Having once had his work described as "loathsome harlotry," Carl Linnaeus was a Swedish biologist and physician who is known for the invention of Latin binomial nomenclature, popularly known as scientific names. 

John James Audubon’s birthday is April 26. He traveled extensively in America and overseas, studying and sketching wildlife. His life’s work would culminate in the famous and comprehensive tome, The Birds of America. John Audubon’s wife, however, led a very different life.

When plants or animals are so rare, we don’t even know if they need protection. So knowing they exist is the first step in conservation. Over the past couple of years, our researchers succeeded beyond anyone’s expectations at rediscovering lost species.

San Diego County has an embarrassment of riches, with more species of plants and animals than any other comparable area in the continental U.S. But we also have another claim to fame: this area is also extremely rich in gem and mineral deposits.

We have been turning the pages in our rare books as frequently as every three months to protect the beautiful hand-colored images, and even then, we need to allow the books themselves to “rest.” This means removing them from public display and bringing out different objects, giving visitors the opportunity to see something new next time they visit.