Identification Day

Monday, April 19, 2019

A group of children lean over a table covered with glass cases of insect specimens to observe an insect on a tray held out by a Museum scientist.
The Museum celebrates natural history collections by inviting visitors to bring in their own specimens for our annual Identification Day.

Get an up-close look at specimens from the Museum’s rarely seen collections, while scientists attempt to identify your discoveries.

Participating scientists include researchers from Anthropology, Earth and Planetary Sciences, Entomology, Herpetology, Ichthyology, Invertebrate Paleontology, Mammalogy, Microscopy, Ornithology, and Paleontology.

How Do I Prepare for Identification Day?

Anthropology

  • Bring as much information on your specimens as possible. If it belongs to a friend or family member, try to get the information from them.

Botany

  • Please only bring plants that you have permission to collect.
  • Plant samples that have flowers or fruits (or both) are much easier to identify than those without.
  • Bring your plant sample in a zip-lock bag (this will keep the plant moist for easier identification and will avoid spreading pests in the Museum).
  • Please try to bring fresh (very recently collected) plant samples.