Thanks to funds from the Friends of Orton Hall, PhD candidate Carmi Thompson was able to travel to the Natural History Museum (NHM) in London, England to work with collaborators Dr. Jon Todd, Dr. Katie Collins, and Dr. Ken Johnson on the study of gastropod taxonomy. Carmi is in her third year of her thesis and is advised by Professor Jill Leonard-Pingel. On her visit, she learned more about gastropod identification, which will help her advance new research on gastropod ecology and generate fresh insights on environmental changes over time. Carmi writes, “My dissertation focuses on the inherent interdisciplinary nature of natural history collections – my chapters detail the journey of natural history specimens from integration into data usage to conducting classical palaeoecological studies to dissemination and unpacking natural history concepts in classroom settings. Having the opportunity to train in London in a natural history environment, on the system for my dissertation, was truly an invaluable resource. It was also surreal to wander around the public exhibits at the museum - and take the train everywhere!”