San Diego Natural History Museum in the Pandemic

My report will be on the San Diego Natural History Museum (aka The Nat), I will be reporting about the plans and processes the museum is doing during the pandemic and what they've been doing in the concerns of their staff members. When the rise of the pandemic began in March, places have began to shut down in order to stop the spread of the virus. Museums were hit with the shut down and The Nat was one of them. While The Nat is a scientific research facility where they don't heavily rely on ticket income to stay afloat, other museums weren't lucky. Because they are a research facility, Judy Gradwohl, CEO of the museum, made the decision to keep the museum closed until January 2021. In doing so, they also had to lay off some of their staff members as a budget cut, the ones who were able to keep their job were given tasks to prepare exhibits for the reopening and maintain the building's upkeep. While the museum is closed, this gave the staff members to request upgrades for the museum. The fourth floor staff offices were converted to a large gallery for future exhibitions. The installation of a new ADA ramp was completed for the disabled and to safely transport artifacts to and from the building. While these upgrades were happening, staff members have improved their distant learning models with the latest information they have collected from the researchers for students and teachers to use. Future exhibition planning are currently being discussed and staff members are seeking out grants and funding that will help them provide the needed materials and upkeep for these exhibitions. Since people can't visit the museum at this time, The Nat decided to create a section on their website called "The Nat @ Home" where they provided different sections such as activities to do at home or educational material like their Digital Library or Nat TV. This helps students and teachers working/learning remotely to have access to the Museum's educational materials without having to leave their house. In conclusion, I think The Nat is finding ways to keep people visiting their museum in a safely manner. They are continuously discussing different ways to make virtual visits and online learning easier to manage. Sources: "Construction Project in Otay Mesa Yields Exciting Fossil Discovery." The Nat. Evans, Julia Dixon. "A (Brief) Glimpse Of Reopening For San Diego Museums." KPBS Public Media. July 09, 2020. Kragen, Pam. "S.D. Natural History Museum to Remain Closed until 2021." Tribune. August 08, 2020. "Museum Aims to Reopen in January 2021." The Nat. Styles, Shawn. "Freeway Construction in South County San Diego Unearths Fossils from 16-28 Million Years Ago." Cbs8.com. July 22, 2020.