Why Biodiversity?

The Beaty Biodiversity Museum works to illuminate how biodiversity evolved, how it is maintained, why it matters to humans, and how we can conserve it. We aim to nurture the sense of wonder that many feel in the hope that we can work together to preserve it, and perhaps even study it as scientists.

Scientists study life’s diversity in order to understand common principles underlying the biology of all species, to understand how our ecosystems came to be and how they function, and to learn how to act sustainably. Since the early 20th century, researchers at UBC have archived specimens of the many species they have studied in our natural history collections.

These specimens, over two million so far, hold precious information about species and ecosystems of the past and present, and will act as time capsules to scientists centuries in the future. During past decades our effort has grown, making UBC one of the world’s leading universities in biodiversity research. But those decades have also seen biodiversity, and humanity’s future, ever more at risk.

The museum’s world-class researchers, curators, and staff work together to celebrate the human responses to biodiversity, including art, culture, and our own love for biodiversity. At its core, the museum works to spread enthusiasm by revealing the amazing stories and beauty of biodiversity.