We recently launched a new exhibition at the museum entitled We Are Nature: Living in the Anthropocene. And just in case you haven’t heard of the term Anthropocene yet, it can be defined as the current geological era in which humans are making a profound impact on the geological strata. The term is actually being debated by geologists, but we have decided to embrace it as both a social and cultural tool for exploring the effect humans are having on the planet.
We are Nature was created completely in-house by our exhibitions team. Research conducted by our museum scientists and specimens from our own hidden collections are featured in this highly interactive exhibition.
Our new exhibition takes an unflinching look at the interconnectedness between humans and nature–the bad, the ugly and the good. As visitors walk through it, they learn, feel moved, get stirred up, and in the end, by and large, feel motivated. It ends by connecting visitors to great things that are already happening locally and helps to plug them into a bigger network of people who are collectively making an impact.
In the spirit of recognizing all we are already doing in Pittsburgh, we have started a new blog series to compliment the exhibition. We are featuring Pittsburghers who are committed to improving the environment in which we live. Each blog features a new individual and shares some of the ways in which they are helping issues of sustainability, conservation, restoration, climate change, or helping Pittsburgh to be an even more beautiful place to live.
