Palestine Museum of Natural History
The Palestine Museum of Natural History (PMNH) at the Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability (PIBS) in Bethlehem University, is a scientific institution with natural history collections that include current and historical records of animals, plants, fungi, ecosystems, geology, paleontology, climatology, and more. The primary role of the museum is to provide the scientific community with current and historical specimens for their research, which is to improve our understanding of our nature in Palestine. Our public exhibits share the beauty and wonder of nature with the local and the international visitors. The Palestine Museum of Natural History (PMNH) has exhibits related to natural and cultural heritage. Our exhibits, including interactive educational modules, produced from the efforts and academic research of the PIBS team
Our Natural History Museum
Mission
The Natural History exhibits
aim to increase environmental awareness and knowledge related to habitats, fauna, flora, geology, paleontology, and the environment as a whole. Our natural history exhibits cover various topics such as Ethnology (Zoology & Botany), Herpetology (Amphibians and Reptiles), Mammalogy, Flora, Funga (Mushrooms), Bees, Land and Freshwater Snails, Politics, Geology, Paleontology and Environmental Threats, like Climate Change. The exhibits also feature a vast Entomology and Ornithology collection, along with a number of rare and old books.
Goals
- Educate and raise awareness to promote behavioral change in society.
- Highlight the rich natural and cultural heritage of Palestine to both locals and international visitors.
- Serve as an educational resource for school and university students.
- Support the research needs of scholars and scientists through collections.
Our Ethnography exhibit
The Ethnography exhibits
aim to increase Palestinian cultural heritage awareness and knowledge related to agriculture, the environment to preserve and protect our ancestral heritage. The ethnography exhibit was established and developed with funding from the British Council "Heritage Preservation Fund" in partnership with Masar Ibrahim Al-Khalil. The exhibits include tools, implements, traditional bee hives, farming equipment, native seeds, farmer’s cloths, old books and ledgers, heirloom seeds of plant varieties, artistic objects made from plants and animal products. See our online material as well.
Goals
- Education and awareness relating to behavioral change in our society
- Highlight the rich natural and cultural heritage of Palestine to both locals and international visitors
- Work as science educational tool to school and university students
- Collections serve needs of researchers
Mobile Museum
The Palestine Museum of Natural History contains a mobile educational exhibit that transfers knowledge and awareness to marginalized communities to introduce the Natural and Cultural Heritage of Palestine in schools and local communities.
