The Randell Research Center
The Randell Research center (RRC) is a program of the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville, Florida, which has conducted research and educational programs in Southwest Florida for over 20 years. The RRC existed since 1994 when Donald and Patricia Randell gifted 53 +/- acres of the 200 acre Pineland archeological site to the University of Florida Foundation.
With more than 28 million specimens and artifacts in its permanent collections, the Florida Museum is the largest collections based natural history museum in the southern United States. These collections are the foundation of the Museum’s scientific research and university teaching programs. The Museum also uses these collections to inspire and educate the public about Florida’s natural history and rich cultural heritage.
On a recent Heritage Day the theme was “Art, Authors and Archeology”. Landscape artists were doing plein air paintings, an author was selling his books, and archeologists were having children sift sand from the Indian mound through a 20″ x 20″ screen to show them how archeologists research the life and times of the Indians.