Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition Exploring the Boreal Forest Coming to OMSI Jan 25
Media Contact: Annemarie Eayrs
aeayrs@omsi.edu | P: 503-797-4510
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
[PORTLAND, OR – January 9, 2024] – The scientific and cultural importance of one of the largest forests on earth will be highlighted in Knowing Nature: Stories of the Boreal Forest / Historias del bosque boreal, a new exhibition coming to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) starting January 25.
Presented in English and Spanish, the exhibition integrates the themes of climate change, Indigenous perspectives, and the relationship between people and nature through stories of resilience, strength, and hope in a changing world. It will take guests on a journey to discover the beauty of the boreal forest using a combination of sensory experiences, researched-based science, curiosity-building activities, and first-person narratives.
The boreal forest is North America’s largest forest, a dense circle of spruce, fir, and pine in the northern reaches of Earth. The boreal forest encompasses nearly a third of the planet’s trees, covering much of Alaska and Canada and extending into the Pacific Northwest in the United States. It plays an essential role in the natural world, serving as an essential breeding ground for billions of migratory birds, a home to the last great herds of barren-ground caribou, and a hunting ground for top predators like wolves and grizzlies.
Knowing Nature was created in collaboration with a diverse group of advisors, including scientists, naturalists, members of Indigenous communities, conservationists, and artists. The exhibition includes commissioned objects, videos, photography, and interactive displays that will allow audiences to learn through hands-on experiences.
“As people who live and work in the Pacific Northwest, we know how vital of a resource forests are to biodiversity, to air and water quality, and to overall planetary health,” shares Akiko Minaga, Vice President of Learning Experiences at OMSI. “This exhibition will give visitors the opportunity to immerse themselves in the largest terrestrial ecosystem on Earth and the last intact forest in the world.”
Knowing Nature: Stories of the Boreal Forest / Historias del bosque boreal was made possible by the National Audubon Society with additional support from The Anders Foundation, Charlie and Nancy Hogan and Anne C. Madison.
Knowing Nature: Stories of the Boreal Forest / Historias del bosque boreal is open at OMSI from January 25 through July 6, 2025. Learn more here.
Museum Hours of Operation
Tuesday–Friday & Sunday: 9:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Saturday: 9:30 a.m.–7:00 p.m.
Monday: Closed
© Tom Walker All Rights Reserved.
© Tom Walker All Rights Reserved
Photo courtesy of Stephen Loring
© Gary and Joanie McGuffin/themcguffins.ca
Basket by John Ferris (Constance Lake First Nation)/Photo by James Kegley
Media Assets
About OMSI
Founded in 1944, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) is one of the nation’s leading science museums and a trusted educational resource for communities throughout Oregon and the region. Through museum exhibitions, public programs, traveling exhibitions, and digital learning, OMSI nourishes a lifelong love of science, curiosity, and learning among its diverse audiences. The upcoming OMSI District will be a one-of-a-kind neighborhood with innovation, culture, and science learning at its heart. For general information, call 503.797.4000 or visit omsi.edu. Connect with the museum on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
About Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES)
SITES has been sharing the wealth of Smithsonian collections and research programs with millions of people outside Washington, D.C., for more than 70 years. SITES connects Americans to their shared cultural heritage through a wide range of exhibitions about art, science and history, which are shown wherever people live, work and play. For more information, including exhibition descriptions and tour schedules, visit sites.si.edu.
About National Audubon Society
The National Audubon Society protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. Audubon works throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation. State programs, nature centers, chapters, and partners give Audubon an unparalleled wingspan that reaches millions of people each year to inform, inspire, and unite diverse communities in conservation action. A nonprofit conservation organization since 1905, Audubon believes in a world in which people and wildlife thrive. Learn more at audubon.org.