While it may look like drawers of dead plants and animals, our collection is very much alive with information critical to the future of our region, and indeed, human survival on the planet. When museums coordinate efforts, share information, and make their specimens more accessible, our global collection becomes ever more relevant to the future of humanity and biodiversity.

Braving electrical storms, wildfires, and heavy snow, two Mexican biologists have traded cell service and city life for the noble task of recovering North America's largest birds from near extinction. President and CEO Judy Gradwohl joined them—and the condors—among the peaks last year. Read about her experience here.