<div dir="ltr"><div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:large">Hi Mackenzie,</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:large"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:large">I have had a similar issue both where I work now and at other facilities, so you are definitely not alone. I would recommend looking at your collection policy and/or protocols first to see if there is anything established there. For us, what I have been doing is finishing the inventory before I tackle the problem specimens. I found that in some cases, multiple specimens were assigned the same number, probably from something similar to your situation happening. If it is double-numbered, I use the information that we have to see which specimen the database record corresponds with. Then I can give the others that do not match a new number and proceed with our accessioning protocols.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:large"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:large">For those that had a number assigned and are not in the database, I have been treating them as backlog specimens and entering them into the system with the handwritten assigned number. We have a staff notes field in our database where I note the information you are describing in case I find something later on. Additionally, at the end of the inventory, I will see if any of the "missing" specimens' information matches any unnumbered specimens I have. If the data matches, then I reconnect the number with the specimen, and again note my findings. For any of the remaining "missing" specimens, our policy states we will deaccession them if they are not found after 10 years.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:large"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:large">Please feel free to reach out to me directly if you have more questions about your situation or what I described above.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:large"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:large">Best,</div><br clear="all"></div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><table style="color:rgb(34,34,34);border:none;border-collapse:collapse"><colgroup><col width="148"><col width="336"></colgroup><tbody><tr style="height:115.255pt"><td style="border-width:1pt;border-style:solid;border-color:rgb(255,255,255);vertical-align:top;padding:5pt;overflow:hidden"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/XzmUiTf7LGIyutDBNZgCM2Q-dYzFZiv3lfIbK48pu9WMpAPb07RJk69__Jor7yuQP5eW6VuJfu6uhzB2la5w9Um1YH7omqbfaMCW1ZkNte348e86tvna8GEOVxHI6f5VFQ8TCpMV" style="text-align:justify;margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></td><td style="border-width:1pt;border-style:solid;border-color:rgb(255,255,255);vertical-align:top;padding:5pt;overflow:hidden"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><font color="#000000" face="Garamond, serif"><span style="white-space:pre-wrap"><b>Sariah Rushing</b></span></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Garamond,serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Pronouns: she/her/hers</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Garamond,serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Natural History Collections Specialist </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Garamond,serif;white-space:pre-wrap">Lindsay Wildlife Experience</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><i style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:garamond,"times new roman",serif"><b>Celebrating 70 Years Wild!</b></i><span style="background-color:transparent;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Garamond,serif;white-space:pre-wrap"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-family:Garamond,serif;background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">925-627-2937</span><span style="font-family:Garamond,serif;background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span></font><span style="font-family:Garamond,serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">| </span><span style="font-family:Garamond,serif;background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><a href="mailto:srushing@lindsaywildlife.org" target="_blank">srushing@lindsaywildlife.org</a></span><span style="background-color:transparent;font-family:Garamond,serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://maps.google.com/?q=1931+First+Avenue,+Walnut+Creek+94597&entry=gmail&source=g" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:Garamond,serif;background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">193</span></a><a href="https://maps.google.com/?q=1931+First+Avenue,+Walnut+Creek+94597&entry=gmail&source=g" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:Garamond,serif;background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">1 First Avenue, Walnut Creek 94597</span></a></p></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><font size="1"><b>M</b></font></span><font size="1" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:georgia,serif"><b>y working hours are Monday </b><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><b><font size="2">- </font>Friday </b></span><b>from 9 AM - 5 PM. I will get back to you as soon as possible, thank you.</b></font><br></div></div></div><br></div><br><div class="gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Mon, Aug 11, 2025 at 2:03 PM Kirchner-Smith, Mackenzie <<a href="mailto:Mackenzie.Kirchner-Smith@sbcm.sbcounty.gov">Mackenzie.Kirchner-Smith@sbcm.sbcounty.gov</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div class="msg-4405255707659517525">
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt">Hello everyone,<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt">Thank you to everyone who replied to my previous question about storing nests.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt">Now I am looking for some advice on a problem I have encountered with the numbers of our bird specimen collection. I am working through an inventory of everything we have right now, including an inventory
of all the unprepared specimens in our freezers. In doing the freezer inventory, we found that there are specimens in the freezer that were never prepared but were given catalog numbers before preparation. I have never encountered this being done before, so
I have no idea how common or uncommon it may be. I do however recognize the issues with such a protocol, as we used to have an additional freezer (prior to my starting at this institution) that failed and was not noticed to have failed until everything inside
had rotted. I have no idea if an inventory of what was lost was taken before it was tossed, or whether unprepared specimens with catalog numbers were lost when this occurred, but based on what was found in the other freezers I suspect some were.
<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt">Has anyone else encountered this kind if scenario and have some kind of protocol for dealing with the aftermath? Without any notes about what specimens remained unprepared I suspect I may never be able to
determine which were lost, but the current plan is to label anything not found at the end of the inventory as ‘missing’ in the database. I have also found some notes written in the margins of the catalog pages saying things like “285 to be prepared” but no
additional information.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt">Any advice or insight is appreciated. Or even just hearing that my situation isn’t completely unique!<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt">Thank you!<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt">- Mackenzie<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://main.sbcounty.gov/" target="_blank"><span style="color:windowtext;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="174" height="97" style="width: 1.8125in; height: 1.0104in;" id="m_-7666044879476430120Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:ii_1989b0d574a4cff311" alt="Logo, company name
Description automatically generated"></span></a><u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:rgb(28,69,135)">Dr. Mackenzie Kirchner</span></b><b><span style="font-size:9pt;color:rgb(173,173,173)">, she/her</span></b><b><span style="font-size:9pt;color:rgb(28,69,135)"><u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:9pt;color:rgb(102,102,102)">Curator of Integrated Biology<u></u><u></u></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9pt;color:rgb(67,67,67)">San Bernardino County Museum<u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:4pt;color:rgb(102,102,102)"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9pt;color:rgb(102,102,102)">M: (909) 798-8619<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:3pt;color:rgb(102,102,102)"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9pt;color:rgb(116,116,116)">2024 Orange Tree Lane, Redlands, CA 92374<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://museum.sbcounty.gov/" target="_blank"><span style="color:windowtext;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="170" height="61" style="width: 1.7708in; height: 0.6354in;" id="m_-7666044879476430120Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:ii_1989b0d574a5b16b22"></span></a><span style="font-size:11pt"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:8pt;color:rgb(0,32,96)"><u></u> <u></u></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:9.5pt;color:rgb(0,32,96)">Our job is to create a county in which those who reside and invest can prosper and achieve well-being.<u></u><u></u></span></i></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:7pt;color:rgb(67,67,67);background:white">County of San Bernardino Confidentiality Notice:</span></i><i><span style="font-size:7pt;color:rgb(204,65,37);background:white">
</span></i><i><span style="font-size:7pt;color:rgb(127,127,127);background:white">This communication contains confidential information sent solely for the use of the intended recipient. If you are not the intended recipient of this communication,
you are not authorized to use it in any manner, except to immediately destroy it and notify the sender.</span></i><i><span style="font-size:7pt;color:rgb(127,127,127)"><u></u><u></u></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9pt;color:rgb(37,90,168)"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9pt;color:rgb(37,90,168)">San Bernardino County Museum acknowledges that the land on which our facilities are sited is the ancestral and unceded territory of the Maara’yam, commonly referred to as the Serrano people, which,
in the contemporary era, are represented by two federally</span><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:"Cambria Math",serif;color:rgb(37,90,168)">‐</span><span style="font-size:9pt;color:rgb(37,90,168)">recognized tribes: Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation and Morongo
Band of Mission Indians. We also acknowledge that in the historic era other tribal communities and European settlers intersected with Serrano peoples in these spaces. Our histories and stories are intertwined in this space, and by sharing them in culturally</span><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:"Cambria Math",serif;color:rgb(37,90,168)">‐</span><span style="font-size:9pt;color:rgb(37,90,168)">appropriate
ways and co-stewarding collections, we hope to honor and celebrate our indigenous neighbors and partners. We also seek to offer an accurate, clear and thorough picture of this region’s complicated past and create a shared vision for the future that is mutually</span><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:"Cambria Math",serif;color:rgb(37,90,168)">‐</span><span style="font-size:9pt;color:rgb(37,90,168)">beneficial
and respectful to all</span><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(37,90,168)">.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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