6/4/2017 - Beauty and the Beast: California Wildflowers and Climate Change

California Wildflowers Blossom at the County Museum

Exhibit opens: June 4, 2017

The rains this year created an outstanding opportunity to see the glories of California wildflowers across the state. This summer, a special exhibit at the San Bernardino County Museum, “Beauty and the Beast: California Wildflowers and Climate Change,” shares some of the bounty through breathtaking photography and special programs. “Beauty and the Beast” opens on June 4, 2017, and continues through October 1.

Exquisite photographs of California’s wildflowers bring awareness to the beauty of the Golden State, as well as to the dangers facing our natural habitats from climate change. All geographic regions of California are highlighted, from the high alpine “rock gardens” above 11,000 feet to Death Valley National Park’s below-sea-level environment.

The exhibit features seven different sections: mountains, coastal, desert, and Central Valley regions, the power of fire and renewal, a behind-the-scenes look at capturing these images, and an overview of California’s geographic regions. Visitors gain new insights into how climate change and other human impacts affect California’s wildflowers.

“Wildflowers offer our visitors the opportunity to explore a variety of topics through programs and family activities,” said Jessika Vazquez, the museum’s curator of integrated sciences. “For example, this exhibit will introduce visitors to our historic herbarium collection, which has never before been on public display. We will talk about the ‘Three Bs’ – bees, bats, and butterflies – and the roles they play in pollination. The sheer beauty of Wildflowers can mask their greater importance as valuable indicators of California’s fragile and interwoven ecosystems.”

The exhibit showcases photographs by Rob Badger and Nita Winter, powerful images that have been captured over more than three decades. Their work has been seen in galleries throughout California, including the Thoreau Center for Sustainability in San Francisco and the G2 Gallery in Venice and has been published widely in American Photo, Los Angeles Times, Natural Home, New York Times, Sunset, Sierra Wilderness Society, and other publications. Beauty and the Beast originated at the San Francisco Public Library and is traveled by Exhibit Envoy.

The San Bernardino County Museum’s exhibits of regional cultural and natural history and the Museum’s other exciting events and programs reflect the effort by the Board of Supervisors to achieve the Countywide Vision by celebrating arts, culture, and education in the county, creating quality of life for residents and visitors.

The San Bernardino County Museum is at 2024 Orange Tree Lane, at the California Street exit from Interstate 10 in Redlands. The museum is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Beauty and the Beast is included with museum general admission. General admission is $10 (adult), $8 (military or senior), $7 (student), and $5 (child aged 5 to 12). Children under five and Museum Association members are admitted free. Parking is free. For more information, visit www.sbcounty.gov/museum. The museum is accessible to persons with disabilities.
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Source: San Bernardino County Museum (San Bernardino County Museum News)


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