Kingman Community Science: Classifying the Collection

Connect with the research team on Talk to learn more about this project!

The Kingman Museum of Natural History houses a collection of more than 20,000 objects representing the natural and cultural history of Southwest Michigan and beyond. These objects include animal specimens, rocks and fossils, and cultural artifacts collected over many decades.

Like many museum collections, some records are incomplete or need additional detail to become fully searchable and useful for research, education, and exhibit development. This project invites the public to take part in that work.

Participants will review images of real museum objects and help classify them by identifying object types, tagging visible features, and transcribing labels when present. Each object will be reviewed by multiple people, allowing us to combine responses into accurate, consensus-based data.

Your contributions will help improve the museum’s records, support future exhibits and programs, and make the collection more accessible to the public. No prior experience is needed. Clear guidance is provided throughout, and every classification helps move the project forward.

This project is part of the Kingman Community Science Network, connecting the public directly to active museum work and research.