ecology and species diversity of the city, the biology of the Earth’s “3 poles”, and evolutionary and comparative biology. It will also support the museum in its collecting, exhibition work, and educational projects. The task of the researchers will be to preserve natural and human relics, use the specimens for academic research, explore and explain how species diversity occurs, develops, and can be sustained, and promote human understanding of the living world and its evolving environment. Through animating the exhibitions and educational activities, they raise accessible worldwide awareness of the scientific significance of these collections, and transmit the methods and spirit of science to new generations.

Field Trip Information

ENVIR102 Dynamic Earth and Ocean: This field trip reinforced experiential learning by making real world connections. Students were exposed to different stages of natural history and evolution of life in the format of real exhibitions and gained a deeper appreciation and understanding of the Earth System. The array of geological specimens provided the opportunity for students to learn from real samples and connect their analysis to learning about the Earth and its oceans. Animated exhibitions further highlighted the dynamic view of this topic for students.

GCULS 105 Critical Comparative Studies: This field trip helped students to better understand the relationship between nature and culture. Additionally, students were allowed to think about and discuss topics related to the planet’s future. As cultural beliefs to nature and how its treated are critical points for comparison cross-culturally, the students took the time to analyze how they could tie relic specimens and exhibitions to cultural conversations about the Earth.