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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#002060">As I am sure you are all aware, the summary of the
<a href="https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2019/05/nature-decline-unprecedented-report/">
IPBES Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services</a> released on 6 May paints a grim future for biodiversity unless transformative change can be achieved. By transformative change, they mean “a fundamental, system-wide reorganization across
technological, economic and social factors, including paradigms, goals and values.”
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#002060"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#002060">A SPNHC member asked me recently what role the society could play in the transformative change that is called for by the report summary. I am writing on this
<a href="https://www.cbd.int/idb/2019/">International Day for Biological Diversity</a> in order to put this question to SPNHC members and anyone in the collections community.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#002060"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#002060">A significant and growing body of research demonstrates how natural history collections (or data derived from them) inform a wide range studies that predict how biodiversity may respond
to environmental change. You can find references for such studies in the <a href="https://www.idigbio.org/biblio">
iDigBio Bibliography</a> or in the <a href="https://bcon.aibs.org/2019/01/16/community-input-requested-extending-u-s-biodiversity-collections-to-address-national-challenges">
BCON Extended Specimen report bibliography</a>. As the <a href="https://www.biodiversityliteracy.com/">
Biodiversity Literacy for Undergraduate Education</a> initiative is demonstrating, natural history collections provide an excellent gateway for students to gain an understanding of the importance of biodiversity. Collections of course also engage the general
public not just in museum exhibits but also through citizen science projects such as
<a href="https://www.zooniverse.org/organizations/md68135/notes-from-nature">Notes from Nature</a>, and many others.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#002060"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#002060">So, what should SPNHC do to make sure that we contribute to the protection of sustainable ecosystems in an appropriate and meaningful way? Preliminary conversation among the members
of SPNHC Council have yielded the following suggestions:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-family:Symbol;color:#002060"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#002060">Reach out to the IPBES group working on the report to find out whether or not there is the possibility of including the importance of collections in addressing the biodiversity
crisis in their report<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-family:Symbol;color:#002060"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#002060">Have an official response to the full report when it is issued this year<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-family:Symbol;color:#002060"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#002060">Conduct a Twitter campaign to highlight collections and their importance in biodiversity research.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-family:Symbol;color:#002060"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#002060">Build specific objectives relating to emphasizing the importance of collections in biodiversity conservation into our new strategic plan<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#002060">Do you think these are appropriate actions? Can you think of other actions we could take as an organization to contribute to the discussion in a meaningful way?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#002060"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#002060">I hope you will share your thoughts on this subject, either through this list or in discussions next week at our Conference in Chicago.</span><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#002060"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#44546A"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Century",serif;color:#002060">Dr. Barbara M. Thiers<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Century",serif;color:#002060">Vice President<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Century",serif;color:#002060">Patricia K. Holmgren Director of the William and Lynda Steere Herbarium
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Century",serif;color:#002060">Curator of Bryophytes<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Century",serif;color:#002060">Editor,
<i>Index Herbariorum<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Century",serif;color:#002060">President, Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Century",serif;color:#002060">New York Botanical Garden<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Century",serif;color:#002060">Bronx, NY 10458-5126<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Century",serif;color:#002060"><a href="mailto:bthiers@nybg.org">bthiers@nybg.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Century",serif;color:#002060">718-817-8626<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Century",serif;color:#002060"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Century",serif;color:#002060">Download:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#44546A"><a href="http://sweetgum.nybg.org/science/docs/The_Worlds_Herbaria_2017_5_Jan_2018.pdf">The World’s Herbaria 2017</a></span><span style="color:#44546A">
</span><span style="font-family:"Century",serif;color:#002060"> (second Index Herbariorum annual report)</span><span style="color:#44546A"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Century",serif;color:#002060"><a href="http://sciweb.nybg.org/science2/IH_Questionnaire_2009.doc">Index Herbariorum Registration Form</a>
<br>
<a href="http://sciweb.nybg.org/science2/IH_Questionnaire_2009_example.doc">Index Herbariorum Registration Form Example</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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