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The Nature to You Loan Program at the San Diego Natural History Museum is taking learning to the next level.
The program's collection features over 1,300 items that members can check out and take home with them.
Students, parents, artists, teachers, and anyone with an interest in the natural sciences can browse their searchable online database for unique items like fossils, skeletons, mounted birds, and even reptiles and mammals.
“I really think the benefit of having these interactive and touchable specimens is that kids and adults can create these unique experiences,” museum education specialist Haylie Priest told the San Diego Union-Tribune. “When you go out and there is a red-tailed hawk flying above you, you really just get to see it for 10 seconds. If a specimen is brought to you, you get to see the details. You get to see just how red that tail is. You get to see how long and sharp those talons are. It really creates a greater respect for the wild counterparts of these specimens.”
To become a Nature to You member, a $75 annual fee is required. This allows you to check out up to seven specimens for up to two weeks.
A one-time membership of $25 allows you to check out four specimens for one week.
For more information about the program, click here.