Natural History Research at the UCSC Museum of Natural History

The University of California Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History Collections (MNHC) houses collections of plants, fungi, lichens, marine algae, insects, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals, and skeletons, for use by researchers, teachers, students, and the community.  The museum is actively cataloging and expanding its collections and is involved in multiple internships, research projects, classroom laboratory exercises, and cooperative ventures with other organizations.  The museum also maintains a large assortment of field research equipment. 

The MNHC also supports undergraduate research projects on campus and on UCSC reserve lands.   On campus, the MNHC continues to support research associated with the UCSC Forest Ecology Research Plot managed by Environmental Studies professor Greg Gilbert.  On UCSC reserve lands, the museum has helped support student projects such as collecting plant specimens, live-trapping small mammals, recording mammals through tracks and trip-cameras, and surveying various other taxa.  Contact the Curator, Chris Lay, for information about current projects.