History and Introduction to Collections
Founded in 1945, CCBER houses over 350,000 botanical and zoological specimens. For over 60 years these valuable collections have contributed to the research and educational missions of UCSB.
Importance of Collections
Natural history collections and collection-based research are vital to discovering, understanding, and documenting biodiversity and to informing public policy on such issues as invasive species, climate change, evolution, and emerging public health threats. Natural history collections represent the irreplaceable documentation of life on Earth.
Access to Collections
CCBER's collections are available for use by university faculty, researchers, staff, and students as well as community members, including biological consultants, governmental agencies, and K-12 educators and their students.