The San Diego Natural History Museum in California operates a unique lending library that allows members of the public to check out and take home nature specimens. This programme, known as "Nature to You", is reportedly the only one of its kind in the United States.
The collection available for loan comprises 1,400 specimens, including taxidermized animals such as weasels, bobcats, and birds, as well as fossils like megalodon teeth and dinosaur faeces. Other items include animal pelts, pickled sea creatures, and snakes in jars.
Haylie Priest, the loan program's manager, stated that predator mammals are among the most popular items, with a large coyote being the most coveted. The programme has 186 members who borrowed a total of 3,807 specimens in the past year. Approximately 60% of members are schoolteachers, 30% are educators from non-profits, and 10% are private individuals, artists, or families.
The initiative began in the 1920s by providing "nature cabinets" to local schools. In the early 2000s, the museum expanded the programme to allow general public access. Elizabeth Merritt, a trends expert at the American Alliance of Museums, noted that while scientific kits for teachers are common, a public specimen loan programme is unique.
The specimens available for loan are distinct from the museum's 9 million-specimen research collection, often having less data regarding their age, origin, or precise species. Priest reassures children that the taxidermized animals died of natural causes, stating, "We like to say we gave them a second life."