A new exhibit opening Thursday at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History showcases U.S. nature, geology and cultural traditions, all in celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary.
“From These Lands: Sharing Our Natural and Cultural Heritage” features 600 artifacts and specimens from 50 states, D.C. and five U.S. territories. The exhibition will be on view through December 2029.
“Natural history is everything,” Kirk Johnson, the museum’s director, said. “It’s the rocks, it’s the fossils, it’s the soil, it’s the plants and animals. It’s the people. It’s the history. So this is really a big broad view of our nation.”
Some parts of the exhibit focus on animals that are now extinct. The preserved carcass of the last passenger pigeon, which died in a zoo in Cincinnati in 1914, is on display.
The District’s contribution includes a section dedicated to the Anacostia River.
“Before D.C. was a city, there were great marshes along the Anacostia River that had wild rice that provided food for the Native Americans who lived here,” Johnson said.
As the Anacostia’s health rebounded, wild rice began growing again along the river, providing benefits to the environment.
“It cleans up the river, and makes it back into a natural habitat and not an urbanized waterway,” Johnson said.
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