<div dir="ltr">Hi All,<div><br></div><div>A recent press release from the National Zoo reveals that they will be closing the Invertebrate Exhibit next Weekend. This is a pretty substantial blow to biodiversity at the National Zoo. Although I am now an ichthyologist, I volunteered in the Invertebrate Exhibit for 3 years in high school. It was one of the only exhibits in the Zoo at which people under 18 could volunteer because of IACUC requirements for handling with live vertebrates. So, not only has the National Zoo just nixed a majority of animal diversity from their park, they have removed the main avenue for outreach and youth involvement-- that was exceptionally influential- of the volunteers I worked with, I think 6 of us are now working in the museum/zoo/aquarium field. </div>
<div><br></div><div><br></div><div><a href="http://nationalzoo.si.edu/publications/pressmaterials/pressreleases/press-release.cfm?id=2649">http://nationalzoo.si.edu/publications/pressmaterials/pressreleases/press-release.cfm?id=2649</a><br>
<br clear="all"><div>I don't think there is any chance of public recourse on this, but I would be interested in a a petition to get the higher ups to re-evaluate this decision. </div><div><br></div><div><br></div>-- <br>
<div dir="ltr"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:13px">Ben Frable</span><br style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-size:13px">Graduate Researcher</span></font><div><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Oregon State Ichthyology Collection</font><div>
<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px">104 Nash Hall</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Department of Fisheries and Wildlife</span></div><div><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:13px">Oregon State University</span><br style="font-size:13px">
<span style="font-size:13px">Corvallis, OR 97331</span></font></div></div><div><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:13px"><br></span></font></div></div></div></div>