Community Curators: Local is the New Global
The 5th Annual Community Curators Exhibit will open on December 16th, 2024, and run through the spring. Climate change is the defining issue of our world today, resulting in unpredictable weather patterns, rising sea levels, and loss of homes for humans and animals alike. Immediate action is needed to restore balance to our natural world.
How has the impact of climate change affected our region? Through natural history collections such as ours, scientists and researchers can glean a great deal of insight into the effect on a variety of animal species and our ecosystem. In this community curated exhibit, guests are invited to discover the science behind climate change: how it affects different species and what communities and individuals can do.
Meet the 2024 local community curators and the item they selected for the exhibit:
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird (Archilocus colubris)
The tiny Ruby-Throated Hummingbird flies 2,000 miles or more from its winter range in Mexico to its summer breeding territories throughout North America. This migration is timed to match when flowers bloom, so that the birds will be able to drink nectar, their only food, when they arrive. However, global warming is making flowers bloom earlier. This puts the Hummingbirds in danger of arriving too late to find food.
Chosen by Fabian Barracks
Mr. Barracks serves as Worcester’s Cultural Development Officer and Executive Director of the Worcester Cultural Coalition. Originally from Kingston, Jamaica, he had a successful career as a theater operator and youth development specialist, dedicated to empowering young people through the arts. In 2021, he moved to Worcester to marry his partner of ten years, Jerome. The hummingbird he selected is a symbol of his identity and heritage.
Chambered Nautilus (Nautilus pompilius)
The Chambered Nautilus grows in a logarithmic spiral, a mathematical formula rendered in iridescent mother-of-pearl. The iridescence itself is an example of structural color- the rainbows we see are created by nano-scale layers of crystal deposited by the living animal. The Nautilus is threatened by ocean acidification, which interferes with the formation of the crystals they use to build their shells.
Chosen by Kathy Chen
Dr. Chen is the Executive Director for WPI’s STEM Education Center, which nurtures the capacity of educators to facilitate meaningful and culturally responsive STEM education for all learners. She grew up in Okemos, Michigan, taught materials engineering in California, and moved to Worcester to teach teachers. She is fascinated by the way that nature makes mathematics visible, and mathematics represents what we see in nature.
American Badger (Taxidea taxus)
Badgers are rugged animals, able to eat a variety of foods, and to live in several types of habitat. They are primarily carnivores, able to eat rodents, birds, snakes and bees, but also enjoy some plant foods, such as corn and beans. Their habitat ranges from Canada to Mexico, and they dig dens to protect themselves from extreme weather. However, they are vulnerable to habitat fragmentation, as they need year-round access to freshwater and up to ten dens.
Chosen by Steve Winston, Jr.
Mr. Winston is the Central Massachusetts director for GEAR UP at North High School Worcester, MA, a national initiative to encourage students to stay in school, study hard, and have high expectations for their education. He grew up in Springfield, and has been working with youth for over a decade. He chose to put the badger in the exhibit because its resilience and persistence remind him of his students.
Razorbill (Alca torda)
The closest living relatives to the extinct Great Auk, these birds only come to land in order to breed. Their traditional nesting sites are threatened by rising sea levels. Although they look like penguins, they are more closely related to seagulls. Many animals that live in the ocean evolve dark backs and pale bellies, which help to camouflage them against the glare of the sun to animals looking up from below.
Chosen by the Greater Worcester EcoTarium Community
The people of Worcester founded the museum that would become the EcoTarium in 1825, creating one of America’s first organizations to study science and nature. In this spirit, we have chosen the vibrant, diverse community of the greater Worcester area to be one of our curators. In the autumn of 2024, community members voted for their choice among never-before-seen specimens from our scientific collection.
Exhibit is included with admission.
