This Week at Natural History

Image credit: Hunter Noren

Probiotic Shows Promise in Slowing Deadly Coral Disease Ravaging Caribbean Reefs

First discovered off Florida’s coast in 2014, a ruthless disease is turning vibrant coral reefs ghostly white - capable of wiping out entire colonies in a matter of weeks.  Now, new research conducted by invertebrate zoologist Valerie Paul and her team at the Smithsonian Marine Station suggests that the probiotic McH1-7 could be the key to slowing the disease and restoring coral biodiversity. Click the link below to learn more.

Image credit: Smithsonian Institution

Learn How the ‘King of Diamonds’ Gave the Smithsonian Its Crown Jewel

On November 10, 1958, an unassuming brown package arrived at NMNH, containing one of the most legendary gems on Earth. Sent by famed jeweler Harry Winston, the Hope Diamond became an instant icon. Click the link below to explore the Winston family’s dazzling legacy at the Smithsonian, including the recent donation of the extraordinary Winston Red Diamond.

Image credit: Richard Whitcombe

Here is our latest programming guide. Click here for a full schedule of upcoming public programs and a link to previously scheduled video webinars.

For Everyone

World Ocean Month in the Sant Ocean Hall
Join us in June—and throughout the year—to marvel at the beauty and diversity of our natural world. Stop by and talk with staff and visiting experts:

• It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Superbird!: Exploring super senses in seabirds (June 12)
  
• Tails of the Ocean: Tracking and Identifying Whales (June 12)
  
• Tiny Vampires: The Unique World of Freshwater Mussels (June 12)
  
• The Ocean Around Us Tour (June 18)
  
• The Ocean Around Us Tour (June 23)
  
• Fishy Business in the Eye of the Hurricane (June 25)
  

Location: The Sant Ocean Hall, 1st Floor

Explore Volcanoes in the Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals
Come talk with an expert about volcanic eruptions and their deposits, and how scientists study volcanic ash:

• Volcanic Eruption: How Far the Ash Will Fly (June 10, 11, and 12)
  

Location: The Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals, 2nd Floor

For Families

Play Date at NMNH
"Play Date at NMNH" is a drop-in offering for the early learning audience (0-5 years old) and their caregivers and family members. Upcoming Play Dates:

• Play Date at NMNH: Mineral Rainbow (June 10)
• Play Date at NMNH: Marvelous Meteorites (June 17)
• Play Date at NMNH: Colorful Corals (June 24)

Locations: Q?rius, The Coralyn W. Whitney Center for Science Education, Ground Floor (June 10 and 17), and The Sant Ocean Hall, 1st Floor (June 24)

Image credit: Oak Spring Garden Foundation

Art Imitates Natural Life In A Collaborative Museum Exhibition

Real insects are taking their place beside centuries-old natural history artwork in a stunning new exhibition. As part of “Little Beasts: Art, Wonder, and the Natural World,” NMNH specimens, including a groundhog, bees and butterflies, took a field trip to the National Gallery of Art. Click the link below to learn how the exhibition showcases late 17th and early 18th century masterworks that blurred the boundaries between art and science.

Thank you for your interest in NMNH! Your generosity enables the museum to address the big questions that society faces and our fundamental understanding of how people and nature interact. Click the links below to help us spark curiosity, discovery, and learning about the natural world and our place in it.