Natural History Archives - Ohio History Connection

April 14, 2025

Did We Really “De-extinct” the Dire Wolf?

By Erin Cashion and David Dyer On April 7, the story in Time magazine was posted everywhere: we had brought the extinct Ice Age Dire Wolf, Aenocyon dirus, back from the dead. Alongside this unbelievable headline came the video of two adorable white, fluffy canines in the hands of a human caregiver. These two pups […]

March 5, 2025

Itacolumite, the “Gumby Stone”!

By Dave Dyer, Curator Natural History

June 27, 2024

An Ode To Caterpillars

July 28, 2023

Birds of a Feather: The Smithsonian and OHC Natural History Collections

Join Dave Dyer, Natural History Curator, and Marie Swartz, Archaeology Curator, on a journey that intertwines ornithology, archaeology, and natural history, revealing the significance of collaborative research in unraveling the secrets of the past. One of the basic tenets of a scientific collection is that the data associated with the specimens is as important […]

March 15, 2023

Natural History’s “Green” collections

In honor of the St. Patrick’s Day holiday we delved into our Natural History collections to showcase five of our green specimens and tell their stories!

January 24, 2023

Four Outdoor Natural History Sites You Should Visit this Winter (+ our picks for a coffee or hot chocolate stop for after your visit!)

Get bundled up and head out to one of these Ohio History Connection sites this winter to get out of the house and get a new perspective on our state’s incredible natural history.

August 23, 2022

Peering Back In Time – 19th Century Microscope Slides of William Sullivant

An unassuming dark wooden cabinet on the shelves in the collections revealed beautiful 19th century microscope slides from William Sullivant.

April 22, 2022

How to Find a Mastodon – The Story of the Williams Mastodon

By David Dyer, Natural History Curator, with Emily George Emily George was on a mission. She had heard about the Williams mastodon while growing up, and about how her grandfather Gus George had helped excavate the skeleton in Columbus in the mid-1950s. After talking with her family about the mastodon for a school genealogy project […]

March 20, 2022

Curator Talk: Freeze-drying, Formalin, and Flesh-eating Beetles – How Museums Prepare and Preserve Specimens

Included with museum admission. Join us for a behind-the-scenes look into the lab of a natural history museum to reveal how specimens are preserved and prepared. Learn how curators create beautiful animal skeletons and engaging taxidermy mounts, discover how delicate flowers and fungi specimens are preserved, and what exactly is in those jars of preserved […]

February 3, 2022

Wild Ohio Day, 2024

Included with general museum admission, but pre-registration strongly recommended. Buckeyes, snakes and spotted salamanders – Oh My! Join us at the Ohio History Center on Sat. January 27th to learn more about the plants and animals that call Ohio home. Check out the list of timed activities below! 11:00 a.m. - Beekeeping Program with […]