Timed-entry ticket reservations continue to be required for Museum entry. Facial coverings are strongly recommended. See Health and Safety.
community, biological
All the species living together in an area.
conservation
The management and protection of the natural world.
development
In economic terms, the creation of industries in an area which allow a higher standard of living for the human inhabitants.
ecology
The study of the interactions of living things with each other and their physical environment.
ecosystem
A community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.
environment
All the external factors that affect an organism during its lifetime.
estuary
A place where fresh (non-salty) water enters the sea, such as at a river mouth.
kilometer (km)
A unit of length equal to 1,000 meters, or 0.62 miles.
meter
A unit of length in the metric system equal to 3.28 feet.
native species
A species that historically occurred or currently occurs in an ecosystem other than as a result of an introduction.
sediment
Unconsolidated particles, ranging from clay-size to boulders, produced by the breakdown of rocks that may be carried by natural agents (wind, water, and ice) and eventually deposited to form sedimentary deposits. Organisms and chemical precipitation can also produce sediment.
shifting baselines
How the state of nature was viewed by earlier generations and how it compares to how we view the state of nature today.
species
A group of individuals, usually identifiable by a set of distinctive features, with a unique evolutionary history. Classically, the members of a species can interbreed only with each other to produce fertile offspring.
watershed
The area of land that collects all the rainwater that flows into a given river or stream.
wetland
A permanently moist lowland area such as a swamp or marsh.