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CWR1A Section 23
Teri Crisp
04/02/19
The Heart of California: A Review of OMCA
“In which way is California the world’s biodiversity hotspot?”- This was a question I
overheard a child asking the curator as they entered the Gallery of Natural Sciences at the
Oakland Museum of California (OMCA). “There are over 3500 species of plants and animals
explanation, I was able to absorb the museum’s intention of presenting both mild and strong
human’s impact on California’s ecosystem. Undergoing seven years of renovation, The Gallery
was reopened in 2014 for the public to fully experience the richness of California as a state that
interconnects natural and anthropogenic biomes, portraying the relationship between humans,
plants, and animals and their importance in the environment. Through seven sections that
represent places in California, the Gallery raises questions about how we might preserve these
rich biomes for future generations to enjoy. In the article, “A Curator’s Perspective,” Douglas
Long, the Chief Curator of Natural Sciences emphasizes how mass media is an unreliable source
for scientific information. Indeed, he intentionally re-created the museum for the public to be
able to gain the most truthful information with “associated interpretive and interactive elements”
(Long 2).
Long’s colleague, the Senior Exhibition Developer Don Pohlman explains in his article
“Adding Humans to a Natural Sciences Gallery,” that the renewal of the museum has the main
interactive and engaging museum, Long and Pohlman have incorporated history of people in
each following sections, successfully bringing the museum back to life. As you walk into the
first display, there is an image of three indigenous people performing a ritual, demonstrating to
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have stored their main protein sources. Intrigued by this sophisticated knowledge, I felt
admiration for the way they incorporated natural resources into their everyday lives.
As you walk pass the indigenous section, you will enter the replica of a Yosemite lodge,
where you will encounter a warning sign not to feed the bear in the park. According to the
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National Park Service, 30 bears die every year due to humans frequently feeding them. This
after the park was established as a protected park in 1890, all the
natives people that live in the area were pushed out to go up North
curator and asked her why was this considered the ideal Yosemite.
She articulately replied that the ideal forests in modern days are
that are caused by deforestation and growth of invasive plant species that are taking over the
native plant species. This was a mind blowing fact for me since throughout my life I thought
forests are supposed to be covered with all trees and not with open lands.
Walking from the lodge to the Oakland section, I saw a big transformation in the flooring
materials. While the lodge area is made out of wood, the Oakland area is made out of concrete,
suggesting to visitors how people in urbanized areas have separated themselves from nature. The
walls are painted in red with displays and description of vegetables and fruits gardeners in
Oakland plant to distribute within the Bay Area. So there is more than concrete, as gardens have
made a controlled and nurtured ecosystem, growing their favorite food crops and removing pests
and weeds. Through tillage turning the soil between crops to incorporate crop residues and soil
amendments, farmers avoid the use of chemical substances for their organic crops. Through this
unique system for growing food, they benefit the environment and the locals that live in the area.
This local agricultural firm truly creates organic vegetables and fruits being sold cheaply to the
farm, demonstrating visitors that a local market economy in produce can benefit both sellers and
buyers.
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The new OMCA is like nothing else in California. It has created a new standard for local
museums by portraying the modest and down to Earth perspective of California through its
history, people and ecosystems. With accessible route navigating from sections to sections on
which part of California you are experiencing, the museum provides simple but unique
experiences towards visitors. Through delicate artifacts and interactive media, it welcomes
people, but does not follow the mainstream media. The museum is suitable for every ages to
truly grasp what it is to be a Californian. Before you leave the museum, do not forget to go up
the rooftop of the museum, to experience the 360 view of Oakland and stunning Lake Merritt.
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Works Cited
Sept.2014
Pohlman, Don “Adding Humans to a Natural Sciences Gallery” Transforming the Gallery of
ept.2014
California Natural, S