Academy of Natural Sciences

**Our Mission** Founded in 1812, the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University is a leading natural history museum dedicated to understanding the natural world and inspiring everyone to care for it. **Our Vision** Our vision is to connect people with nature in impactful ways. **Our Purpose** The purpose of the Academy of Natural Sciences is to be a force for nature. The Academy achieves this through its mission to understand the natural world and inspire everyone to care for it. Based on its positions and defined by its values, the Academy informs, initiates and convenes critical conversations with the intention of informing and building a movement of environmentally engaged communities for a healthy, sustainable and equitable planet. **Our History** The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University is the oldest natural history museum in the Americas and one of the country’s leading scientific institutions, with over 200 years of experience in curation, cutting-edge research and education. Our scientists include many of the world’s authorities on living and extinct organisms, as well as freshwater ecosystems. Each day, hundreds of visitors enjoy and learn from our exhibits, and students learn about all aspects of the natural world through lessons carried out in our lecture halls, in our laboratories, in the field and online.