From gregory.watkins-colwell at yale.edu Wed Jul 1 08:26:09 2026 From: gregory.watkins-colwell at yale.edu (Watkins-Colwell, Gregory) Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2026 12:26:09 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Memphis Zoo Bioinformatics Technician job Message-ID: Another Memphis Zoo job in informatics. They are specifically looking for somebody with experience using Collection Management Software. Greg **************** Gregory J. Watkins-Colwell Sr. Collection Manager, Herpetology and Ichthyology Division of Vertebrate Zoology https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7789-9806 YALE PEABODY MUSEUM Main Office: 203-432-3791; West Campus: 203-737-7568; Fax 203-432-9277 Package shipping address: Greg Watkins-Colwell Division of Vertebrate Zoology YALE PEABODY MUSEUM 170-210 Whitney Avenue New Haven, CT 06511 USA 203-432-3791 ****************** -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2026 Data Science & Biodiversity Informatics Research Technician.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 172840 bytes Desc: 2026 Data Science & Biodiversity Informatics Research Technician.pdf URL: From gnelson at floridamuseum.ufl.edu Wed Jul 1 08:37:43 2026 From: gnelson at floridamuseum.ufl.edu (Nelson,Gil) Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2026 12:37:43 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] New iDigBio Sustaining Collections & Digitization Webinars Announced. Register Today! In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Hello everyone, We're excited to announce several new webinars in our Sustaining Collections & Digitization Webinar Series! Check out our Zoom Events Hub to explore the newly added webinars and register today. We're continuing to finalize the schedule and will be adding even more sessions soon, so stay tuned. The series kicks off on July 21 with Talking with TaxonWorks: Connecting Collections and Research, and we're looking forward to another lineup of engaging conversations, practical demonstrations, and opportunities to connect with the biodiversity collections community. Register and check out upcoming events here: https://ufl.zoom.us/ze/hub/iDigBio For past recordings, check out our YouTube!: https://www.youtube.com/@iDigBio/ Upcoming July Webinars July 21, 2026 | 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM ET Talking with TaxonWorks: Connecting Collections and Research Join the TaxonWorks conversation and explore our software and community. Loosely focused on three themes, research, collections, and getting started, there will be lots of opportunities for conversation. To kick-start things, we'll touch on some features, new and old, including our emerging ChecklistBank integration, export and API use, digitization tools, and customization capabilities. We'll then open the conversation?if you can do all this with your collections, should you!? Bring your questions, insights, and challenges to the table; we'd love to discuss how they intersect. Speakers: * Deborah Paul * Matthew Yoder July 28, 2026 | 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM ET Field Stations, Marine Labs, and the Preservation of Biodiversity Collections Field stations and marine laboratories (FSMLs) are in some of the most species-rich and ecologically diverse environments across the globe and are hubs for specimen collection, long-term biological monitoring, and collections-based research. Some specimens collected at FSMLs live on in full museum collections and some are stored at the FSMLs. This talk provides a brief history of FSMLs and their role in natural history, highlights the collections held at or generated by FSMLs, and discusses how FSMLs can help play a role in the long-term stewardship of biodiversity collections. The talk will focus on panelists from FSMLs with onsite biological collections. Panelists will share about their FSML?s collection and participate in a discussion with the iDigBio community about FSMLs as places to collect, store, digitize, and research collections. Panelists will come from the Organization of Biological Field Stations (OBFS), the nonprofit and professional society representing of hundreds of FSMLs across the globe. Speakers: * Conner Philson * Gil Nelson * Rick Williams We hope you'll join us! Additional webinars will be announced as they are finalized, so be sure to check our Zoom Events Hub regularly for the latest schedule and registration information. You can also follow iDigBio on social media for webinar announcements, updates, and other news from the biodiversity collections community. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iDigBio LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/idigbio X: https://x.com/iDigBio Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/idigbio/ We look forward to seeing you at an upcoming webinar! Best, Shyla and Gil [cid:03678864-be62-4b2b-ae66-699b4c3edebf] Shyla R. Davison, Education and Outreach Coordinator Integrated Digitized Biocollections (iDigBio) University of Florida Florida Museum of Natural History Sdavison1 at ufl.edu [cid:74867b26-5766-4a95-8267-3d8c11533ef7][cid:607452f9-0d76-4025-a131-2cfc9d558e5a] -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Outlook-kgzo00e3.png Type: image/png Size: 12891 bytes Desc: Outlook-kgzo00e3.png URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Outlook-mr1pebik.png Type: image/png Size: 8670 bytes Desc: Outlook-mr1pebik.png URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Outlook-000i1ynm.png Type: image/png Size: 123293 bytes Desc: Outlook-000i1ynm.png URL: From naturalhistoryarts at gmail.com Wed Jul 1 09:17:39 2026 From: naturalhistoryarts at gmail.com (The Institute for Natural History Arts) Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2026 09:17:39 -0400 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Upcoming Course: Expedition Experiences - Birds Message-ID: Hi everyone! I'm excited to share our next incredible class at the *Institute for Natural History Arts.* We can't wait for you to join us! Warm regards, George Dante Jr. *Upcoming Course: **Expedition Experiences - Birds* Presented by *The Institute for Natural History Arts* Get ready to step into the field and experience ornithology like never before! *Expedition Experiences ? Birds* take students on an exciting journey through the history and hands-on techniques of collecting and preserving bird specimens, all in an immersive outdoor camp setting. Whether you're setting mist nets at dawn or preparing study skins by the campfire, this course brings science to life in the wild. *Dates:* Day 1 ? September 12th / Day 2 ? September 13th *Location:* INHA?s Catskill Biological Field Station, Andes, NY *Duration:* 2-day course *Course Fee:* $750.00 *Registration Deadline:* September 7, 2026 *A discounted bundle option is available with INHA's companion course, Field Notes ? Drawing Birds.* *Course Overview* Led by renowned field ornithologist and museum specialist *Dr. Peter Capainolo, and George Dante, *internationally recognized taxidermist and natural history exhibit specialist, *Expedition Experiences ? Birds* invites students into the fascinating world of bird collecting and preservation. Set in a rustic, outdoor camp inspired by historic zoological expeditions, this immersive course blends scientific discovery with hands-on practice. Participants will learn the history and significance of ornithological specimen collection while gaining practical experience preparing bird skins, skeletons, eggs, and more. By the end of the course, students will walk away with not only a deeper appreciation for the science and artistry behind bird specimen preservation but also the real-world skills to work with museum-quality materials. Whether you're a curious beginner or a science enthusiast eager to explore a lesser-known corner of natural history, this course offers a unique and rewarding adventure into the field of avian research. *What You?ll Learn:* - Explore the *history and science of bird collecting* for research and museums. - Gain *hands-on experience* preparing: - Avian study skins - Skeletal specimens - Wet specimens - Blown eggs - Learn techniques used by *field ornithologists*, past and present. - Discover the *tools, traps, and methods* of bird procurement (no live collection). - Enjoy immersive instruction in a *270-acre outdoor setting* with rustic camp vibes. - Take home your own preserved specimens to keep the learning going. *No birds will be collected during this course and specimens used are either non-protected domestic species or specimens held under federal and state salvage/education permits. Permit numbers are available upon request. Camping on site is available! Please follow the link for more information: https://www.naturalhistoryarts.org/event-details/2-day-expedition-experiences-birds-with-dr-peter-capainolo-george-dante Thank you! www.naturalhistoryarts.org The Institute for Natural History Arts 192 Lackawanna Ave Unit 104 Woodland Park NJ 07424 P: 973 890 1516 CONFIDENTIALITY NOTE This message is the property of the Institute for Natural History Arts. It may be legally privileged and/or confidential and is intended only for the use of the addressee(s). No addressee should forward, print, copy, or otherwise reproduce this message in any manner that would allow it to be viewed by any individual not originally listed as a recipient. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any unauthorized disclosure, dissemination, distribution, copying or the taking of any action in reliance on the information herein is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please immediately notify the sender and delete this message. Thank you. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From gnelson at floridamuseum.ufl.edu Wed Jul 1 13:42:47 2026 From: gnelson at floridamuseum.ufl.edu (Nelson,Gil) Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2026 17:42:47 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Latest iDigBio Update Message-ID: As most of you know, iDigBio is permanently winding down its operations and entering an NSF-approved no-cost-extension year beginning 1 September 2026. This update addresses potentially at-risk images and other media files that might be stored on iDigBio hardware. Some of these files may be linked to and displayed through GBIF, Symbiota portals, and/or other specimen data aggregators. The iDigBio Portal often stores a copy of media files referenced within Darwin Core Archive feeds that we previously ingested. Although many of these files are still live, some are no longer available or will disappear as early as 31 August 2026, when iDigBio begins shutting down its servers. If you are unsure whether your images/media files are stored at iDigBio, it will behoove you to inspect any images displayed through GBIF, Symbiota, IPT, or elsewhere and ensure that all media record field URI values and image links do not include iDigBio in the path. A more efficient way to do this might be to visit the IPT that hosts your records and check the media and image links there for any that include references to iDigBio. Those that need to be downloaded, moved to more permanent storage, and the links at GBIF, Symbiota, in your IPT, or elsewhere updated to match the new locations. Several years ago, iDigBio announced that we could no longer permanently store or archive images and requested our contributors to find new storage and to relink their existing iDigBio records accordingly. At this point, we have no other image storage alternatives and appreciate your understanding. Gil Nelson PhD, Director Integrated Digitized Biocollections (iDigBio) Immediate Past President, Natural Science Collections Alliance (NSCA) Florida Museum of Natural History University of Florida gnelson at floridamuseum.ufl.edu [FM_logo_horizontal_CMYK] -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/png Size: 10269 bytes Desc: image.png URL: From shoobs.1 at osu.edu Wed Jul 1 17:41:53 2026 From: shoobs.1 at osu.edu (Shoobs, Nate) Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2026 21:41:53 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Best practices for transferring specimens from RNAlater to ethanol + transferring specimens from -80 to room temp Message-ID: Hey all, I have some specimens coming in to our collection soon that have been preserved in RNAlater, but have been successfully sequenced and are vouchers for a forthcoming publication. The specimens will mainly serve as morphological vouchers now, as they have been sequenced to the extent that they likely ever will be (transcriptomes have been successfully sequenced). The RNAlater seems like it might not be a good long-term storage solution for morphological vouchers. Does any other collection have experience with: 1. transferring RNAlater specimens to ethanol (70%) 2. deciding whether to store a specimen at -80 long term, vs transitioning it to room temp storage Best, Nate -- [The Ohio State University] Nathaniel F. Shoobs Curator of Mollusks College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology Museum of Biological Diversity, 1315 Kinnear Rd, Columbus, OH 43212 614-688-1342 (Office) mbd.osu.edu/collections/invertebrates -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001[66].png Type: image/png Size: 3607 bytes Desc: image001[66].png URL: From kmkocot at ua.edu Wed Jul 1 19:47:57 2026 From: kmkocot at ua.edu (Kevin Kocot) Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2026 23:47:57 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] [EXTERNAL] Best practices for transferring specimens from RNAlater to ethanol + transferring specimens from -80 to room temp In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Hi Nate and all, What temperature are the specimens currently at? If already frozen solid at -80, I would leave them as-is as they are stable. Otherwise, I would not directly transfer to ethanol but stepwise hydrate/rinse them and then dehydrate them in ethanol. Best, Kevin ________________________________ From: Nhcoll-l on behalf of Shoobs, Nate Sent: Wednesday, July 1, 2026 5:41 PM To: Natural History Collections Listserv Subject: [EXTERNAL] [Nhcoll-l] Best practices for transferring specimens from RNAlater to ethanol + transferring specimens from -80 to room temp Hey all, I have some specimens coming in to our collection soon that have been preserved in RNAlater, but have been successfully sequenced and are vouchers for a forthcoming publication. The specimens will mainly serve as morphological vouchers now, as they have been sequenced to the extent that they likely ever will be (transcriptomes have been successfully sequenced). The RNAlater seems like it might not be a good long-term storage solution for morphological vouchers. Does any other collection have experience with: 1. transferring RNAlater specimens to ethanol (70%) 2. deciding whether to store a specimen at -80 long term, vs transitioning it to room temp storage Best, Nate -- [The Ohio State University] Nathaniel F. Shoobs Curator of Mollusks College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology Museum of Biological Diversity, 1315 Kinnear Rd, Columbus, OH 43212 614-688-1342 (Office) mbd.osu.edu/collections/invertebrates -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001[66].png Type: image/png Size: 3607 bytes Desc: image001[66].png URL: From simmons.johne at gmail.com Wed Jul 1 21:36:50 2026 From: simmons.johne at gmail.com (John E Simmons) Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2026 21:36:50 -0400 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] [EXTERNAL] Best practices for transferring specimens from RNAlater to ethanol + transferring specimens from -80 to room temp In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: RNA later is marketed as a preservative for RNA and DNA and histological samples of 0.5 cm or thinner, not for larger, whole specimens. It contains sodium citrate tribasic dehydrate (as a buffer) and ammonium sulfate (a protein precipitator), but as far as I have been able to determine, it does not contain any chemicals known to be successful long-term preservatives. The few published reports of it as a successful fixative or preservative are all based on relatively short time periods. Assuming the specimens are not frozen, I would transfer the specimens to deionized water (not distilled water or tap water), the step then up through 20% concentration stages to 70% ethyl alcohol. --John John E. Simmons US Fulbright Senior Scholar Writer and Museum Consultant, Museologica *and* Research Associate, Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum & Art Gallery, Penn State University *and* Investigador Asociado, Departamento de Ornitolog?a, Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima On Wed, Jul 1, 2026 at 7:48?PM Kevin Kocot wrote: > Hi Nate and all, > > What temperature are the specimens currently at? If already frozen solid > at -80, I would leave them as-is as they are stable. Otherwise, I would not > directly transfer to ethanol but stepwise hydrate/rinse them and then > dehydrate them in ethanol. > > Best, > Kevin > > > ------------------------------ > *From:* Nhcoll-l on behalf of Shoobs, > Nate > *Sent:* Wednesday, July 1, 2026 5:41 PM > *To:* Natural History Collections Listserv > *Subject:* [EXTERNAL] [Nhcoll-l] Best practices for transferring > specimens from RNAlater to ethanol + transferring specimens from -80 to > room temp > > Hey all, > I have some specimens coming in to our collection soon that have been > preserved in RNAlater, but have been successfully sequenced and are > vouchers for a forthcoming publication. > The specimens will mainly serve as morphological vouchers now, as they > have been sequenced to the extent that they likely ever will be > (transcriptomes have been successfully sequenced). > The RNAlater seems like it might not be a good long-term storage solution > for morphological vouchers. > > Does any other collection have experience with: > > 1. transferring RNAlater specimens to ethanol (70%) > 2. deciding whether to store a specimen at -80 long term, vs > transitioning it to room temp storage > > > Best, > Nate > > -- > [image: The Ohio State University] > *Nathaniel F. Shoobs* > Curator of Mollusks > College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal > Biology > Museum of Biological Diversity, 1315 Kinnear Rd, Columbus, OH 43212 > 614-688-1342 (Office) > mbd.osu.edu/collections/invertebrates > _______________________________________________ > Nhcoll-l mailing list > Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu > https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l > > _______________________________________________ > NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of > Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose > mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of > natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to > society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information. > Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate. > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001[66].png Type: image/png Size: 3607 bytes Desc: not available URL: From shoobs.1 at osu.edu Wed Jul 1 23:05:55 2026 From: shoobs.1 at osu.edu (Shoobs, Nate) Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2026 03:05:55 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] [EXTERNAL] Best practices for transferring specimens from RNAlater to ethanol + transferring specimens from -80 to room temp In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Hey all, Thanks for the replies. To clarify ? The specimens are frozen at -80 currently in the collector?s lab. Once they get shipped here, I could keep them in at -80 or transfer to room temp storage. Or I could even transfer to ethanol and put back in -80. My main desire is that the specimens remain stable morphologically in perpetuity. To John?s point RE preservation of larger specimens ? The collector indicated that RNALater was not very effective in penetrating the tissues of the specimens (small terrestrial slugs) so the specimens were dissected in the field to increase penetration into different organ systems. And some have apparently degraded a bit while being stored in -80 in RNAlater. So there are two questions ? one is a procedural question which I think is answered: ?how do I best transfer from RNAlater to 70% ETOH? answer: ?soak in DI water and then step up through a graded ETOH series?. But the other question is, is this the best practice / thing one should do if one has important vouchers like this that need to be kept in perpetuity. The storage medium/space is not an issue (I have plenty of space in our -80) and in our room temp wet collection. -Nate - Nathaniel F. Shoobs, Curator of Mollusks College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University Museum of Biological Diversity 1315 Kinnear Rd, Columbus, OH 43212 614-688-1342 (Office) mbd.osu.edu ________________________________ From: John E Simmons Sent: Wednesday, 01 July 2026 21:36:50 To: Kevin Kocot Cc: Shoobs, Nate ; Natural History Collections Listserv Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] [EXTERNAL] Best practices for transferring specimens from RNAlater to ethanol + transferring specimens from -80 to room temp RNA later is marketed as a preservative for RNA and DNA and histological samples of 0.?5 cm or thinner, not for larger, whole specimens. It contains sodium citrate tribasic dehydrate (as a buffer) and ammonium sulfate (a protein precipitator), RNA later is marketed as a preservative for RNA and DNA and histological samples of 0.5 cm or thinner, not for larger, whole specimens. It contains sodium citrate tribasic dehydrate (as a buffer) and ammonium sulfate (a protein precipitator), but as far as I have been able to determine, it does not contain any chemicals known to be successful long-term preservatives. The few published reports of it as a successful fixative or preservative are all based on relatively short time periods. Assuming the specimens are not frozen, I would transfer the specimens to deionized water (not distilled water or tap water), the step then up through 20% concentration stages to 70% ethyl alcohol. --John John E. Simmons US Fulbright Senior Scholar Writer and Museum Consultant, Museologica and Research Associate, Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum & Art Gallery, Penn State University and Investigador Asociado, Departamento de Ornitolog?a, Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima On Wed, Jul 1, 2026 at 7:48?PM Kevin Kocot > wrote: Hi Nate and all, What temperature are the specimens currently at? If already frozen solid at -80, I would leave them as-is as they are stable. Otherwise, I would not directly transfer to ethanol but stepwise hydrate/rinse them and then dehydrate them in ethanol. Best, Kevin ________________________________ From: Nhcoll-l > on behalf of Shoobs, Nate > Sent: Wednesday, July 1, 2026 5:41 PM To: Natural History Collections Listserv > Subject: [EXTERNAL] [Nhcoll-l] Best practices for transferring specimens from RNAlater to ethanol + transferring specimens from -80 to room temp Hey all, I have some specimens coming in to our collection soon that have been preserved in RNAlater, but have been successfully sequenced and are vouchers for a forthcoming publication. The specimens will mainly serve as morphological vouchers now, as they have been sequenced to the extent that they likely ever will be (transcriptomes have been successfully sequenced). The RNAlater seems like it might not be a good long-term storage solution for morphological vouchers. Does any other collection have experience with: 1. transferring RNAlater specimens to ethanol (70%) 2. deciding whether to store a specimen at -80 long term, vs transitioning it to room temp storage Best, Nate -- [The Ohio State University] Nathaniel F. Shoobs Curator of Mollusks College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology Museum of Biological Diversity, 1315 Kinnear Rd, Columbus, OH 43212 614-688-1342 (Office) mbd.osu.edu/collections/invertebrates _______________________________________________ Nhcoll-l mailing list Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l _______________________________________________ NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information. Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001[66].png Type: image/png Size: 3607 bytes Desc: image001[66].png URL: From d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de Thu Jul 2 03:53:36 2026 From: d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de (Dirk Neumann) Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2026 09:53:36 +0200 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] [EXTERN] Re: [EXTERNAL] Best practices for transferring specimens from RNAlater to ethanol + transferring specimens from -80 to room temp In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Hi Nate, monitor the specimens closely when transferring them into DI water; the mucopolysaccharids might attract water and swell (again). The mucus can absorb up to 98% water, covers the entire body of slugs and shield them against dessication - and impairs fluid transfer. Probably the reason for the reported ineffective penetration rate of tissues, so be alert. Can also happen with fish - we once attempted to fix a frozen sturgeon. "Rinsing and cleaning it quickly first after thawing" turned out into a complete disaster and left us with a slime-choked sink. With best wishes Dirk Am 02.07.2026 um 05:05 schrieb Shoobs, Nate: Hey all, Thanks for the replies. To clarify ? The specimens are frozen at -80 currently in the collector?s lab. Once they get shipped here, I could keep them in at -80 or transfer to room temp storage. Or I could even transfer to ethanol and put back in -80. My main desire is that the specimens remain stable morphologically in perpetuity. To John?s point RE preservation of larger specimens ? The collector indicated that RNALater was not very effective in penetrating the tissues of the specimens (small terrestrial slugs) so the specimens were dissected in the field to increase penetration into different organ systems. And some have apparently degraded a bit while being stored in -80 in RNAlater. So there are two questions ? one is a procedural question which I think is answered: ?how do I best transfer from RNAlater to 70% ETOH? answer: ?soak in DI water and then step up through a graded ETOH series?. But the other question is, is this the best practice / thing one should do if one has important vouchers like this that need to be kept in perpetuity. The storage medium/space is not an issue (I have plenty of space in our -80) and in our room temp wet collection. -Nate - Nathaniel F. Shoobs, Curator of Mollusks College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University Museum of Biological Diversity 1315 Kinnear Rd, Columbus, OH 43212 614-688-1342 (Office) mbd.osu.edu ________________________________ From: John E Simmons Sent: Wednesday, 01 July 2026 21:36:50 To: Kevin Kocot Cc: Shoobs, Nate ; Natural History Collections Listserv Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] [EXTERNAL] Best practices for transferring specimens from RNAlater to ethanol + transferring specimens from -80 to room temp RNA later is marketed as a preservative for RNA and DNA and histological samples of 0.?5 cm or thinner, not for larger, whole specimens. It contains sodium citrate tribasic dehydrate (as a buffer) and ammonium sulfate (a protein precipitator), RNA later is marketed as a preservative for RNA and DNA and histological samples of 0.5 cm or thinner, not for larger, whole specimens. It contains sodium citrate tribasic dehydrate (as a buffer) and ammonium sulfate (a protein precipitator), but as far as I have been able to determine, it does not contain any chemicals known to be successful long-term preservatives. The few published reports of it as a successful fixative or preservative are all based on relatively short time periods. Assuming the specimens are not frozen, I would transfer the specimens to deionized water (not distilled water or tap water), the step then up through 20% concentration stages to 70% ethyl alcohol. --John John E. Simmons US Fulbright Senior Scholar Writer and Museum Consultant, Museologica and Research Associate, Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum & Art Gallery, Penn State University and Investigador Asociado, Departamento de Ornitolog?a, Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima On Wed, Jul 1, 2026 at 7:48?PM Kevin Kocot > wrote: Hi Nate and all, What temperature are the specimens currently at? If already frozen solid at -80, I would leave them as-is as they are stable. Otherwise, I would not directly transfer to ethanol but stepwise hydrate/rinse them and then dehydrate them in ethanol. Best, Kevin ________________________________ From: Nhcoll-l > on behalf of Shoobs, Nate > Sent: Wednesday, July 1, 2026 5:41 PM To: Natural History Collections Listserv > Subject: [EXTERNAL] [Nhcoll-l] Best practices for transferring specimens from RNAlater to ethanol + transferring specimens from -80 to room temp Hey all, I have some specimens coming in to our collection soon that have been preserved in RNAlater, but have been successfully sequenced and are vouchers for a forthcoming publication. The specimens will mainly serve as morphological vouchers now, as they have been sequenced to the extent that they likely ever will be (transcriptomes have been successfully sequenced). The RNAlater seems like it might not be a good long-term storage solution for morphological vouchers. Does any other collection have experience with: 1. transferring RNAlater specimens to ethanol (70%) 2. deciding whether to store a specimen at -80 long term, vs transitioning it to room temp storage Best, Nate -- [The Ohio State University] Nathaniel F. Shoobs Curator of Mollusks College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology Museum of Biological Diversity, 1315 Kinnear Rd, Columbus, OH 43212 614-688-1342 (Office) mbd.osu.edu/collections/invertebrates _______________________________________________ Nhcoll-l mailing list Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l _______________________________________________ NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information. Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate. _______________________________________________ Nhcoll-l mailing list Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l _______________________________________________ NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information. Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate. -- **** Dirk Neumann Collection Manager, Hamburg Postal address: Museum of Nature Hamburg Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change Dirk Neumann Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3 20146 Hamburg +49 40 238 317 ? 628 d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de www.leibniz-lib.de -- Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversit?tswandels Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany Stiftung des ?ffentlichen Rechts; Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian Gr?ter (Kaufm. Gesch?ftsf?hrer) Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael Wappelhorst -- Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversit?tswandels Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany Stiftung des ?ffentlichen Rechts; Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian Gr?ter (Kaufm. Gesch?ftsf?hrer) Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael H. Wappelhorst -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001[66].png Type: image/png Size: 3607 bytes Desc: not available URL: From simmons.johne at gmail.com Thu Jul 2 10:01:13 2026 From: simmons.johne at gmail.com (John E Simmons) Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2026 10:01:13 -0400 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] [EXTERN] Re: [EXTERNAL] Best practices for transferring specimens from RNAlater to ethanol + transferring specimens from -80 to room temp In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Both to avoid the problems resulting from fixatives or preservatives not penetrating thick skin, skin covered with scales, skin coated in mucous, aor frozen tissues, the specimens should be injected with small amounts of the fluid as the tissue thaws. Particularly for larger specimens, the injection sites should be marked on a drawing to avoid over-injecting some sites or failing to inject others. With frozen specimens take extra care not to over-inject because fluids cannot penetrate frozen tissues until they thaw. A natural mucous coating is part of the specimen and should be preserved if possible--a series of coordinated injections of small amounts of fluid over time as the specimen thaws will keep the specimen intact. --John John E. Simmons US Fulbright Senior Scholar Writer and Museum Consultant, Museologica *and* Research Associate, Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum & Art Gallery, Penn State University *and* Investigador Asociado, Departamento de Ornitolog?a, Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima On Thu, Jul 2, 2026 at 3:53?AM Dirk Neumann wrote: > Hi Nate, > > monitor the specimens closely when transferring them into DI water; the > mucopolysaccharids might attract water and swell (again). The mucus can > absorb up to 98% water, covers the entire body of slugs and shield them > against dessication - and impairs fluid transfer. Probably the reason for > the reported ineffective penetration rate of tissues, so be alert. > > Can also happen with fish - we once attempted to fix a frozen sturgeon. > "Rinsing and cleaning it quickly first after thawing" turned out into a > complete disaster and left us with a slime-choked sink. > > With best wishes > Dirk > > > > Am 02.07.2026 um 05:05 schrieb Shoobs, Nate: > > Hey all, > Thanks for the replies. To clarify ? The specimens are frozen at -80 > currently in the collector?s lab. Once they get shipped here, I could keep > them in at -80 or transfer to room temp storage. Or I could even transfer > to ethanol and put back in -80. > > My main desire is that the specimens remain stable morphologically in > perpetuity. > > To John?s point RE preservation of larger specimens ? The collector > indicated that RNALater was not very effective in penetrating the tissues > of the specimens (small terrestrial slugs) so the specimens were dissected > in the field to increase penetration into different organ systems. And some > have apparently degraded a bit while being stored in -80 in RNAlater. > > So there are two questions ? one is a procedural question which I think is > answered: ?how do I best transfer from RNAlater to 70% ETOH? answer: ?soak > in DI water and then step up through a graded ETOH series?. > > But the other question is, is this the best practice / thing one should do > if one has important vouchers like this that need to be kept in perpetuity. > > The storage medium/space is not an issue (I have plenty of space in our > -80) and in our room temp wet collection. > -Nate > - > *Nathaniel F. Shoobs, *Curator of Mollusks > College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal > Biology, The Ohio State University > Museum of Biological Diversity > 1315 Kinnear Rd, Columbus, OH 43212 > 614-688-1342 (Office) > mbd.osu.edu > ------------------------------ > *From:* John E Simmons > *Sent:* Wednesday, 01 July 2026 21:36:50 > *To:* Kevin Kocot > *Cc:* Shoobs, Nate ; Natural History > Collections Listserv > > *Subject:* Re: [Nhcoll-l] [EXTERNAL] Best practices for transferring > specimens from RNAlater to ethanol + transferring specimens from -80 to > room temp > > RNA later is marketed as a preservative for RNA and DNA and histological > samples of 0. 5 cm or thinner, not for larger, whole specimens. It contains > sodium citrate tribasic dehydrate (as a buffer) and ammonium sulfate (a > protein precipitator), > > RNA later is marketed as a preservative for RNA and DNA and histological > samples of 0.5 cm or thinner, not for larger, whole specimens. It > contains sodium citrate tribasic dehydrate (as a buffer) and ammonium > sulfate (a protein precipitator), but as far as I have been able to > determine, it does not contain any chemicals known to be successful > long-term preservatives. The few published reports of it as a successful > fixative or preservative are all based on relatively short time periods. > Assuming the specimens are not frozen, I would transfer the specimens to > deionized water (not distilled water or tap water), the step then up > through 20% concentration stages to 70% ethyl alcohol. > > > --John > > John E. Simmons > US Fulbright Senior Scholar > Writer and Museum Consultant, Museologica > *and* > Research Associate, Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum & Art Gallery, Penn > State University > *and* > Investigador Asociado, Departamento de Ornitolog?a, Museo de Historia > Natural, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima > > > On Wed, Jul 1, 2026 at 7:48?PM Kevin Kocot wrote: > > Hi Nate and all, > > What temperature are the specimens currently at? If already frozen solid > at -80, I would leave them as-is as they are stable. Otherwise, I would not > directly transfer to ethanol but stepwise hydrate/rinse them and then > dehydrate them in ethanol. > > Best, > Kevin > > > ------------------------------ > *From:* Nhcoll-l on behalf of Shoobs, > Nate > *Sent:* Wednesday, July 1, 2026 5:41 PM > *To:* Natural History Collections Listserv > *Subject:* [EXTERNAL] [Nhcoll-l] Best practices for transferring > specimens from RNAlater to ethanol + transferring specimens from -80 to > room temp > > Hey all, > I have some specimens coming in to our collection soon that have been > preserved in RNAlater, but have been successfully sequenced and are > vouchers for a forthcoming publication. > The specimens will mainly serve as morphological vouchers now, as they > have been sequenced to the extent that they likely ever will be > (transcriptomes have been successfully sequenced). > The RNAlater seems like it might not be a good long-term storage solution > for morphological vouchers. > > Does any other collection have experience with: > > 1. transferring RNAlater specimens to ethanol (70%) > 2. deciding whether to store a specimen at -80 long term, vs > transitioning it to room temp storage > > > Best, > Nate > > -- > [image: The Ohio State University] > *Nathaniel F. Shoobs* > Curator of Mollusks > College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal > Biology > Museum of Biological Diversity, 1315 Kinnear Rd, Columbus, OH 43212 > 614-688-1342 (Office) > mbd.osu.edu/collections/invertebrates > _______________________________________________ > Nhcoll-l mailing list > Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu > https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l > > > _______________________________________________ > NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of > Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose > mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of > natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to > society. See http://www.spnhc.org > > for membership information. > Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate. > > > _______________________________________________ > Nhcoll-l mailing listNhcoll-l at mailman.yale.eduhttps://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l > > _______________________________________________ > NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of > Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose > mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of > natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to > society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information. > Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate. > > > -- > > ****** > > > > *Dirk Neumann* > > Collection Manager, Hamburg > > > > Postal address: > > *Museum of Nature Hamburg* > Leibniz Institute for the Analysis > > of Biodiversity Change > > Dirk Neumann > > Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3 > > 20146 Hamburg > +49 40 238 317 ? 628 > > *d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de * > > www.leibniz-lib.de > > > > -- > Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversit?tswandels > Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany > > Stiftung des ?ffentlichen Rechts; > Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian > Gr?ter (Kaufm. Gesch?ftsf?hrer) > Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn > Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael Wappelhorst > > > -- > Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversit?tswandels > Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany > > Stiftung des ?ffentlichen Rechts; > Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian > Gr?ter (Kaufm. Gesch?ftsf?hrer) > Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn > Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael H. Wappelhorst > _______________________________________________ > Nhcoll-l mailing list > Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu > https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l > > _______________________________________________ > NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of > Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose > mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of > natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to > society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information. > Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate. > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001[66].png Type: image/png Size: 3607 bytes Desc: not available URL: From shoobs.1 at osu.edu Thu Jul 2 10:32:04 2026 From: shoobs.1 at osu.edu (Shoobs, Nate) Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2026 14:32:04 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] [EXTERN] Re: [EXTERNAL] Best practices for transferring specimens from RNAlater to ethanol + transferring specimens from -80 to room temp In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Thanks Dirk and John, I will definitely pay very close attention when doing a test with DI water to ensure nothing drastic happens. I think injections might be a bit overkill for these specimens, as they're small (less than 2 inches in length) and are already in multiple parts. But just to clarify what you mean John, were you suggesting injecting water during the initial rinsing step? Or only suggesting injecting fixatives at the later steps? The specimens will have thawed already if I rinse them in DI water before transferring them to the graded ethanol series. I understand you may be talking about general procedure rather than our specific case. Tangentially I will also note that in general, at least among most malacologists, excess surface mucus is not considered an important part of the specimen especially in slugs, and is usually discarded during the initial preservation process when doing the first transfer from fixative ethanol to the permanent storage ethanol. In the past this served the purpose of ensuring the concentration of the storage ethanol was actually the desired concentration (because the water in the specimen can dilute ETOH, but also because water in solution can get absorbed by mucus as Dirk noted). It also makes for an aesthetically nicer specimen that is better for examination/photography/etc. Nowadays this has additional importance because mucus is a major inhibitor of various molecular biological techniques like DNA extraction/purification and enzymatic processes like PCR. I don't think there's ever a shortage of mucopolysaccharides in and on the tissues of preserved molluscan specimens, especially slugs, even if the surface mucus is wiped or rinsed off! Best, Nate -- [The Ohio State University] Nathaniel F. Shoobs Curator of Mollusks College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology Museum of Biological Diversity, 1315 Kinnear Rd, Columbus, OH 43212 614-688-1342 (Office) mbd.osu.edu/collections/invertebrates From: Nhcoll-l on behalf of John E Simmons Date: Thursday, July 2, 2026 at 10:02?AM To: Dirk Neumann Cc: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] [EXTERN] Re: [EXTERNAL] Best practices for transferring specimens from RNAlater to ethanol + transferring specimens from -80 to room temp This Message Is From an External Sender This message came from outside your organization. Report Suspicious Both to avoid the problems resulting from fixatives or preservatives not penetrating thick skin, skin covered with scales, skin coated in mucous, aor frozen tissues, the specimens should be injected with small amounts of the fluid as the tissue thaws. Particularly for larger specimens, the injection sites should be marked on a drawing to avoid over-injecting some sites or failing to inject others. With frozen specimens take extra care not to over-inject because fluids cannot penetrate frozen tissues until they thaw. A natural mucous coating is part of the specimen and should be preserved if possible--a series of coordinated injections of small amounts of fluid over time as the specimen thaws will keep the specimen intact. --John John E. Simmons US Fulbright Senior Scholar Writer and Museum Consultant, Museologica and Research Associate, Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum & Art Gallery, Penn State University and Investigador Asociado, Departamento de Ornitolog?a, Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima On Thu, Jul 2, 2026 at 3:53?AM Dirk Neumann > wrote: Hi Nate, monitor the specimens closely when transferring them into DI water; the mucopolysaccharids might attract water and swell (again). The mucus can absorb up to 98% water, covers the entire body of slugs and shield them against dessication - and impairs fluid transfer. Probably the reason for the reported ineffective penetration rate of tissues, so be alert. Can also happen with fish - we once attempted to fix a frozen sturgeon. "Rinsing and cleaning it quickly first after thawing" turned out into a complete disaster and left us with a slime-choked sink. With best wishes Dirk Am 02.07.2026 um 05:05 schrieb Shoobs, Nate: Hey all, Thanks for the replies. To clarify ? The specimens are frozen at -80 currently in the collector?s lab. Once they get shipped here, I could keep them in at -80 or transfer to room temp storage. Or I could even transfer to ethanol and put back in -80. My main desire is that the specimens remain stable morphologically in perpetuity. To John?s point RE preservation of larger specimens ? The collector indicated that RNALater was not very effective in penetrating the tissues of the specimens (small terrestrial slugs) so the specimens were dissected in the field to increase penetration into different organ systems. And some have apparently degraded a bit while being stored in -80 in RNAlater. So there are two questions ? one is a procedural question which I think is answered: ?how do I best transfer from RNAlater to 70% ETOH? answer: ?soak in DI water and then step up through a graded ETOH series?. But the other question is, is this the best practice / thing one should do if one has important vouchers like this that need to be kept in perpetuity. The storage medium/space is not an issue (I have plenty of space in our -80) and in our room temp wet collection. -Nate - Nathaniel F. Shoobs, Curator of Mollusks College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University Museum of Biological Diversity 1315 Kinnear Rd, Columbus, OH 43212 614-688-1342 (Office) mbd.osu.edu ________________________________ From: John E Simmons Sent: Wednesday, 01 July 2026 21:36:50 To: Kevin Kocot Cc: Shoobs, Nate ; Natural History Collections Listserv Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] [EXTERNAL] Best practices for transferring specimens from RNAlater to ethanol + transferring specimens from -80 to room temp RNA later is marketed as a preservative for RNA and DNA and histological samples of 0.5 cm or thinner, not for larger, whole specimens. It contains sodium citrate tribasic dehydrate (as a buffer) and ammonium sulfate (a protein precipitator), but as far as I have been able to determine, it does not contain any chemicals known to be successful long-term preservatives. The few published reports of it as a successful fixative or preservative are all based on relatively short time periods. Assuming the specimens are not frozen, I would transfer the specimens to deionized water (not distilled water or tap water), the step then up through 20% concentration stages to 70% ethyl alcohol. --John John E. Simmons US Fulbright Senior Scholar Writer and Museum Consultant, Museologica and Research Associate, Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum & Art Gallery, Penn State University and Investigador Asociado, Departamento de Ornitolog?a, Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima On Wed, Jul 1, 2026 at 7:48?PM Kevin Kocot > wrote: Hi Nate and all, What temperature are the specimens currently at? If already frozen solid at -80, I would leave them as-is as they are stable. Otherwise, I would not directly transfer to ethanol but stepwise hydrate/rinse them and then dehydrate them in ethanol. Best, Kevin ________________________________ From: Nhcoll-l > on behalf of Shoobs, Nate > Sent: Wednesday, July 1, 2026 5:41 PM To: Natural History Collections Listserv > Subject: [EXTERNAL] [Nhcoll-l] Best practices for transferring specimens from RNAlater to ethanol + transferring specimens from -80 to room temp Hey all, I have some specimens coming in to our collection soon that have been preserved in RNAlater, but have been successfully sequenced and are vouchers for a forthcoming publication. The specimens will mainly serve as morphological vouchers now, as they have been sequenced to the extent that they likely ever will be (transcriptomes have been successfully sequenced). The RNAlater seems like it might not be a good long-term storage solution for morphological vouchers. Does any other collection have experience with: 1. transferring RNAlater specimens to ethanol (70%) 2. deciding whether to store a specimen at -80 long term, vs transitioning it to room temp storage Best, Nate -- [The Ohio State University] Nathaniel F. Shoobs Curator of Mollusks College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology Museum of Biological Diversity, 1315 Kinnear Rd, Columbus, OH 43212 614-688-1342 (Office) mbd.osu.edu/collections/invertebrates _______________________________________________ Nhcoll-l mailing list Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l _______________________________________________ NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information. Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate. _______________________________________________ Nhcoll-l mailing list Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l _______________________________________________ NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information. Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate. -- **** Dirk Neumann Collection Manager, Hamburg Postal address: Museum of Nature Hamburg Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change Dirk Neumann Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3 20146 Hamburg +49 40 238 317 ? 628 d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de www.leibniz-lib.de -- Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversit?tswandels Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany Stiftung des ?ffentlichen Rechts; Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian Gr?ter (Kaufm. Gesch?ftsf?hrer) Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael Wappelhorst -- Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversit?tswandels Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany Stiftung des ?ffentlichen Rechts; Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian Gr?ter (Kaufm. Gesch?ftsf?hrer) Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael H. Wappelhorst _______________________________________________ Nhcoll-l mailing list Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l _______________________________________________ NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information. Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001[66].png Type: image/png Size: 3607 bytes Desc: image001[66].png URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001[70].png Type: image/png Size: 3607 bytes Desc: image001[70].png URL: From d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de Thu Jul 2 10:44:18 2026 From: d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de (Dirk Neumann) Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2026 16:44:18 +0200 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] [EXTERN] Re: [EXTERNAL] Best practices for transferring specimens from RNAlater to ethanol + transferring specimens from -80 to room temp In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <17090043-be7e-4839-820c-77a14b67587b@leibniz-lib.de> Hi Nate, yes, slugs are ... are challenge. We once had a PhD that had to fix them alive to preserve the DNA (back in the older days) .... no fun. Frankly, if you notice that the mucus starts swelling I would brush it off gently. The skin should be sturdy enough, and usually, the chances that you loose scales or delicate appendices in slugs is minor :-) If you inject, it might be worth aiming for the lung (assuming it is a pulmonate) and/or gut to build up a reservoir inside the specimen. With best wishes Dirk Am 02.07.2026 um 16:32 schrieb Shoobs, Nate: Thanks Dirk and John, I will definitely pay very close attention when doing a test with DI water to ensure nothing drastic happens. I think injections might be a bit overkill for these specimens, as they're small (less than 2 inches in length) and are already in multiple parts. But just to clarify what you mean John, were you suggesting injecting water during the initial rinsing step? Or only suggesting injecting fixatives at the later steps? The specimens will have thawed already if I rinse them in DI water before transferring them to the graded ethanol series. I understand you may be talking about general procedure rather than our specific case. Tangentially I will also note that in general, at least among most malacologists, excess surface mucus is not considered an important part of the specimen especially in slugs, and is usually discarded during the initial preservation process when doing the first transfer from fixative ethanol to the permanent storage ethanol. In the past this served the purpose of ensuring the concentration of the storage ethanol was actually the desired concentration (because the water in the specimen can dilute ETOH, but also because water in solution can get absorbed by mucus as Dirk noted). It also makes for an aesthetically nicer specimen that is better for examination/photography/etc. Nowadays this has additional importance because mucus is a major inhibitor of various molecular biological techniques like DNA extraction/purification and enzymatic processes like PCR. I don't think there's ever a shortage of mucopolysaccharides in and on the tissues of preserved molluscan specimens, especially slugs, even if the surface mucus is wiped or rinsed off! Best, Nate -- [The Ohio State University] Nathaniel F. Shoobs Curator of Mollusks College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology Museum of Biological Diversity, 1315 Kinnear Rd, Columbus, OH 43212 614-688-1342 (Office) mbd.osu.edu/collections/invertebrates From: Nhcoll-l on behalf of John E Simmons Date: Thursday, July 2, 2026 at 10:02?AM To: Dirk Neumann Cc: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] [EXTERN] Re: [EXTERNAL] Best practices for transferring specimens from RNAlater to ethanol + transferring specimens from -80 to room temp This Message Is From an External Sender This message came from outside your organization. Report Suspicious Both to avoid the problems resulting from fixatives or preservatives not penetrating thick skin, skin covered with scales, skin coated in mucous, aor frozen tissues, the specimens should be injected with small amounts of the fluid as the tissue thaws. Particularly for larger specimens, the injection sites should be marked on a drawing to avoid over-injecting some sites or failing to inject others. With frozen specimens take extra care not to over-inject because fluids cannot penetrate frozen tissues until they thaw. A natural mucous coating is part of the specimen and should be preserved if possible--a series of coordinated injections of small amounts of fluid over time as the specimen thaws will keep the specimen intact. --John John E. Simmons US Fulbright Senior Scholar Writer and Museum Consultant, Museologica and Research Associate, Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum & Art Gallery, Penn State University and Investigador Asociado, Departamento de Ornitolog?a, Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima On Thu, Jul 2, 2026 at 3:53?AM Dirk Neumann > wrote: Hi Nate, monitor the specimens closely when transferring them into DI water; the mucopolysaccharids might attract water and swell (again). The mucus can absorb up to 98% water, covers the entire body of slugs and shield them against dessication - and impairs fluid transfer. Probably the reason for the reported ineffective penetration rate of tissues, so be alert. Can also happen with fish - we once attempted to fix a frozen sturgeon. "Rinsing and cleaning it quickly first after thawing" turned out into a complete disaster and left us with a slime-choked sink. With best wishes Dirk Am 02.07.2026 um 05:05 schrieb Shoobs, Nate: Hey all, Thanks for the replies. To clarify ? The specimens are frozen at -80 currently in the collector?s lab. Once they get shipped here, I could keep them in at -80 or transfer to room temp storage. Or I could even transfer to ethanol and put back in -80. My main desire is that the specimens remain stable morphologically in perpetuity. To John?s point RE preservation of larger specimens ? The collector indicated that RNALater was not very effective in penetrating the tissues of the specimens (small terrestrial slugs) so the specimens were dissected in the field to increase penetration into different organ systems. And some have apparently degraded a bit while being stored in -80 in RNAlater. So there are two questions ? one is a procedural question which I think is answered: ?how do I best transfer from RNAlater to 70% ETOH? answer: ?soak in DI water and then step up through a graded ETOH series?. But the other question is, is this the best practice / thing one should do if one has important vouchers like this that need to be kept in perpetuity. The storage medium/space is not an issue (I have plenty of space in our -80) and in our room temp wet collection. -Nate - Nathaniel F. Shoobs, Curator of Mollusks College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University Museum of Biological Diversity 1315 Kinnear Rd, Columbus, OH 43212 614-688-1342 (Office) mbd.osu.edu ________________________________ From: John E Simmons Sent: Wednesday, 01 July 2026 21:36:50 To: Kevin Kocot Cc: Shoobs, Nate ; Natural History Collections Listserv Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] [EXTERNAL] Best practices for transferring specimens from RNAlater to ethanol + transferring specimens from -80 to room temp RNA later is marketed as a preservative for RNA and DNA and histological samples of 0.5 cm or thinner, not for larger, whole specimens. It contains sodium citrate tribasic dehydrate (as a buffer) and ammonium sulfate (a protein precipitator), but as far as I have been able to determine, it does not contain any chemicals known to be successful long-term preservatives. The few published reports of it as a successful fixative or preservative are all based on relatively short time periods. Assuming the specimens are not frozen, I would transfer the specimens to deionized water (not distilled water or tap water), the step then up through 20% concentration stages to 70% ethyl alcohol. --John John E. Simmons US Fulbright Senior Scholar Writer and Museum Consultant, Museologica and Research Associate, Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum & Art Gallery, Penn State University and Investigador Asociado, Departamento de Ornitolog?a, Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima On Wed, Jul 1, 2026 at 7:48?PM Kevin Kocot > wrote: Hi Nate and all, What temperature are the specimens currently at? If already frozen solid at -80, I would leave them as-is as they are stable. Otherwise, I would not directly transfer to ethanol but stepwise hydrate/rinse them and then dehydrate them in ethanol. Best, Kevin ________________________________ From: Nhcoll-l > on behalf of Shoobs, Nate > Sent: Wednesday, July 1, 2026 5:41 PM To: Natural History Collections Listserv > Subject: [EXTERNAL] [Nhcoll-l] Best practices for transferring specimens from RNAlater to ethanol + transferring specimens from -80 to room temp Hey all, I have some specimens coming in to our collection soon that have been preserved in RNAlater, but have been successfully sequenced and are vouchers for a forthcoming publication. The specimens will mainly serve as morphological vouchers now, as they have been sequenced to the extent that they likely ever will be (transcriptomes have been successfully sequenced). The RNAlater seems like it might not be a good long-term storage solution for morphological vouchers. Does any other collection have experience with: 1. transferring RNAlater specimens to ethanol (70%) 2. deciding whether to store a specimen at -80 long term, vs transitioning it to room temp storage Best, Nate -- [The Ohio State University] Nathaniel F. Shoobs Curator of Mollusks College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology Museum of Biological Diversity, 1315 Kinnear Rd, Columbus, OH 43212 614-688-1342 (Office) mbd.osu.edu/collections/invertebrates _______________________________________________ Nhcoll-l mailing list Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l _______________________________________________ NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information. Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate. _______________________________________________ Nhcoll-l mailing list Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l _______________________________________________ NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information. Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate. -- **** Dirk Neumann Collection Manager, Hamburg Postal address: Museum of Nature Hamburg Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change Dirk Neumann Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3 20146 Hamburg +49 40 238 317 ? 628 d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de www.leibniz-lib.de -- Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversit?tswandels Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany Stiftung des ?ffentlichen Rechts; Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian Gr?ter (Kaufm. Gesch?ftsf?hrer) Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael Wappelhorst -- Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversit?tswandels Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany Stiftung des ?ffentlichen Rechts; Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian Gr?ter (Kaufm. Gesch?ftsf?hrer) Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael H. Wappelhorst _______________________________________________ Nhcoll-l mailing list Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l _______________________________________________ NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information. Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate. -- **** Dirk Neumann Collection Manager, Hamburg Postal address: Museum of Nature Hamburg Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change Dirk Neumann Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3 20146 Hamburg +49 40 238 317 ? 628 d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de www.leibniz-lib.de -- Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversit?tswandels Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany Stiftung des ?ffentlichen Rechts; Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian Gr?ter (Kaufm. Gesch?ftsf?hrer) Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael Wappelhorst -- Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversit?tswandels Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany Stiftung des ?ffentlichen Rechts; Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian Gr?ter (Kaufm. Gesch?ftsf?hrer) Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael H. Wappelhorst -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001[70].png Type: image/png Size: 3607 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001[66].png Type: image/png Size: 3607 bytes Desc: not available URL: From dyanega at gmail.com Thu Jul 2 10:52:40 2026 From: dyanega at gmail.com (Douglas Yanega) Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2026 07:52:40 -0700 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] [EXTERNAL] Best practices for transferring specimens from RNAlater to ethanol + transferring specimens from -80 to room temp In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <106f61bd-cd32-4598-b506-243485983c8e@gmail.com> On 7/1/26 6:36 PM, John E Simmons wrote: > > RNA later [snip]?contains sodium citrate tribasic dehydrate (as a > buffer) and ammonium sulfate (a protein precipitator), but as far as I > have been able to determine, it does not contain any chemicals known > to be successful long-term preservatives. The few published reports of > it as a successful fixative or preservative are all based on > relatively short time periods. > FWIW - I can add an anecdotal observation, but noteworthy: I recently helped clean up the lab of a deceased colleague who had been a *very* early adopter of RNA later, but stopped using it almost as rapidly; every single bottle (and there were many) of his remaining stock had been sitting sealed and untouched for years, and every single bottle contained large amounts of hard, white precipitate of unknown composition. It is clearly NOT stable over time. Peace, -- Doug Yanega Dept. of Entomology Entomology Research Museum Univ. of California, Riverside, CA 92521-0314 phone: 951-827-4315 FaceBook: Doug Yanega (disclaimer: opinions are mine, not UCR's) https://faculty.ucr.edu/~heraty/yanega.html "There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness is the true method" - Herman Melville, Moby Dick, Chap. 82 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From shoobs.1 at osu.edu Thu Jul 2 10:59:20 2026 From: shoobs.1 at osu.edu (Shoobs, Nate) Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2026 14:59:20 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] [EXTERNAL] Best practices for transferring specimens from RNAlater to ethanol + transferring specimens from -80 to room temp In-Reply-To: <106f61bd-cd32-4598-b506-243485983c8e@gmail.com> References: <106f61bd-cd32-4598-b506-243485983c8e@gmail.com> Message-ID: Doug ? I have also noticed this in a bottle we have in the lab that is about 10 years old at this point, and the manufacturer?s product info does actually say that the salts can crystallize and come out of solution: I see a precipitate in my RNAlater Stabilization Solution. What should I do? Heat the solution to 37 degrees C for 15 minutes and agitate to redissolve it. I agree that this really does indicate it?s not stable long term. - Nathaniel F. Shoobs, Curator of Mollusks College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University Museum of Biological Diversity 1315 Kinnear Rd, Columbus, OH 43212 614-688-1342 (Office) mbd.osu.edu ________________________________ From: Nhcoll-l on behalf of Douglas Yanega Sent: Thursday, 02 July 2026 10:52:40 To: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] [EXTERNAL] Best practices for transferring specimens from RNAlater to ethanol + transferring specimens from -80 to room temp On 7/1/26 6:?36 PM, John E Simmons wrote: RNA later [snip] contains sodium citrate tribasic dehydrate (as a buffer) and ammonium sulfate (a protein precipitator), but as far as I have been able to determine, it does not contain any chemicals On 7/1/26 6:36 PM, John E Simmons wrote: RNA later [snip] contains sodium citrate tribasic dehydrate (as a buffer) and ammonium sulfate (a protein precipitator), but as far as I have been able to determine, it does not contain any chemicals known to be successful long-term preservatives. The few published reports of it as a successful fixative or preservative are all based on relatively short time periods. FWIW - I can add an anecdotal observation, but noteworthy: I recently helped clean up the lab of a deceased colleague who had been a very early adopter of RNA later, but stopped using it almost as rapidly; every single bottle (and there were many) of his remaining stock had been sitting sealed and untouched for years, and every single bottle contained large amounts of hard, white precipitate of unknown composition. It is clearly NOT stable over time. Peace, -- Doug Yanega Dept. of Entomology Entomology Research Museum Univ. of California, Riverside, CA 92521-0314 phone: 951-827-4315 FaceBook: Doug Yanega (disclaimer: opinions are mine, not UCR's) https://faculty.ucr.edu/~heraty/yanega.html "There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness is the true method" - Herman Melville, Moby Dick, Chap. 82 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From claire.smith at reading.ac.uk Thu Jul 2 11:22:05 2026 From: claire.smith at reading.ac.uk (Claire Smith) Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2026 15:22:05 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Tips for tiny jars? Message-ID: Hi everyone (with apologies for cross-posting), We have a selection of small specimens in our fluid collection, in jars of around 10 to 25 mL, and they evaporate incredibly quickly. We have to top them up almost annually, which isn't great for the specimens. The rate of evaporation doesn't seem to be worse with a particular fluid, or with a particular sealant. Do those of you who work with fluid collections have any tips for how to prevent these tiny jars from evaporating so quickly? Best wishes, Claire ******* Claire Smith (she/her), AFHEA Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cole Museum of Zoology University of Reading claire.smith at reading.ac.uk www.linkedin.com/in/wetconservatrix Social media: @wetconservatrix [cid:7a1065e1-3943-4fb6-9573-604a110d9e5d] -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Outlook-34rrzdg3.png Type: image/png Size: 349478 bytes Desc: Outlook-34rrzdg3.png URL: From shoobs.1 at osu.edu Thu Jul 2 11:30:56 2026 From: shoobs.1 at osu.edu (Shoobs, Nate) Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2026 15:30:56 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Tips for tiny jars? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Hey Claire, What is the type of closure? If you?re topping off that frequently chances are the lids you?re using are bad. If you use vials/jars made from phenolic resin with poly-cone seals, or alternatively polypropylene lids with f217 foam liners, you shouldn?t have to top up narrow-necked containers for years or decades in most cases. - Nathaniel F. Shoobs, Curator of Mollusks College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University Museum of Biological Diversity 1315 Kinnear Rd, Columbus, OH 43212 614-688-1342 (Office) mbd.osu.edu ________________________________ From: Nhcoll-l on behalf of Claire Smith Sent: Thursday, 02 July 2026 11:22:05 To: nhcoll-l Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Tips for tiny jars? Hi everyone (with apologies for cross-posting), We have a selection of small specimens in our fluid collection, in jars of around 10 to 25 mL, and they evaporate incredibly quickly. We have to top them up almost annually, which isn't great for Hi everyone (with apologies for cross-posting), We have a selection of small specimens in our fluid collection, in jars of around 10 to 25 mL, and they evaporate incredibly quickly. We have to top them up almost annually, which isn't great for the specimens. The rate of evaporation doesn't seem to be worse with a particular fluid, or with a particular sealant. Do those of you who work with fluid collections have any tips for how to prevent these tiny jars from evaporating so quickly? Best wishes, Claire ******* Claire Smith (she/her), AFHEA Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cole Museum of Zoology University of Reading claire.smith at reading.ac.uk www.linkedin.com/in/wetconservatrix Social media: @wetconservatrix [cid:7a1065e1-3943-4fb6-9573-604a110d9e5d] -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Outlook-34rrzdg3.png Type: image/png Size: 349478 bytes Desc: Outlook-34rrzdg3.png URL: From shoobs.1 at osu.edu Thu Jul 2 11:33:15 2026 From: shoobs.1 at osu.edu (Shoobs, Nate) Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2026 15:33:15 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Tips for tiny jars? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Sorry, to be clear, if you glass vials and jars with lids/closures made from either polypropylene with an f217 foam liner or a phenolic resin + poly cone seal* you shouldn?t see aby evaporation for many years. - Nathaniel F. Shoobs, Curator of Mollusks College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University Museum of Biological Diversity 1315 Kinnear Rd, Columbus, OH 43212 614-688-1342 (Office) mbd.osu.edu ________________________________ From: Shoobs, Nate Sent: Thursday, 02 July 2026 11:30:56 To: Claire Smith ; nhcoll-l Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] Tips for tiny jars? Hey Claire, What is the type of closure? If you?re topping off that frequently chances are the lids you?re using are bad. If you use vials/jars made from phenolic resin with poly-cone seals, or alternatively polypropylene lids with f217 foam liners, you shouldn?t have to top up narrow-necked containers for years or decades in most cases. - Nathaniel F. Shoobs, Curator of Mollusks College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University Museum of Biological Diversity 1315 Kinnear Rd, Columbus, OH 43212 614-688-1342 (Office) mbd.osu.edu ________________________________ From: Nhcoll-l on behalf of Claire Smith Sent: Thursday, 02 July 2026 11:22:05 To: nhcoll-l Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Tips for tiny jars? Hi everyone (with apologies for cross-posting), We have a selection of small specimens in our fluid collection, in jars of around 10 to 25 mL, and they evaporate incredibly quickly. We have to top them up almost annually, which isn't great for Hi everyone (with apologies for cross-posting), We have a selection of small specimens in our fluid collection, in jars of around 10 to 25 mL, and they evaporate incredibly quickly. We have to top them up almost annually, which isn't great for the specimens. The rate of evaporation doesn't seem to be worse with a particular fluid, or with a particular sealant. Do those of you who work with fluid collections have any tips for how to prevent these tiny jars from evaporating so quickly? Best wishes, Claire ******* Claire Smith (she/her), AFHEA Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cole Museum of Zoology University of Reading claire.smith at reading.ac.uk www.linkedin.com/in/wetconservatrix Social media: @wetconservatrix [cid:7a1065e1-3943-4fb6-9573-604a110d9e5d] -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Outlook-34rrzdg3.png Type: image/png Size: 349478 bytes Desc: Outlook-34rrzdg3.png URL: From simmons.johne at gmail.com Thu Jul 2 11:35:07 2026 From: simmons.johne at gmail.com (John E Simmons) Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2026 11:35:07 -0400 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Tips for tiny jars? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Are the tiny containers closed with compressible stoppers, screw-on lids, or snap-on lids? What is generally recommended for small containers is to use straight-sided vials (often called shell vials) that can be filled with fluid once the specimens are inside and then plugged with polyester fiber or cotton batting (I prefer the former because it does not absorb grease and oils) and housed inside larger jars of fluid with secure screw-on closures. Limiting the number of small containers in the larger jar and good labeling will enable users to quickly find the small containers of specimens needed. Very small containers are usually much more difficult to seal that standard sizes of screw-top jars. --John John E. Simmons US Fulbright Senior Scholar Writer and Museum Consultant, Museologica *and* Research Associate, Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum & Art Gallery, Penn State University *and* Investigador Asociado, Departamento de Ornitolog?a, Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima On Thu, Jul 2, 2026 at 11:22?AM Claire Smith wrote: > Hi everyone (with apologies for cross-posting), > > We have a selection of small specimens in our fluid collection, in jars of > around 10 to 25 mL, and they evaporate incredibly quickly. We have to top > them up almost annually, which isn't great for the specimens. The rate of > evaporation doesn't seem to be worse with a particular fluid, or with a > particular sealant. > > Do those of you who work with fluid collections have any tips for how to > prevent these tiny jars from evaporating so quickly? > > Best wishes, > Claire > > > > ******* > > *Claire Smith *(she/her), AFHEA > > *Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cole Museum of Zoology* > > University of Reading > *claire.smith at reading.ac.uk* > > *www.linkedin.com/in/wetconservatrix* > > Social media: @wetconservatrix > > > _______________________________________________ > Nhcoll-l mailing list > Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu > https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l > > _______________________________________________ > NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of > Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose > mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of > natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to > society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information. > Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate. > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Outlook-34rrzdg3.png Type: image/png Size: 349478 bytes Desc: not available URL: From claire.smith at reading.ac.uk Thu Jul 2 11:38:51 2026 From: claire.smith at reading.ac.uk (Claire Smith) Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2026 15:38:51 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Tips for tiny jars? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Thanks Nate ? the jars are the older style of glass cylinder with a flat glass lid. Some are sealed with gelatine and some with silicone, but they all evaporate just as quickly. We can consider transferring them into alternative jars if that's the best option for keeping them safe. [cid:0a1a4e35-21db-4855-9339-e0d6a24c8d8c] Best wishes, Claire ******* Claire Smith (she/her), AFHEA Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cole Museum of Zoology University of Reading claire.smith at reading.ac.uk www.linkedin.com/in/wetconservatrix Social media: @wetconservatrix [cid:4803cc30-2bda-4111-b618-31b2d722ff85] ________________________________ From: Shoobs, Nate Sent: 02 July 2026 16:33 To: Claire Smith ; nhcoll-l Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] Tips for tiny jars? External email: Treat content with caution. Sorry, to be clear, if you glass vials and jars with lids/closures made from either polypropylene with an f217 foam liner or a phenolic resin + poly cone seal* you shouldn?t see aby evaporation for many years. - Nathaniel F. Shoobs, Curator of Mollusks College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University Museum of Biological Diversity 1315 Kinnear Rd, Columbus, OH 43212 614-688-1342 (Office) mbd.osu.edu ________________________________ From: Shoobs, Nate Sent: Thursday, 02 July 2026 11:30:56 To: Claire Smith ; nhcoll-l Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] Tips for tiny jars? Hey Claire, What is the type of closure? If you?re topping off that frequently chances are the lids you?re using are bad. If you use vials/jars made from phenolic resin with poly-cone seals, or alternatively polypropylene lids with f217 foam liners, you shouldn?t have to top up narrow-necked containers for years or decades in most cases. - Nathaniel F. Shoobs, Curator of Mollusks College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University Museum of Biological Diversity 1315 Kinnear Rd, Columbus, OH 43212 614-688-1342 (Office) mbd.osu.edu ________________________________ From: Nhcoll-l on behalf of Claire Smith Sent: Thursday, 02 July 2026 11:22:05 To: nhcoll-l Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Tips for tiny jars? Hi everyone (with apologies for cross-posting), We have a selection of small specimens in our fluid collection, in jars of around 10 to 25 mL, and they evaporate incredibly quickly. We have to top them up almost annually, which isn't great for Hi everyone (with apologies for cross-posting), We have a selection of small specimens in our fluid collection, in jars of around 10 to 25 mL, and they evaporate incredibly quickly. We have to top them up almost annually, which isn't great for the specimens. The rate of evaporation doesn't seem to be worse with a particular fluid, or with a particular sealant. Do those of you who work with fluid collections have any tips for how to prevent these tiny jars from evaporating so quickly? Best wishes, Claire ******* Claire Smith (she/her), AFHEA Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cole Museum of Zoology University of Reading claire.smith at reading.ac.uk www.linkedin.com/in/wetconservatrix Social media: @wetconservatrix [cid:7a1065e1-3943-4fb6-9573-604a110d9e5d] -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Outlook-34rrzdg3.png Type: image/png Size: 349478 bytes Desc: Outlook-34rrzdg3.png URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/png Size: 1939465 bytes Desc: image.png URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Outlook-hm0mcnrr.png Type: image/png Size: 349478 bytes Desc: Outlook-hm0mcnrr.png URL: From rw at protectheritage.com Thu Jul 2 11:40:17 2026 From: rw at protectheritage.com (Robert Waller) Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2026 15:40:17 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Tips for tiny jars? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: I am amazed at how effective PE (polyethylene) cone liners are for sealing small jars. Rob ________________________________ From: Nhcoll-l on behalf of Shoobs, Nate Sent: Thursday, July 02, 2026 11:33 AM To: Claire Smith ; nhcoll-l Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] Tips for tiny jars? Sorry, to be clear, if you glass vials and jars with lids/closures made from either polypropylene with an f217 foam liner or a phenolic resin + poly cone seal* you shouldn?t see aby evaporation for many years. - Nathaniel F. Shoobs, Curator of Mollusks College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University Museum of Biological Diversity 1315 Kinnear Rd, Columbus, OH 43212 614-688-1342 (Office) mbd.osu.edu ________________________________ From: Shoobs, Nate Sent: Thursday, 02 July 2026 11:30:56 To: Claire Smith ; nhcoll-l Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] Tips for tiny jars? Hey Claire, What is the type of closure? If you?re topping off that frequently chances are the lids you?re using are bad. If you use vials/jars made from phenolic resin with poly-cone seals, or alternatively polypropylene lids with f217 foam liners, you shouldn?t have to top up narrow-necked containers for years or decades in most cases. - Nathaniel F. Shoobs, Curator of Mollusks College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University Museum of Biological Diversity 1315 Kinnear Rd, Columbus, OH 43212 614-688-1342 (Office) mbd.osu.edu ________________________________ From: Nhcoll-l on behalf of Claire Smith Sent: Thursday, 02 July 2026 11:22:05 To: nhcoll-l Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Tips for tiny jars? Hi everyone (with apologies for cross-posting), We have a selection of small specimens in our fluid collection, in jars of around 10 to 25 mL, and they evaporate incredibly quickly. We have to top them up almost annually, which isn't great for Hi everyone (with apologies for cross-posting), We have a selection of small specimens in our fluid collection, in jars of around 10 to 25 mL, and they evaporate incredibly quickly. We have to top them up almost annually, which isn't great for the specimens. The rate of evaporation doesn't seem to be worse with a particular fluid, or with a particular sealant. Do those of you who work with fluid collections have any tips for how to prevent these tiny jars from evaporating so quickly? Best wishes, Claire ******* Claire Smith (she/her), AFHEA Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cole Museum of Zoology University of Reading claire.smith at reading.ac.uk www.linkedin.com/in/wetconservatrix Social media: @wetconservatrix [cid:7a1065e1-3943-4fb6-9573-604a110d9e5d] -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Outlook-34rrzdg3.png Type: image/png Size: 349478 bytes Desc: Outlook-34rrzdg3.png URL: From claire.smith at reading.ac.uk Thu Jul 2 11:41:43 2026 From: claire.smith at reading.ac.uk (Claire Smith) Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2026 15:41:43 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Tips for tiny jars? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Thanks John, we do this with our teaching specimens, and it works very well. These are display specimens in cylindrical glass jars, topped with a flat glass lid. (Apologies for not being clear!) I was wondering whether it would help to add a piece of batting to the top of these cylinders? Best wishes, Claire ******* Claire Smith (she/her), AFHEA Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cole Museum of Zoology University of Reading claire.smith at reading.ac.uk www.linkedin.com/in/wetconservatrix Social media: @wetconservatrix [cid:e9aaf783-de6e-4399-9128-33e5f9ca6748] ________________________________ From: John E Simmons Sent: 02 July 2026 16:35 To: Claire Smith Cc: nhcoll-l Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] Tips for tiny jars? External email: Treat content with caution. Are the tiny containers closed with compressible stoppers, screw-on lids, or snap-on lids? What is generally recommended for small containers is to use straight-sided vials (often called shell vials) that can be filled with fluid once the specimens are inside and then plugged with polyester fiber or cotton batting (I prefer the former because it does not absorb grease and oils) and housed inside larger jars of fluid with secure screw-on closures. Limiting the number of small containers in the larger jar and good labeling will enable users to quickly find the small containers of specimens needed. Very small containers are usually much more difficult to seal that standard sizes of screw-top jars. --John John E. Simmons US Fulbright Senior Scholar Writer and Museum Consultant, Museologica and Research Associate, Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum & Art Gallery, Penn State University and Investigador Asociado, Departamento de Ornitolog?a, Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima On Thu, Jul 2, 2026 at 11:22?AM Claire Smith > wrote: Hi everyone (with apologies for cross-posting), We have a selection of small specimens in our fluid collection, in jars of around 10 to 25 mL, and they evaporate incredibly quickly. We have to top them up almost annually, which isn't great for the specimens. The rate of evaporation doesn't seem to be worse with a particular fluid, or with a particular sealant. Do those of you who work with fluid collections have any tips for how to prevent these tiny jars from evaporating so quickly? Best wishes, Claire ******* Claire Smith (she/her), AFHEA Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cole Museum of Zoology University of Reading claire.smith at reading.ac.uk www.linkedin.com/in/wetconservatrix Social media: @wetconservatrix [cid:ii_19f23739fa0209eabf21] _______________________________________________ Nhcoll-l mailing list Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l _______________________________________________ NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information. Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Outlook-34rrzdg3.png Type: image/png Size: 349478 bytes Desc: Outlook-34rrzdg3.png URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Outlook-zjnaji43.png Type: image/png Size: 349478 bytes Desc: Outlook-zjnaji43.png URL: From prc44 at drexel.edu Thu Jul 2 11:43:29 2026 From: prc44 at drexel.edu (Callomon,Paul) Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2026 15:43:29 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Tips for tiny jars? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: I agree with John?s idea of encapsulating the small jars within larger ones that have modern closures ? we often do that to preserve the original vials. One caveat is not to include any original phenolic or bakelite lids, though, as they leach nastiness into the alcohol over time. Paul Callomon Collection Manager, Malacology and General Invertebrates ________________________________ Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia prc44 at drexel.edu / Tel. 215-405-5096 From: Nhcoll-l On Behalf Of John E Simmons Sent: Thursday, July 2, 2026 11:35 AM To: Claire Smith Cc: nhcoll-l Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] Tips for tiny jars? External. Are the tiny containers closed with compressible stoppers, screw-on lids, or snap-on lids? What is generally recommended for small containers is to use straight-sided vials (often called shell vials) that can be filled with fluid once the specimens are inside and then plugged with polyester fiber or cotton batting (I prefer the former because it does not absorb grease and oils) and housed inside larger jars of fluid with secure screw-on closures. Limiting the number of small containers in the larger jar and good labeling will enable users to quickly find the small containers of specimens needed. Very small containers are usually much more difficult to seal that standard sizes of screw-top jars. --John John E. Simmons US Fulbright Senior Scholar Writer and Museum Consultant, Museologica and Research Associate, Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum & Art Gallery, Penn State University and Investigador Asociado, Departamento de Ornitolog?a, Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima On Thu, Jul 2, 2026 at 11:22?AM Claire Smith > wrote: Hi everyone (with apologies for cross-posting), We have a selection of small specimens in our fluid collection, in jars of around 10 to 25 mL, and they evaporate incredibly quickly. We have to top them up almost annually, which isn't great for the specimens. The rate of evaporation doesn't seem to be worse with a particular fluid, or with a particular sealant. Do those of you who work with fluid collections have any tips for how to prevent these tiny jars from evaporating so quickly? Best wishes, Claire ******* Claire Smith (she/her), AFHEA Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cole Museum of Zoology University of Reading claire.smith at reading.ac.uk www.linkedin.com/in/wetconservatrix Social media: @wetconservatrix [cid:image001.png at 01DD0A17.FD431360] _______________________________________________ Nhcoll-l mailing list Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l _______________________________________________ NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information. Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 349478 bytes Desc: image001.png URL: From claire.smith at reading.ac.uk Thu Jul 2 11:44:30 2026 From: claire.smith at reading.ac.uk (Claire Smith) Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2026 15:44:30 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Tips for tiny jars? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Apologies all, for the lack of clarity ? I'm talking about old glass cylinders with a flat glass lid like this one: [cid:65a4fa99-1b95-4267-841b-bf3dd00f985b] Best wishes, Claire ******* Claire Smith (she/her), AFHEA Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cole Museum of Zoology University of Reading claire.smith at reading.ac.uk www.linkedin.com/in/wetconservatrix Social media: @wetconservatrix [cid:3ad9c9ba-a989-4665-952c-8fc71e361577] ________________________________ From: Nhcoll-l on behalf of Claire Smith Sent: 02 July 2026 16:22 To: nhcoll-l Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Tips for tiny jars? External email: Treat content with caution. Hi everyone (with apologies for cross-posting), We have a selection of small specimens in our fluid collection, in jars of around 10 to 25 mL, and they evaporate incredibly quickly. We have to top them up almost annually, which isn't great for the specimens. The rate of evaporation doesn't seem to be worse with a particular fluid, or with a particular sealant. Do those of you who work with fluid collections have any tips for how to prevent these tiny jars from evaporating so quickly? Best wishes, Claire ******* Claire Smith (she/her), AFHEA Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cole Museum of Zoology University of Reading claire.smith at reading.ac.uk www.linkedin.com/in/wetconservatrix Social media: @wetconservatrix [cid:7a1065e1-3943-4fb6-9573-604a110d9e5d] -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Outlook-34rrzdg3.png Type: image/png Size: 349478 bytes Desc: Outlook-34rrzdg3.png URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/png Size: 1939465 bytes Desc: image.png URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Outlook-byxsqjdi.png Type: image/png Size: 349478 bytes Desc: Outlook-byxsqjdi.png URL: From shoobs.1 at osu.edu Thu Jul 2 11:52:10 2026 From: shoobs.1 at osu.edu (Shoobs, Nate) Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2026 15:52:10 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Tips for tiny jars? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Those jars are beautiful, but definitely not the best for keeping things wet with minimal maintenance! I wouldn't submerge a jar like that inside of another jar personally. I would transfer any specimens that aren't mainly for aesthetic/display purposes. For specimens like the one you sent an image of, with specimens mounted on a glass plate, you might want to consider a French square jar with cone liner, or a 2 oz or 4 oz straight-sided jar with f217 cap. If the question is "without transferring the specimens to a different jar, how do we prevent evaporation from these old glass jars" , there was a paper published this year comparing jar sealants for these jar types here: https://nhcm.pensoft.net/article/188287/, and I think others have addressed the issue on NHColl in the past. Best of luck! -Nate -- [The Ohio State University] Nathaniel F. Shoobs Curator of Mollusks College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology Museum of Biological Diversity, 1315 Kinnear Rd, Columbus, OH 43212 614-688-1342 (Office) mbd.osu.edu/collections/invertebrates From: Claire Smith Date: Thursday, July 2, 2026 at 11:39?AM To: Shoobs, Nate ; nhcoll-l Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] Tips for tiny jars? This Message Is From an External Sender This message came from outside your organization. Report Suspicious Thanks Nate ? the jars are the older style of glass cylinder with a flat glass lid. Some are sealed with gelatine and some with silicone, but they all evaporate just as quickly. We can consider transferring them into alternative jars if that's the best option for keeping them safe. [cid:0a1a4e35-21db-4855-9339-e0d6a24c8d8c] Best wishes, Claire ******* Claire Smith (she/her), AFHEA Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cole Museum of Zoology University of Reading claire.smith at reading.ac.uk www.linkedin.com/in/wetconservatrix Social media: @wetconservatrix [cid:4803cc30-2bda-4111-b618-31b2d722ff85] ________________________________ From: Shoobs, Nate Sent: 02 July 2026 16:33 To: Claire Smith ; nhcoll-l Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] Tips for tiny jars? External email: Treat content with caution. Sorry, to be clear, if you glass vials and jars with lids/closures made from either polypropylene with an f217 foam liner or a phenolic resin + poly cone seal* you shouldn?t see aby evaporation for many years. - Nathaniel F. Shoobs, Curator of Mollusks College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University Museum of Biological Diversity 1315 Kinnear Rd, Columbus, OH 43212 614-688-1342 (Office) mbd.osu.edu ________________________________ From: Shoobs, Nate Sent: Thursday, 02 July 2026 11:30:56 To: Claire Smith ; nhcoll-l Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] Tips for tiny jars? Hey Claire, What is the type of closure? If you?re topping off that frequently chances are the lids you?re using are bad. If you use vials/jars made from phenolic resin with poly-cone seals, or alternatively polypropylene lids with f217 foam liners, you shouldn?t have to top up narrow-necked containers for years or decades in most cases. - Nathaniel F. Shoobs, Curator of Mollusks College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University Museum of Biological Diversity 1315 Kinnear Rd, Columbus, OH 43212 614-688-1342 (Office) mbd.osu.edu ________________________________ From: Nhcoll-l on behalf of Claire Smith Sent: Thursday, 02 July 2026 11:22:05 To: nhcoll-l Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Tips for tiny jars? Hi everyone (with apologies for cross-posting), We have a selection of small specimens in our fluid collection, in jars of around 10 to 25 mL, and they evaporate incredibly quickly. We have to top them up almost annually, which isn't great for the specimens. The rate of evaporation doesn't seem to be worse with a particular fluid, or with a particular sealant. Do those of you who work with fluid collections have any tips for how to prevent these tiny jars from evaporating so quickly? Best wishes, Claire ******* Claire Smith (she/her), AFHEA Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cole Museum of Zoology University of Reading claire.smith at reading.ac.uk www.linkedin.com/in/wetconservatrix Social media: @wetconservatrix [cid:7a1065e1-3943-4fb6-9573-604a110d9e5d] -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Outlook-34rrzdg3.png Type: image/png Size: 349478 bytes Desc: Outlook-34rrzdg3.png URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/png Size: 1939465 bytes Desc: image.png URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Outlook-hm0mcnrr.png Type: image/png Size: 349478 bytes Desc: Outlook-hm0mcnrr.png URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001[67].png Type: image/png Size: 3607 bytes Desc: image001[67].png URL: From simmons.johne at gmail.com Thu Jul 2 12:04:53 2026 From: simmons.johne at gmail.com (John E Simmons) Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2026 12:04:53 -0400 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Tips for tiny jars? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Thanks for the clarification and the image. How are these jars sealed? John E. Simmons US Fulbright Senior Scholar Writer and Museum Consultant, Museologica *and* Research Associate, Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum & Art Gallery, Penn State University *and* Investigador Asociado, Departamento de Ornitolog?a, Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima On Thu, Jul 2, 2026 at 11:45?AM Claire Smith wrote: > Apologies all, for the lack of clarity ? I'm talking about old glass > cylinders with a flat glass lid like this one: > > > Best wishes, > Claire > > > > ******* > > *Claire Smith *(she/her), AFHEA > > *Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cole Museum of Zoology* > > University of Reading > *claire.smith at reading.ac.uk* > > *www.linkedin.com/in/wetconservatrix* > > Social media: @wetconservatrix > > > ------------------------------ > *From:* Nhcoll-l on behalf of Claire > Smith > *Sent:* 02 July 2026 16:22 > *To:* nhcoll-l > *Subject:* [Nhcoll-l] Tips for tiny jars? > > External email: Treat content with caution. > > Hi everyone (with apologies for cross-posting), > > We have a selection of small specimens in our fluid collection, in jars of > around 10 to 25 mL, and they evaporate incredibly quickly. We have to top > them up almost annually, which isn't great for the specimens. The rate of > evaporation doesn't seem to be worse with a particular fluid, or with a > particular sealant. > > Do those of you who work with fluid collections have any tips for how to > prevent these tiny jars from evaporating so quickly? > > Best wishes, > Claire > > > > ******* > > *Claire Smith *(she/her), AFHEA > > *Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cole Museum of Zoology* > > University of Reading > *claire.smith at reading.ac.uk* > > *www.linkedin.com/in/wetconservatrix* > > Social media: @wetconservatrix > > > _______________________________________________ > Nhcoll-l mailing list > Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu > https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l > > _______________________________________________ > NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of > Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose > mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of > natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to > society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information. > Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate. > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Outlook-34rrzdg3.png Type: image/png Size: 349478 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/png Size: 1939465 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Outlook-byxsqjdi.png Type: image/png Size: 349478 bytes Desc: not available URL: From couteaufin at btinternet.com Thu Jul 2 12:35:57 2026 From: couteaufin at btinternet.com (Simon Moore) Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2026 17:35:57 +0100 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Tips for tiny jars? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Good selection of responses and ideas. I agree about not submerging the jars unless as a last resort. What sort of silicone has been used? I always use the flowable fluid one which is much less ?gloopy? and has never let me down, even with adhering lids onto old-fashioned glass cavity blocks - the sort we used at school for A-level small critters. But you have to ensure that both surfaces of the seal have been ground (as in ground glass) before sealing or it won?t work if the surfaces are polished./shiny. I can let you know of sealants if you need them and how to grind the glass surfaces. With all good wishes, Simon Simon Moore MIScT, RSci, FLS, ACR Conservator of Natural Sciences and Cutlery Historian. www.natural-history-conservation.com > On 2 Jul 2026, at 16:30, Shoobs, Nate wrote: > > Hey Claire, > What is the type of closure? > If you?re topping off that frequently chances are the lids you?re using are bad. If you use vials/jars made from phenolic resin with poly-cone seals, or alternatively polypropylene lids with f217 foam liners, you shouldn?t have to top up narrow-necked containers for years or decades in most cases. > > > - > Nathaniel F. Shoobs, Curator of Mollusks > College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University > Museum of Biological Diversity > 1315 Kinnear Rd, Columbus, OH 43212 > 614-688-1342 (Office) > mbd.osu.eduFrom: Nhcoll-l on behalf of Claire Smith > Sent: Thursday, 02 July 2026 11:22:05 > To: nhcoll-l > Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Tips for tiny jars? > Hi everyone (with apologies for cross-posting), > > We have a selection of small specimens in our fluid collection, in jars of around 10 to 25 mL, and they evaporate incredibly quickly. We have to top them up almost annually, which isn't great for the specimens. The rate of evaporation doesn't seem to be worse with a particular fluid, or with a particular sealant. > > Do those of you who work with fluid collections have any tips for how to prevent these tiny jars from evaporating so quickly? > > Best wishes, > Claire > ******* > Claire Smith (she/her), AFHEA > Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cole Museum of Zoology > University of Reading > claire.smith at reading.ac.uk > www.linkedin.com/in/wetconservatrix > Social media: @wetconservatrix > _______________________________________________ > Nhcoll-l mailing list > Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu > https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l > > _______________________________________________ > NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of > Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose > mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of > natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to > society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information. > Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate. From d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de Fri Jul 3 02:07:05 2026 From: d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de (Dirk Neumann) Date: Fri, 3 Jul 2026 08:07:05 +0200 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] [EXTERN] Re: Tips for tiny jars? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Hi Clare and all, what you describe sounds to me as if the sealant, either Gelatine or the silicone, would not properly adhere to the ground surfaces on the lid and neck. Also - at least judging from your photo - it seems that the glass lid is smaller than the flange of the cylinder, which reduces the adhesion surface: on the right side, it looks like the glass cover sits in the middle of the ground surface of the neck. The lid should always be slightly larger than the jar, the ground surface of the glass closure wider than that of the neck. If the glass closure is without ground surface, the sealant cannot adhere properly to the lid. For flanged jars, you need a clean and sufficiently wide (large) and even surface for the sealant to allow proper adhesion. The adhesive itself should be impermeable for gas - or at least as impermeable as it can be. The higher the sealant layer in this specific case, the worse is the seal. Using 'more' does not make a better seal. Most silicones are a really bad choice, because they are not only a bad gas barrier, but also leave silicone oils on the glass surface that need to be removed with acetone or similar solvents. If the silicone oil is not removed before resealing, the sealant has not adhesion to the glass surface. Aquarium people probably know this problem quite well... Gelatine seals can attract water vapours, and might also not be the best choice. Gelatine seals can last long, but often they don't. My advice for your display jars would be - depending on the climate conditions in the room they are stored in - to close the jars with a high quality, silicone-free vacuum joint grease. The layer should be as thin as possible. Build up a slight rim on the ground surface of the lid, and carefully - with very light pressure - turn the closure back and forth on the neck, until the grease film turns transparent, which indicates a proper sealing. Close the jars in a room that is 2-3 ?C warmer then the temperature in the storage room, to support slight negative pressure to build up in the jar. Leave the jar in the storage room for 2-3 days, then check the lid and slightly turn the glass closure again, if the film got opaque and is no longer transparent. I have used Alsirol with very good results. It can be easily removed 'dry' with toilet paper, without leaving traces on the ground surface. For jars with display specimens, it is also worth considering a permanent seal, Simon put some information on his website from his course. Tar, or bees-wax-based seals would be a good choice to my mind. https://www.natural-history-conservation.com/FluidPreservationTechniques.pdf Hope this helps Dirk Am 02.07.2026 um 17:44 schrieb Claire Smith: Apologies all, for the lack of clarity ? I'm talking about old glass cylinders with a flat glass lid like this one: [cid:part1.jOs8jT76.U075wixS at leibniz-lib.de] Best wishes, Claire ******* Claire Smith (she/her), AFHEA Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cole Museum of Zoology University of Reading claire.smith at reading.ac.uk www.linkedin.com/in/wetconservatrix Social media: @wetconservatrix [cid:part2.80tveUdj.DbIkhuer at leibniz-lib.de] ________________________________ From: Nhcoll-l on behalf of Claire Smith Sent: 02 July 2026 16:22 To: nhcoll-l Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Tips for tiny jars? External email: Treat content with caution. Hi everyone (with apologies for cross-posting), We have a selection of small specimens in our fluid collection, in jars of around 10 to 25 mL, and they evaporate incredibly quickly. We have to top them up almost annually, which isn't great for the specimens. The rate of evaporation doesn't seem to be worse with a particular fluid, or with a particular sealant. Do those of you who work with fluid collections have any tips for how to prevent these tiny jars from evaporating so quickly? Best wishes, Claire ******* Claire Smith (she/her), AFHEA Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cole Museum of Zoology University of Reading claire.smith at reading.ac.uk www.linkedin.com/in/wetconservatrix Social media: @wetconservatrix [cid:part3.4djXjWXV.zO07FoVN at leibniz-lib.de] _______________________________________________ Nhcoll-l mailing list Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l _______________________________________________ NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information. Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate. -- **** Dirk Neumann Collection Manager, Hamburg Postal address: Museum of Nature Hamburg Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change Dirk Neumann Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3 20146 Hamburg +49 40 238 317 ? 628 d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de www.leibniz-lib.de -- Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversit?tswandels Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany Stiftung des ?ffentlichen Rechts; Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian Gr?ter (Kaufm. Gesch?ftsf?hrer) Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael Wappelhorst -- Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversit?tswandels Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany Stiftung des ?ffentlichen Rechts; Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian Gr?ter (Kaufm. Gesch?ftsf?hrer) Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael H. Wappelhorst -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/png Size: 1939465 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Outlook-byxsqjdi.png Type: image/png Size: 349478 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Outlook-34rrzdg3.png Type: image/png Size: 349478 bytes Desc: not available URL: From ianicus.za at gmail.com Fri Jul 3 04:10:06 2026 From: ianicus.za at gmail.com (Ian Engelbrecht) Date: Fri, 3 Jul 2026 10:10:06 +0200 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] [EXTERN] Re: Tips for tiny jars? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: I use parafilm to wrap up the lid on the jar. Refilling drops from annually to almost never (but still check annually for any where the seal might not be good). Ian On Fri, 03 Jul 2026 at 08:08, Dirk Neumann wrote: > Hi Clare and all, > > what you describe sounds to me as if the sealant, either Gelatine or the > silicone, would not properly adhere to the ground surfaces on the lid and > neck. Also - at least judging from your photo - it seems that the glass lid > is smaller than the flange of the cylinder, which reduces the adhesion > surface: on the right side, it looks like the glass cover sits in the > middle of the ground surface of the neck. The lid should always be slightly > larger than the jar, the ground surface of the glass closure wider than > that of the neck. If the glass closure is without ground surface, the > sealant cannot adhere properly to the lid. > > For flanged jars, you need a clean and sufficiently wide (large) and even > surface for the sealant to allow proper adhesion. The adhesive itself > should be impermeable for gas - or at least as impermeable as it can be. > The higher the sealant layer in this specific case, the worse is the seal. > Using 'more' does not make a better seal. > > Most silicones are a really bad choice, because they are not only a bad > gas barrier, but also leave silicone oils on the glass surface that need to > be removed with acetone or similar solvents. If the silicone oil is not > removed before resealing, the sealant has not adhesion to the glass > surface. Aquarium people probably know this problem quite well... > > Gelatine seals can attract water vapours, and might also not be the best > choice. Gelatine seals can last long, but often they don't. > > My advice for your display jars would be - depending on the climate > conditions in the room they are stored in - to close the jars with a high > quality, silicone-free vacuum joint grease. The layer should be as thin as > possible. Build up a slight rim on the ground surface of the lid, and > carefully - with very light pressure - turn the closure back and forth on > the neck, until the grease film turns transparent, which indicates a proper > sealing. Close the jars in a room that is 2-3 ?C warmer then the > temperature in the storage room, to support slight negative pressure to > build up in the jar. Leave the jar in the storage room for 2-3 days, then > check the lid and slightly turn the glass closure again, if the film got > opaque and is no longer transparent. I have used Alsirol with very good > results. It can be easily removed 'dry' with toilet paper, without leaving > traces on the ground surface. > > For jars with display specimens, it is also worth considering a permanent > seal, Simon put some information on his website from his course. Tar, or > bees-wax-based seals would be a good choice to my mind. > > > https://www.natural-history-conservation.com/FluidPreservationTechniques.pdf > > Hope this helps > Dirk > > > > Am 02.07.2026 um 17:44 schrieb Claire Smith: > > Apologies all, for the lack of clarity ? I'm talking about old glass > cylinders with a flat glass lid like this one: > > > Best wishes, > Claire > > > > ******* > > *Claire Smith *(she/her), AFHEA > > *Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cole Museum of Zoology* > > University of Reading > *claire.smith at reading.ac.uk* > > *www.linkedin.com/in/wetconservatrix* > > Social media: @wetconservatrix > > > ------------------------------ > *From:* Nhcoll-l > on behalf of Claire Smith > > *Sent:* 02 July 2026 16:22 > *To:* nhcoll-l > *Subject:* [Nhcoll-l] Tips for tiny jars? > > > External email: Treat content with caution. > > Hi everyone (with apologies for cross-posting), > > We have a selection of small specimens in our fluid collection, in jars of > around 10 to 25 mL, and they evaporate incredibly quickly. We have to top > them up almost annually, which isn't great for the specimens. The rate of > evaporation doesn't seem to be worse with a particular fluid, or with a > particular sealant. > > Do those of you who work with fluid collections have any tips for how to > prevent these tiny jars from evaporating so quickly? > > Best wishes, > Claire > > > > ******* > > *Claire Smith *(she/her), AFHEA > > *Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cole Museum of Zoology* > > University of Reading > *claire.smith at reading.ac.uk* > > *www.linkedin.com/in/wetconservatrix* > > Social media: @wetconservatrix > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Nhcoll-l mailing listNhcoll-l at mailman.yale.eduhttps://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l > > _______________________________________________ > NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of > Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose > mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of > natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to > society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information. > Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate. > > > -- > > ****** > > > > *Dirk Neumann* > > Collection Manager, Hamburg > > > > Postal address: > > *Museum of Nature Hamburg* > Leibniz Institute for the Analysis > > of Biodiversity Change > > Dirk Neumann > > Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3 > > > > > 20146 > > > Hamburg > > > +49 > 40 238 317 ? 628 > > *d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de * > > www.leibniz-lib.de > > > > -- > Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversit?tswandels > Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany > > > Stiftung des ?ffentlichen Rechts; > Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian > Gr?ter (Kaufm. Gesch?ftsf?hrer) > Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 > > in Bonn > Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael Wappelhorst > > > -- > Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversit?tswandels > Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany > > > Stiftung des ?ffentlichen Rechts; > Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian > Gr?ter (Kaufm. Gesch?ftsf?hrer) > Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 > > in Bonn > Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael H. Wappelhorst > _______________________________________________ > Nhcoll-l mailing list > Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu > https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l > > _______________________________________________ > NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of > Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose > mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of > natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to > society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information. > Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate. > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/png Size: 1939465 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Outlook-byxsqjdi.png Type: image/png Size: 349478 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Outlook-34rrzdg3.png Type: image/png Size: 349478 bytes Desc: not available URL: From d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de Fri Jul 3 11:11:31 2026 From: d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de (Dirk Neumann) Date: Fri, 3 Jul 2026 17:11:31 +0200 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] [EXTERN] Re: Tips for tiny jars? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: ... be careful with residual oils or fats, on the jar. Parafilm is a polyolefin that is degraded by (residual) oils or oil/fat seepage (from oily specimens or residual sealants like vaseline), it gets sticky and starts flowing ... Parafilm can do a good job, but may not (always) be the long term remedy (or only for specific circumstances). With best wishes Dirk Am 03.07.2026 um 10:10 schrieb Ian Engelbrecht: I use parafilm to wrap up the lid on the jar. Refilling drops from annually to almost never (but still check annually for any where the seal might not be good). Ian On Fri, 03 Jul 2026 at 08:08, Dirk Neumann > wrote: Hi Clare and all, what you describe sounds to me as if the sealant, either Gelatine or the silicone, would not properly adhere to the ground surfaces on the lid and neck. Also - at least judging from your photo - it seems that the glass lid is smaller than the flange of the cylinder, which reduces the adhesion surface: on the right side, it looks like the glass cover sits in the middle of the ground surface of the neck. The lid should always be slightly larger than the jar, the ground surface of the glass closure wider than that of the neck. If the glass closure is without ground surface, the sealant cannot adhere properly to the lid. For flanged jars, you need a clean and sufficiently wide (large) and even surface for the sealant to allow proper adhesion. The adhesive itself should be impermeable for gas - or at least as impermeable as it can be. The higher the sealant layer in this specific case, the worse is the seal. Using 'more' does not make a better seal. Most silicones are a really bad choice, because they are not only a bad gas barrier, but also leave silicone oils on the glass surface that need to be removed with acetone or similar solvents. If the silicone oil is not removed before resealing, the sealant has not adhesion to the glass surface. Aquarium people probably know this problem quite well... Gelatine seals can attract water vapours, and might also not be the best choice. Gelatine seals can last long, but often they don't. My advice for your display jars would be - depending on the climate conditions in the room they are stored in - to close the jars with a high quality, silicone-free vacuum joint grease. The layer should be as thin as possible. Build up a slight rim on the ground surface of the lid, and carefully - with very light pressure - turn the closure back and forth on the neck, until the grease film turns transparent, which indicates a proper sealing. Close the jars in a room that is 2-3 ?C warmer then the temperature in the storage room, to support slight negative pressure to build up in the jar. Leave the jar in the storage room for 2-3 days, then check the lid and slightly turn the glass closure again, if the film got opaque and is no longer transparent. I have used Alsirol with very good results. It can be easily removed 'dry' with toilet paper, without leaving traces on the ground surface. For jars with display specimens, it is also worth considering a permanent seal, Simon put some information on his website from his course. Tar, or bees-wax-based seals would be a good choice to my mind. https://www.natural-history-conservation.com/FluidPreservationTechniques.pdf Hope this helps Dirk Am 02.07.2026 um 17:44 schrieb Claire Smith: Apologies all, for the lack of clarity ? I'm talking about old glass cylinders with a flat glass lid like this one: [cid:part1.3yzhxF8q.PpG9lRdc at leibniz-lib.de] Best wishes, Claire ******* Claire Smith (she/her), AFHEA Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cole Museum of Zoology University of Reading claire.smith at reading.ac.uk www.linkedin.com/in/wetconservatrix Social media: @wetconservatrix [cid:part2.3BrXQ3Ga.FHq0e1dM at leibniz-lib.de] ________________________________ From: Nhcoll-l on behalf of Claire Smith Sent: 02 July 2026 16:22 To: nhcoll-l Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Tips for tiny jars? External email: Treat content with caution. Hi everyone (with apologies for cross-posting), We have a selection of small specimens in our fluid collection, in jars of around 10 to 25 mL, and they evaporate incredibly quickly. We have to top them up almost annually, which isn't great for the specimens. The rate of evaporation doesn't seem to be worse with a particular fluid, or with a particular sealant. Do those of you who work with fluid collections have any tips for how to prevent these tiny jars from evaporating so quickly? Best wishes, Claire ******* Claire Smith (she/her), AFHEA Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cole Museum of Zoology University of Reading claire.smith at reading.ac.uk www.linkedin.com/in/wetconservatrix Social media: @wetconservatrix [cid:part3.PXoa9tjW.o5MrKatY at leibniz-lib.de] _______________________________________________ Nhcoll-l mailing list Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l _______________________________________________ NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information. Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate. -- **** Dirk Neumann Collection Manager, Hamburg Postal address: Museum of Nature Hamburg Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change Dirk Neumann Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3 20146 Hamburg +49 40 238 317 ? 628 d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de www.leibniz-lib.de -- Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversit?tswandels Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany Stiftung des ?ffentlichen Rechts; Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian Gr?ter (Kaufm. Gesch?ftsf?hrer) Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael Wappelhorst -- Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversit?tswandels Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany Stiftung des ?ffentlichen Rechts; Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian Gr?ter (Kaufm. Gesch?ftsf?hrer) Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael H. Wappelhorst _______________________________________________ Nhcoll-l mailing list Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l _______________________________________________ NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information. Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate. -- **** Dirk Neumann Collection Manager, Hamburg Postal address: Museum of Nature Hamburg Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change Dirk Neumann Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3 20146 Hamburg +49 40 238 317 ? 628 d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de www.leibniz-lib.de -- Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversit?tswandels Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany Stiftung des ?ffentlichen Rechts; Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian Gr?ter (Kaufm. Gesch?ftsf?hrer) Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael Wappelhorst -- Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversit?tswandels Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany Stiftung des ?ffentlichen Rechts; Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian Gr?ter (Kaufm. Gesch?ftsf?hrer) Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael H. Wappelhorst -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/png Size: 1939465 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Outlook-byxsqjdi.png Type: image/png Size: 349478 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Outlook-34rrzdg3.png Type: image/png Size: 349478 bytes Desc: not available URL: From info at naturhistorische-konservierung.de Tue Jul 7 05:57:29 2026 From: info at naturhistorische-konservierung.de (Fabian Neisskenwirth) Date: Tue, 7 Jul 2026 11:57:29 +0200 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] [EXTERN] Re: Tips for tiny jars? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <8b897021-317d-4229-8236-77eab23e6692@naturhistorische-konservierung.de> Hi Claire, in addition to all of these good advices I would consider using previously heated lids, to create a internal negative pressure in the jars which will hold the lid on its place. This is very easy with cylindrical flanged jars. The surfaces have to be perfectly flat though. So it could be necessary to grind the flange and lid on a glass-plate with some silicon carbide (carborundum). As an adhesive you can use any of the recommended bellow (tar, gelatin, beeswax/rosin mixes, vacuum grease), depending on the preservation fluid of course. Place the adhesive on the cold flange and then press the heated lid (at least 90 ?C) on top. The heat will melt the adhesive and?the negative pressure hold the lid on its place very nicely, creating an airtight sealing. There is also a more careful approach that is completely non-invasive. Place the container in its current state in a much bigger container with a better seal, as proposed by John, but not just the specimens, but the whole jar, so the evaporation-rate is considerably minimized. Of course here you will need a good sealing too. Basically but the specimen jar in a empty jar. Its not a perfect solution, but it could slow down considerable the degradation process and preserve the whole integrity of the current specimen and jar. All the best! Am 03.07.26 um 08:07 schrieb Dirk Neumann: > Hi Clare and all, > > what you describe sounds to me as if the sealant, either Gelatine or > the silicone, would not properly adhere to the ground surfaces on the > lid and neck. Also - at least judging from your photo - it seems that > the glass lid is smaller than the flange of the cylinder, which > reduces the adhesion surface: on the right side, it looks like the > glass cover sits in the middle of the ground surface of the neck. The > lid should always be slightly larger than the jar, the ground surface > of the glass closure wider than that of the neck. If the glass closure > is without ground surface, the sealant cannot adhere properly to the lid. > > For flanged jars, you need? a clean and sufficiently wide (large) and > even surface for the sealant to allow proper adhesion. The adhesive > itself should be impermeable for gas - or at least as impermeable as > it can be. The higher the sealant layer in this specific case, the > worse is the seal. Using 'more' does not make a better seal. > > Most silicones are a really bad choice, because they are not only a > bad gas barrier, but also leave silicone oils on the glass surface > that need to be removed with acetone or similar solvents. If the > silicone oil is not removed before resealing, the sealant has not > adhesion to the glass surface. Aquarium people probably know this > problem quite well... > > Gelatine seals can attract water vapours, and might also not be the > best choice. Gelatine seals can last long, but often they don't. > > My advice for your display jars would be - depending on the climate > conditions in the room they are stored in - to close the jars with a > high quality, silicone-free vacuum joint grease. The layer should be > as thin as possible. Build up a slight rim on the ground surface of > the lid, and carefully - with very light pressure - turn the closure > back and forth on the neck, until the grease film turns transparent, > which indicates a proper sealing. Close the jars in a room that is 2-3 > ?C warmer then the temperature in the storage room, to support slight > negative pressure to build up in the jar. Leave the jar in the storage > room for 2-3 days, then check the lid and slightly turn the glass > closure again, if the film got opaque and is no longer transparent. I > have used Alsirol with very good results. It can be easily removed > 'dry' with toilet paper, without leaving traces on the ground surface. > > For jars with display specimens, it is also worth considering a > permanent seal, Simon put some information on his website from his > course. Tar, or bees-wax-based seals would be a good choice to my mind. > > https://www.natural-history-conservation.com/FluidPreservationTechniques.pdf > > Hope this helps > Dirk > > > > Am 02.07.2026 um 17:44 schrieb Claire Smith: >> Apologies all, for the lack of clarity ? I'm talking about old glass >> cylinders with a flat glass lid like this one: >> >> >> Best wishes, >> Claire >> >> ******* >> >> *Claire Smith *(she/her), AFHEA >> >> *Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cole Museum of Zoology* >> >> University of Reading >> _claire.smith at reading.ac.uk_ >> >> _www.linkedin.com/in/wetconservatrix_ >> >> Social media: @wetconservatrix >> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ >> *From:* Nhcoll-l on behalf of >> Claire Smith >> *Sent:* 02 July 2026 16:22 >> *To:* nhcoll-l >> *Subject:* [Nhcoll-l] Tips for tiny jars? >> >> >> External email: Treat content with caution. >> >> >> Hi everyone (with apologies for cross-posting), >> >> We have a selection of small specimens in our fluid collection, in >> jars of around 10 to 25 mL, and they evaporate incredibly quickly. We >> have to top them up almost annually, which isn't great for the >> specimens. The rate of evaporation doesn't seem to be worse with a >> particular fluid, or with a particular sealant. >> >> Do those of you who work with fluid collections have any tips for how >> to prevent these tiny jars from evaporating so quickly? >> >> Best wishes, >> Claire >> >> ******* >> >> *Claire Smith *(she/her), AFHEA >> >> *Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cole Museum of Zoology* >> >> University of Reading >> _claire.smith at reading.ac.uk_ >> >> _www.linkedin.com/in/wetconservatrix_ >> >> Social media: @wetconservatrix >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Nhcoll-l mailing list >> Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu >> https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l >> >> _______________________________________________ >> NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of >> Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose >> mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of >> natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to >> society. Seehttp://www.spnhc.org for membership information. >> Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate. > > > -- > > ****** > > ** > > *Dirk Neumann* > > Collection Manager, Hamburg > > Postal address: > > *Museum of Nature Hamburg* > Leibniz Institute for the Analysis > > of Biodiversity Change > > Dirk Neumann > > Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3 > > 20146Hamburg > +49 40238 317 ? 628 > > _d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de_ > > www.leibniz-lib.de > > > -- > Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversit?tswandels > Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany > > Stiftung des ?ffentlichen Rechts; > Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian > Gr?ter (Kaufm. Gesch?ftsf?hrer) > Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn > Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael Wappelhorst > > -- > Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversit?tswandels > Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany > > Stiftung des ?ffentlichen Rechts; > Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian > Gr?ter (Kaufm. Gesch?ftsf?hrer) > Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn > Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael H. Wappelhorst > > _______________________________________________ > Nhcoll-l mailing list > Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu > https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l > > _______________________________________________ > NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of > Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose > mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of > natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to > society. Seehttp://www.spnhc.org for membership information. > Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate. -- *Fabian Neisskenwirth* Restaurator/Pr?parator Waterfohrstr. 20 DE-45139 Essen Tel: +49 (0) 1573 2778729 www.naturhistorische-konservierung.de -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/png Size: 1939465 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Outlook-byxsqjdi.png Type: image/png Size: 349478 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Outlook-34rrzdg3.png Type: image/png Size: 349478 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Logo.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 47337 bytes Desc: not available URL: From rdees37 at yahoo.com Sat Jul 4 20:45:11 2026 From: rdees37 at yahoo.com (Robert Dees) Date: Sat, 4 Jul 2026 17:45:11 -0700 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Information on collector William Clarke MacIntyre References: Message-ID: Probably too late to be useful, but--He was a friend of Walter J. Eyerdam, a contemporary plant collector. Mentioned by Eyerdam in several letters to Thomas H. Goodspeed. Collected with Eyerdam in Ecuador in 1938, though not part of the expedition Eyerdam was on for Goodspeed. You can see these at https://as.huntbot.org/repositories/2/digital_objects/4175 -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Eyerdam and Goodspeed Correspondence.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 12609484 bytes Desc: not available URL: From executiveoperations at coterc.org Tue Jul 7 04:58:34 2026 From: executiveoperations at coterc.org (Tansy Ratcliffe-James) Date: Tue, 7 Jul 2026 09:58:34 +0100 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Vacancy submission In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Good morning, Please may I submit the attached vacancy for posting on your site? I look forward to hearing from someone. Please do let me know if you need any further information. Kind regards, Tansy Tansy Ratcliffe-James Director of Executive Operations, COTERC Email: executiveoperations at coterc.org Web: www.coterc.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Research Supervisor Fellowship - Application Pack 2026.docx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document Size: 340379 bytes Desc: not available URL: From mmferraro at cornell.edu Tue Jul 7 12:16:17 2026 From: mmferraro at cornell.edu (Mary Margaret Laura Ferraro) Date: Tue, 7 Jul 2026 16:16:17 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Harmonized System codes for avian tissues/blood/DNA Message-ID: Hey folks, I was wondering if anyone has recommendations for which HS codes to use for shipping avian tissue/blood/DNA for non-commercial genetic research. I have exclusively used codes in the 9705 group for importing and exporting specimens, however we have recently run into an issue with an exporting country requiring a broker for anything in this group. It does look like there are other HS codes that may apply to these types of samples like 0511.99 or 3002.90.00. Does anyone have experience with this? Thank you! Mary Margaret Mary Margaret Ferraro Bird and Mammal Collections Manager Cornell University Museum of Vertebrates 159 Sapsucker Woods Road Ithaca, NY 14850 mmferraro at cornell.edu -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de Tue Jul 7 12:35:19 2026 From: d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de (Dirk Neumann) Date: Tue, 7 Jul 2026 18:35:19 +0200 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] [EXTERN] Harmonized System codes for avian tissues/blood/DNA In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Hi Mary, 9705 is exclusively for preserved Natural History Specimens. For fresh, unpreserved material, you need to use either 0511.99 for unpreserved fresh material (unfit for human consumption) or 3002.90.00, however, chapter 30 is reserved pharmaceutical products, like prepared albumin blood preparations or blood-grouping reagents (3002.90.30. is for Animal blood prepared for therapeutic, prophylactic or diagnostic uses - 'prepared' here does not mean 'preserved', but fresh and prepared for therapeutic uses). Hope this helps Dirk Am 07.07.2026 um 18:16 schrieb Mary Margaret Laura Ferraro: Hey folks, I was wondering if anyone has recommendations for which HS codes to use for shipping avian tissue/blood/DNA for non-commercial genetic research. I have exclusively used codes in the 9705 group for importing and exporting specimens, however we have recently run into an issue with an exporting country requiring a broker for anything in this group. It does look like there are other HS codes that may apply to these types of samples like 0511.99 or 3002.90.00. Does anyone have experience with this? Thank you! Mary Margaret Mary Margaret Ferraro Bird and Mammal Collections Manager Cornell University Museum of Vertebrates 159 Sapsucker Woods Road Ithaca, NY 14850 mmferraro at cornell.edu _______________________________________________ Nhcoll-l mailing list Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l _______________________________________________ NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information. Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate. -- **** Dirk Neumann Collection Manager, Hamburg Postal address: Museum of Nature Hamburg Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change Dirk Neumann Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3 20146 Hamburg +49 40 238 317 ? 628 d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de www.leibniz-lib.de -- Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversit?tswandels Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany Stiftung des ?ffentlichen Rechts; Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian Gr?ter (Kaufm. Gesch?ftsf?hrer) Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael Wappelhorst -- Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversit?tswandels Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany Stiftung des ?ffentlichen Rechts; Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian Gr?ter (Kaufm. Gesch?ftsf?hrer) Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael H. Wappelhorst -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kj23v at fsu.edu Tue Jul 7 14:54:27 2026 From: kj23v at fsu.edu (Kalina Jakymec) Date: Tue, 7 Jul 2026 18:54:27 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] AI in Biodiversity Collections | Online Course from the Digitization Academy | Applications Close Friday! Message-ID: Hello! Friendly reminder that applications for the Digitization Academy's new course AI in Biodiversity Collections close Friday (July 10)! This free, online course takes place Mondays and Wednesdays from August 10 ? September 2 and is focused on emerging developments at the intersection of artificial intelligence and biodiversity collections. The aim of this Digitization Academy course is to empower participants with the knowledge and skills to (1) explain what AI is, how it works, and how it might be relevant to a biodiversity collection, (2) identify current AI-powered tools and approaches available to biodiversity collections, and explain how each connects to the AI subfields and methods that power it, (3) investigate the capabilities of current AI models by interacting with models directly, and explain how these capabilities serve as building blocks for relevant tools and approaches, (4) evaluate AI-powered tools and approaches for fitness in biodiversity collections by applying such criteria as accuracy, cost, scalability, privacy, and integration complexity to a real or realistic scenario, (5) articulate an informed position on responsible use of AI in biodiversity collections, and (6) develop a strategy to navigate AI developments that impact biodiversity collections. This course is targeted at those already associated with a biodiversity collection, such as student technicians, collections management professionals, or curators. The course will be relevant to a diversity of collection types. Participants do not need to have prior knowledge of AI models or tools. The course will be delivered in English. Those from outside the U.S. may apply. More information about the course, including course objectives and a link to apply, is available at https://digitizationacademy.org/course/AI-in-biodiversity-collections. Please share this info with any colleagues who might be interested! Best, Kalina Kalina Jakymec iDigBio Workforce Development Manager Florida State University digitizationacademy.org | idigbio.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de Tue Jul 7 16:51:05 2026 From: d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de (Dirk Neumann) Date: Tue, 7 Jul 2026 22:51:05 +0200 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] [EXTERN] Re: Tips for tiny jars? In-Reply-To: <8b897021-317d-4229-8236-77eab23e6692@naturhistorische-konservierung.de> References: <8b897021-317d-4229-8236-77eab23e6692@naturhistorische-konservierung.de> Message-ID: ... it might be worth checking if the chosen vacuum joint grease is suited for hot sealing; vacuum joint greases usually withstand boiling temperature (e.g. in distillation columns), but the joints are usually closed cold before the reaction. There is a huge variety of vacuum joint greases on the market, and they do differ in quality and their sealing properties.... Am 07.07.2026 um 11:57 schrieb Fabian Neisskenwirth: Hi Claire, in addition to all of these good advices I would consider using previously heated lids, to create a internal negative pressure in the jars which will hold the lid on its place. This is very easy with cylindrical flanged jars. The surfaces have to be perfectly flat though. So it could be necessary to grind the flange and lid on a glass-plate with some silicon carbide (carborundum). As an adhesive you can use any of the recommended bellow (tar, gelatin, beeswax/rosin mixes, vacuum grease), depending on the preservation fluid of course. Place the adhesive on the cold flange and then press the heated lid (at least 90 ?C) on top. The heat will melt the adhesive and the negative pressure hold the lid on its place very nicely, creating an airtight sealing. There is also a more careful approach that is completely non-invasive. Place the container in its current state in a much bigger container with a better seal, as proposed by John, but not just the specimens, but the whole jar, so the evaporation-rate is considerably minimized. Of course here you will need a good sealing too. Basically but the specimen jar in a empty jar. Its not a perfect solution, but it could slow down considerable the degradation process and preserve the whole integrity of the current specimen and jar. All the best! Am 03.07.26 um 08:07 schrieb Dirk Neumann: Hi Clare and all, what you describe sounds to me as if the sealant, either Gelatine or the silicone, would not properly adhere to the ground surfaces on the lid and neck. Also - at least judging from your photo - it seems that the glass lid is smaller than the flange of the cylinder, which reduces the adhesion surface: on the right side, it looks like the glass cover sits in the middle of the ground surface of the neck. The lid should always be slightly larger than the jar, the ground surface of the glass closure wider than that of the neck. If the glass closure is without ground surface, the sealant cannot adhere properly to the lid. For flanged jars, you need a clean and sufficiently wide (large) and even surface for the sealant to allow proper adhesion. The adhesive itself should be impermeable for gas - or at least as impermeable as it can be. The higher the sealant layer in this specific case, the worse is the seal. Using 'more' does not make a better seal. Most silicones are a really bad choice, because they are not only a bad gas barrier, but also leave silicone oils on the glass surface that need to be removed with acetone or similar solvents. If the silicone oil is not removed before resealing, the sealant has not adhesion to the glass surface. Aquarium people probably know this problem quite well... Gelatine seals can attract water vapours, and might also not be the best choice. Gelatine seals can last long, but often they don't. My advice for your display jars would be - depending on the climate conditions in the room they are stored in - to close the jars with a high quality, silicone-free vacuum joint grease. The layer should be as thin as possible. Build up a slight rim on the ground surface of the lid, and carefully - with very light pressure - turn the closure back and forth on the neck, until the grease film turns transparent, which indicates a proper sealing. Close the jars in a room that is 2-3 ?C warmer then the temperature in the storage room, to support slight negative pressure to build up in the jar. Leave the jar in the storage room for 2-3 days, then check the lid and slightly turn the glass closure again, if the film got opaque and is no longer transparent. I have used Alsirol with very good results. It can be easily removed 'dry' with toilet paper, without leaving traces on the ground surface. For jars with display specimens, it is also worth considering a permanent seal, Simon put some information on his website from his course. Tar, or bees-wax-based seals would be a good choice to my mind. https://www.natural-history-conservation.com/FluidPreservationTechniques.pdf Hope this helps Dirk Am 02.07.2026 um 17:44 schrieb Claire Smith: Apologies all, for the lack of clarity ? I'm talking about old glass cylinders with a flat glass lid like this one: [cid:part1.1iahCEsx.0GpTCJHr at leibniz-lib.de] Best wishes, Claire ******* Claire Smith (she/her), AFHEA Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cole Museum of Zoology University of Reading claire.smith at reading.ac.uk www.linkedin.com/in/wetconservatrix Social media: @wetconservatrix [cid:part2.rrU4uTKe.bl78gkMA at leibniz-lib.de] ________________________________ From: Nhcoll-l on behalf of Claire Smith Sent: 02 July 2026 16:22 To: nhcoll-l Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Tips for tiny jars? External email: Treat content with caution. Hi everyone (with apologies for cross-posting), We have a selection of small specimens in our fluid collection, in jars of around 10 to 25 mL, and they evaporate incredibly quickly. We have to top them up almost annually, which isn't great for the specimens. The rate of evaporation doesn't seem to be worse with a particular fluid, or with a particular sealant. Do those of you who work with fluid collections have any tips for how to prevent these tiny jars from evaporating so quickly? Best wishes, Claire ******* Claire Smith (she/her), AFHEA Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cole Museum of Zoology University of Reading claire.smith at reading.ac.uk www.linkedin.com/in/wetconservatrix Social media: @wetconservatrix [cid:part3.rjazzHK0.EoOzjFbx at leibniz-lib.de] _______________________________________________ Nhcoll-l mailing list Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l _______________________________________________ NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information. Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate. -- **** Dirk Neumann Collection Manager, Hamburg Postal address: Museum of Nature Hamburg Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change Dirk Neumann Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3 20146 Hamburg +49 40 238 317 ? 628 d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de www.leibniz-lib.de -- Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversit?tswandels Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany Stiftung des ?ffentlichen Rechts; Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian Gr?ter (Kaufm. Gesch?ftsf?hrer) Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael Wappelhorst -- Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversit?tswandels Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany Stiftung des ?ffentlichen Rechts; Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian Gr?ter (Kaufm. Gesch?ftsf?hrer) Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael H. Wappelhorst _______________________________________________ Nhcoll-l mailing list Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l _______________________________________________ NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information. Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate. -- Fabian Neisskenwirth Restaurator/Pr?parator Waterfohrstr. 20 DE-45139 Essen Tel: +49 (0) 1573 2778729 www.naturhistorische-konservierung.de [cid:part4.XNvMmvAD.Kgui0lqQ at leibniz-lib.de] _______________________________________________ Nhcoll-l mailing list Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l _______________________________________________ NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information. Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate. -- **** Dirk Neumann Collection Manager, Hamburg Postal address: Museum of Nature Hamburg Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change Dirk Neumann Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3 20146 Hamburg +49 40 238 317 ? 628 d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de www.leibniz-lib.de -- Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversit?tswandels Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany Stiftung des ?ffentlichen Rechts; Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian Gr?ter (Kaufm. Gesch?ftsf?hrer) Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael Wappelhorst -- Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversit?tswandels Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany Stiftung des ?ffentlichen Rechts; Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian Gr?ter (Kaufm. 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Name: Logo.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 47337 bytes Desc: not available URL: From mjandersen at unm.edu Wed Jul 8 06:52:33 2026 From: mjandersen at unm.edu (Michael Andersen) Date: Wed, 8 Jul 2026 10:52:33 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] POSITION AVAILABLE: Senior Museum Collections Manager, Division of Genomic Resources, Museum of Southwestern Biology Message-ID: Dear Colleagues, We are searching for a Senior Museum Collections Manager, Division of Genomic Resources at the Museum of Southwestern Biology in Albuquerque, NM. Please help spread the word. https://unm.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/18/home/requisition/37140?c=unm&cfdd[0][id]=255&cfdd[0][options][0]=1916 Thank you, Mike Michael J. Andersen, Ph.D. Professor of Biology, University of New Mexico Director & Curator of Genomic Resources, Museum of Southwestern Biology mjandersen at unm.edu | andersenlabunm.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MorganGlofcheskie at therooms.ca Wed Jul 8 08:05:58 2026 From: MorganGlofcheskie at therooms.ca (Glofcheskie, Morgan) Date: Wed, 8 Jul 2026 12:05:58 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Labelling heavy metals residues on display taxidermy Message-ID: Hi Everyone, I'm working on a project related to residual heavy metals found on some of our taxidermy and study skins. Several years ago we did XRF testing on our bird and mammal collections and have since been adding hazard labels to reflect the risk and PPE that should be worn when handling our toxic specimens. I've currently finished specimens in the collection, and am now working on specimens on display. We have a few toxic but significant taxidermy on display in cases which have no hazard labels. Since they are enclosed in display cases, the concern is less for the public and more for our exhibits team when handling to be aware of the PPE needed and special handling notes. Thoughts on discrete hazard labeling of our taxidermy on exhibit? I'm curious if other museums have dealt with a similar problem. I plan to work with our exhibits team as well. Thanks in advance! Morgan Morgan Glofcheskie (she/her) OCGC Museum Management and Curatorship, MSc Integrative Biology, BSc Biology Natural History Collections Management Assistant Archives and Collections t: (709) 757-8010 [cid:image001.png at 01DD0E21.C75A33B0] The Rooms Land Acknowledgement -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 3002 bytes Desc: image001.png URL: From shoobs.1 at osu.edu Wed Jul 8 08:20:11 2026 From: shoobs.1 at osu.edu (Shoobs, Nate) Date: Wed, 8 Jul 2026 12:20:11 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Labelling heavy metals residues on display taxidermy In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: I don?t have experience with public exhibit of specimens like this but we do have heavy metal contamination in some of our wet collection, and I have opted to put large, very clear hazard labels on the specimens affected (following some advice on this list). I think ?discrete? and ?hazard warning? are ideas which are at odds. You want to make sure the staff gets adequately warned before they open a case, without worrying/distracting the patrons (who are not at risk), right? I think labeling like this should guarantee that someone gets the right warning before they can access a potentially hazardous specimen. Perhaps putting a warning label on whatever access panel or sliding door there is on the cabinets? If those access portions all visible to the public, you could put a bright warning label on the keyring or fob that must be used to access specific cabinets? You could also have a more specific warning inside whatever key control box you use, if you use a key control system. It could be as simple as having a label on the keyring that says ?RESPIRATOR/PPE REQUIRED TO OPEN THIS CASE?. You could couple this with a discrete label on the specimen mounts themselves that has the preservation history. - Nathaniel F. Shoobs, Curator of Mollusks College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University Museum of Biological Diversity 1315 Kinnear Rd, Columbus, OH 43212 614-688-1342 (Office) mbd.osu.edu ________________________________ From: Nhcoll-l on behalf of Glofcheskie, Morgan Sent: Wednesday, 08 July 2026 08:05:58 To: Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Labelling heavy metals residues on display taxidermy Hi Everyone, I?m working on a project related to residual heavy metals found on some of our taxidermy and study skins. Several years ago we did XRF testing on our bird and mammal collections and have since been adding hazard labels to Hi Everyone, I?m working on a project related to residual heavy metals found on some of our taxidermy and study skins. Several years ago we did XRF testing on our bird and mammal collections and have since been adding hazard labels to reflect the risk and PPE that should be worn when handling our toxic specimens. I?ve currently finished specimens in the collection, and am now working on specimens on display. We have a few toxic but significant taxidermy on display in cases which have no hazard labels. Since they are enclosed in display cases, the concern is less for the public and more for our exhibits team when handling to be aware of the PPE needed and special handling notes. Thoughts on discrete hazard labeling of our taxidermy on exhibit? I?m curious if other museums have dealt with a similar problem. I plan to work with our exhibits team as well. Thanks in advance! Morgan Morgan Glofcheskie (she/her) OCGC Museum Management and Curatorship, MSc Integrative Biology, BSc Biology Natural History Collections Management Assistant Archives and Collections t: (709) 757-8010 [cid:image001.png at 01DD0E21.C75A33B0] The Rooms Land Acknowledgement -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 3002 bytes Desc: image001.png URL: From btronrud at manitobamuseum.ca Wed Jul 8 08:56:33 2026 From: btronrud at manitobamuseum.ca (Brigit Tronrud) Date: Wed, 8 Jul 2026 12:56:33 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Labelling heavy metals residues on display taxidermy In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Hi Morgan, A very impressive but necessary feat! At the Manitoba Museum we have very visible labels for hazardous specimens within the collections, but nothing for the hazardous mounts on display. Since we recently updated to a modern database we've been using that as the first point of call for when we need to handle display specimens; as we XRF objects we update their records in the database to have the hazards and conditions of handling listed on the first page, so that conservators and collections staff can prepare that way. That being said, you could also use a bit of cotton thread to tie a very small acid-free label to the taxidermy on a part that isn't visible to the public. We've considered using this method for just attaching a catalogue number to specimens, but I don't see why this couldn't also be used for hazards warning. Best wishes, Brigit Brigit Tronrud, DPhil (she/her) Collections Management Specialist, Natural History Manitoba Museum / 190 Rupert Avenue / Winnipeg MB R3B 0N2 T 204-988-0620 / E btronrud at manitobamuseum.ca *I am best reached by email! ManitobaMuseum.ca / @ManitobaMuseum / #MyMBMuseum [cid:070b0503-8eef-4689-aed4-4cdba7443d1e] The Manitoba Museum acknowledges that we are on Treaty No. 1 land, the ancestral lands of the Anishinaabeg, Ininiwak, N?hiyawak, and Michif. These lands, water, and waterways are the unceded territories of the Dakota, and the homeland of the Red River M?tis. The Museum is committed to reflecting the continued legacies of all of the original peoples of this province, including the Ithiniwak, Denesu?ine, Anisininew, Inuit, and Nakota. We acknowledge the harms of the past, are committed to improving relationships in the spirit of truth and reconciliation, and appreciate the opportunity to live and learn on these traditional lands in mutual respect. ________________________________ From: Nhcoll-l on behalf of Glofcheskie, Morgan Sent: Wednesday, July 8, 2026 7:05 AM To: Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Labelling heavy metals residues on display taxidermy You don't often get email from morganglofcheskie at therooms.ca. Learn why this is important Hi Everyone, I?m working on a project related to residual heavy metals found on some of our taxidermy and study skins. Several years ago we did XRF testing on our bird and mammal collections and have since been adding hazard labels to reflect the risk and PPE that should be worn when handling our toxic specimens. I?ve currently finished specimens in the collection, and am now working on specimens on display. We have a few toxic but significant taxidermy on display in cases which have no hazard labels. Since they are enclosed in display cases, the concern is less for the public and more for our exhibits team when handling to be aware of the PPE needed and special handling notes. Thoughts on discrete hazard labeling of our taxidermy on exhibit? I?m curious if other museums have dealt with a similar problem. I plan to work with our exhibits team as well. Thanks in advance! Morgan Morgan Glofcheskie (she/her) OCGC Museum Management and Curatorship, MSc Integrative Biology, BSc Biology Natural History Collections Management Assistant Archives and Collections t: (709) 757-8010 [cid:image001.png at 01DD0E21.C75A33B0] The Rooms Land Acknowledgement -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 3002 bytes Desc: image001.png URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/jpeg Size: 138073 bytes Desc: image.png URL: From rnewberry at smm.org Wed Jul 8 16:41:38 2026 From: rnewberry at smm.org (Rebecca Newberry (she/her)) Date: Wed, 8 Jul 2026 15:41:38 -0500 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Policies or procedures for disposing non-arsenic taxidermy mounts Message-ID: Hey there, We are developing procedures for the end of life for well loved, non arsenic taxidermy mounts from education collections. If you have written policies or procedures, would you please share them with me? Thank you! Rebecca ------------------------------ *Rebecca Newberry* *Pronouns: she/her/hers* *Director of Collections Stewardship* e: rnewberry at smm.org o: (651) 265-9841 The Science Museum of Minnesota is where the next generation of thinkers gets their spark. Be part of that . -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de Thu Jul 9 03:28:58 2026 From: d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de (Dirk Neumann) Date: Thu, 9 Jul 2026 09:28:58 +0200 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] [EXTERN] Labelling heavy metals residues on display taxidermy In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <7083c28e-fcee-4c11-bd6f-cae15ae61866@leibniz-lib.de> Hi Morgan, the key question is if there is a H&S risk for visitors in the meaning of applicable (annual) exposure rates and threshold values that would require marking (i.e. labelling). There could be a risk if visitors (illegally) touch specimens, i.e. get in direct contact with the object, or if airborne or sedimentary dust could convey biocides and/or toxic heavy metals in relevant concentrations. As there are no applicable threshold values other then room air or direct ingestion, the question for 'exposure risk' cannot be answered directly and straight forward. Maybe this example is suited to illustrate a pragmatic way forward: Not long ago, I attended a tour of an iconic and prestigious castle near Berlin. It is renowned not only for its cultural relevance (arts, gardens, architecture), but also for the fact that a lot of the original interior decoration contain heavy metal pigments, and that the entire wooden elements up to the roof where soaked with DDT to a content, that the emitting VOCs pose a serious health risk for the guides. They are allowed to stay for 4 hrs max in the building weekly, which was about the time we spend for our visit in the building (a group of nerdy museums and conservation specialists). Normal visitors usually are not informed, there might be a brief note at the beginning of each guided tour that visitors are not considered to touch anything. Tour guides pay close attention and are very strict with visitors, which do not adhere to the rules. They told us about the DDT values in the building - which were really mind-blowing - but you could not detect them with an XRF, and for objects, it is impossible to get quantitative results (or measurements are rough and don't give a real picture). If we would have stayed longer than 4 hrs, we might have had a slightly elevated risk, but would still have stayed well below the annual exposure threshold. Most visitors only visit once in their life-time. So their risk is minimal to zero - even if one of us would have touched an object. A biocide assessment in a large European Natural History Museum revealed high arsenic concentration in some objects, which triggered H&S concerns. People working in the respective collection got dosimeters to measure their direct exposure, which was paired with a clinical study to investigate, if arsenic from objects are traceable in the bodies of the colleagues. Few had elevated arsenic values, but it turned out these colleagues consumed a lot of fragrant rice from Asia - which is known for elevated arsenic values in the ground water. To put it short: I do not see a legal obligation to label, as the risk for visitors is negligible - even if some objects might be heavily contaminated. More imported in my view is to train guides and guards, explain the risks, and make sure they react and handle situations when they occur. Maybe it is worth considering to put a legal note at the front desk or on visitor tickets informing them rather general that historic specimens on display may have been prepared or treated with substances that are considered a health risk in case of direct exposure, which is why touching objects is prohibited and that the institution takes not responsibility for offences. Maybe this helps With best wishes Dirk Am 08.07.2026 um 14:05 schrieb Glofcheskie, Morgan: ACHTUNG/ATTENTION: Diese E-Mail stammt von einem externen Absender. / This e-mail comes from an external sender. Hi Everyone, I?m working on a project related to residual heavy metals found on some of our taxidermy and study skins. Several years ago we did XRF testing on our bird and mammal collections and have since been adding hazard labels to reflect the risk and PPE that should be worn when handling our toxic specimens. I?ve currently finished specimens in the collection, and am now working on specimens on display. We have a few toxic but significant taxidermy on display in cases which have no hazard labels. Since they are enclosed in display cases, the concern is less for the public and more for our exhibits team when handling to be aware of the PPE needed and special handling notes. Thoughts on discrete hazard labeling of our taxidermy on exhibit? I?m curious if other museums have dealt with a similar problem. I plan to work with our exhibits team as well. Thanks in advance! Morgan Morgan Glofcheskie (she/her) OCGC Museum Management and Curatorship, MSc Integrative Biology, BSc Biology Natural History Collections Management Assistant Archives and Collections t: (709) 757-8010 [cid:part1.QCG9NrLn.caKrsa2o at leibniz-lib.de] The Rooms Land Acknowledgement _______________________________________________ Nhcoll-l mailing list Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l _______________________________________________ NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information. Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate. -- **** Dirk Neumann Collection Manager, Hamburg Postal address: Museum of Nature Hamburg Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change Dirk Neumann Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3 20146 Hamburg +49 40 238 317 ? 628 d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de www.leibniz-lib.de -- Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversit?tswandels Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany Stiftung des ?ffentlichen Rechts; Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian Gr?ter (Kaufm. Gesch?ftsf?hrer) Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael Wappelhorst -- Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversit?tswandels Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany Stiftung des ?ffentlichen Rechts; Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian Gr?ter (Kaufm. Gesch?ftsf?hrer) Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael H. Wappelhorst -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 3002 bytes Desc: not available URL: From gali.beiner at mail.huji.ac.il Thu Jul 9 03:49:43 2026 From: gali.beiner at mail.huji.ac.il (Gali Beiner) Date: Thu, 9 Jul 2026 10:49:43 +0300 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] [EXTERN] Labelling heavy metals residues on display taxidermy In-Reply-To: <7083c28e-fcee-4c11-bd6f-cae15ae61866@leibniz-lib.de> References: <7083c28e-fcee-4c11-bd6f-cae15ae61866@leibniz-lib.de> Message-ID: Just chiming in to agree with Dirk here. A long time ago, as a student, I was informed of an internal report of sorts in a museum with a large ethnography section, a zoology section and generally a lot of organic materials in storage and on display. That report presented the percentage of employees in the collections who developed diseases likely to be related to their work environment - respiratory diseases and cancer. It turned out to be very high (around 80% if I remember correctly) - due to the continual, everyday work in closed spaces with the collections and because before the report came out there was less awareness of PPE (gloves, mainly - something I keep bringing up in any collections-related place and during any project). Visitors are far less likely to suffer from that kind of risk. Employees indeed should be the main target for information and for emphasizing why at least some basic PPE isn't "overkill" or just a nuisance. Best wishes, Gali On Thu, Jul 9, 2026 at 10:29?AM Dirk Neumann wrote: > Hi Morgan, > > the key question is if there is a H&S risk for visitors in the meaning of > applicable (annual) exposure rates and threshold values that would require > marking (i.e. labelling). > > There could be a risk if visitors (illegally) touch specimens, i.e. get in > direct contact with the object, or if airborne or sedimentary dust could > convey biocides and/or toxic heavy metals in relevant concentrations. > > As there are no applicable threshold values other then room air or direct > ingestion, the question for 'exposure risk' cannot be answered directly and > straight forward. > > Maybe this example is suited to illustrate a pragmatic way forward: > > Not long ago, I attended a tour of an iconic and prestigious castle near > Berlin. It is renowned not only for its cultural relevance (arts, gardens, > architecture), but also for the fact that a lot of the original interior > decoration contain heavy metal pigments, and that the entire wooden > elements up to the roof where soaked with DDT to a content, that the > emitting VOCs pose a serious health risk for the guides. They are allowed > to stay for 4 hrs max in the building weekly, which was about the time we > spend for our visit in the building (a group of nerdy museums and > conservation specialists). > > Normal visitors usually are not informed, there might be a brief note at > the beginning of each guided tour that visitors are not considered to touch > anything. Tour guides pay close attention and are very strict with > visitors, which do not adhere to the rules. They told us about the DDT > values in the building - which were really mind-blowing - but you could not > detect them with an XRF, and for objects, it is impossible to get > quantitative results (or measurements are rough and don't give a real > picture). > > If we would have stayed longer than 4 hrs, we might have had a slightly > elevated risk, but would still have stayed well below the annual exposure > threshold. Most visitors only visit once in their life-time. So their risk > is minimal to zero - even if one of us would have touched an object. > > A biocide assessment in a large European Natural History Museum revealed > high arsenic concentration in some objects, which triggered H&S concerns. > People working in the respective collection got dosimeters to measure their > direct exposure, which was paired with a clinical study to investigate, if > arsenic from objects are traceable in the bodies of the colleagues. Few had > elevated arsenic values, but it turned out these colleagues consumed a lot > of fragrant rice from Asia - which is known for elevated arsenic values in > the ground water. > > To put it short: I do not see a legal obligation to label, as the risk for > visitors is negligible - even if some objects might be heavily > contaminated. More imported in my view is to train guides and guards, > explain the risks, and make sure they react and handle situations when they > occur. Maybe it is worth considering to put a legal note at the front desk > or on visitor tickets informing them rather general that historic specimens > on display may have been prepared or treated with substances that are > considered a health risk in case of direct exposure, which is why touching > objects is prohibited and that the institution takes not responsibility for > offences. > > Maybe this helps > > With best wishes > > Dirk > > > > > > > Am 08.07.2026 um 14:05 schrieb Glofcheskie, Morgan: > > ACHTUNG/ATTENTION: Diese E-Mail stammt von einem externen Absender. / > This e-mail comes from an external sender. > > > Hi Everyone, > > I?m working on a project related to residual heavy metals found on some of > our taxidermy and study skins. Several years ago we did XRF testing on our > bird and mammal collections and have since been adding hazard labels to > reflect the risk and PPE that should be worn when handling our toxic > specimens. I?ve currently finished specimens in the collection, and am now > working on specimens on display. We have a few toxic but significant > taxidermy on display in cases which have no hazard labels. Since they are > enclosed in display cases, the concern is less for the public and more for > our exhibits team when handling to be aware of the PPE needed and special > handling notes. > > > > Thoughts on discrete hazard labeling of our taxidermy on exhibit? I?m > curious if other museums have dealt with a similar problem. I plan to work > with our exhibits team as well. > > > > Thanks in advance! > > Morgan > > > > *Morgan Glofcheskie *(she/her) OCGC Museum Management and Curatorship, > MSc Integrative Biology, BSc Biology > > *Natural History Collections Management Assistant* > > Archives and Collections > > *t:* (709) 757-8010 > > > > *The Rooms Land Acknowledgement* > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Nhcoll-l mailing listNhcoll-l at mailman.yale.eduhttps://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l > > _______________________________________________ > NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of > Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose > mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of > natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to > society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information. > Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate. > > > -- > > ****** > > > > *Dirk Neumann* > > Collection Manager, Hamburg > > > > Postal address: > > *Museum of Nature Hamburg* > Leibniz Institute for the Analysis > > of Biodiversity Change > > Dirk Neumann > > Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3 > > 20146 Hamburg > +49 40 238 317 ? 628 > > *d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de * > > www.leibniz-lib.de > > > > -- > Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversit?tswandels > Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany > > Stiftung des ?ffentlichen Rechts; > Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian > Gr?ter (Kaufm. Gesch?ftsf?hrer) > Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn > Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael Wappelhorst > > > -- > Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversit?tswandels > Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany > > Stiftung des ?ffentlichen Rechts; > Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian > Gr?ter (Kaufm. Gesch?ftsf?hrer) > Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn > Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael H. Wappelhorst > _______________________________________________ > Nhcoll-l mailing list > Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu > https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l > > _______________________________________________ > NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of > Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose > mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of > natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to > society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information. > Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate. > -- Gali Beiner (ACR) Conservator, Palaeontology Lab National Natural History Collections The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Berman Building, Edmond J. Safra campus, Givat Ram Jerusalem 91904, Israel Fax. 972-2-6585785 *gali.beiner at mail.huji.ac.il * *https://nnhc.huji.ac.il/?lang=en * -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 3002 bytes Desc: not available URL: From alex.kron at terentia.io Thu Jul 9 11:29:56 2026 From: alex.kron at terentia.io (Alex Kron) Date: Thu, 9 Jul 2026 11:29:56 -0400 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] [New webinar] Real Talk: DAM Implementation Lessons from the Field Message-ID: Your shiny new DAM is finally live. You did the research, sat through the demos, and got leadership on board. So, why does the hard part feel like it?s just starting? For a lot of institutions, DAM implementation is where things stall. Old workflows resist change, teams disagree on process, and the benefits take longer to show up than promised. Join Terentia ?s next webinar, Real Talk: DAM Implementation Lessons from the Field , for a candid conversation with DAM practitioners who?ve managed the change with great results. ?? Wednesday, July 29 ? 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT / 6 p.m. BST ? Zoom ?? Register now to be there. Whether you're planning ahead, navigating the messy middle, or troubleshooting after go-live, this session is for you. You'll come away with insights into? ? Why implementations succeed or stall ? Change management tips to build buy-in and keep it ? How to anticipate challenges before they arise ? Integrating a DAM with your CMS and software stack ?? Governance practices for post-launch success ?and hear from: ? Audrey Maier, Public History Director, Civil Rights Institute Inland Southern California ? Jamie Fogel, Library & Archives Director, Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium ? Jason Smith, DAM Administrator, The George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum ? Myl?ne Roussy, Lead Implementation and Project Manager, Terentia Alex Kron Community Manager alex.kron at terentia.io www.terentia.io Sign up for our newsletter to stay informed on the latest updates, insights, and innovations from Terentia. The information in this e-mail is intended solely for the addressee(s) named and is confidential. Any other distribution, disclosure or copying is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please reply by e-mail to the sender and delete or destroy all copies of this message. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dlpaul at illinois.edu Thu Jul 9 12:33:53 2026 From: dlpaul at illinois.edu (Deborah Paul) Date: Thu, 9 Jul 2026 11:33:53 -0500 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Labelling heavy metals residues on display taxidermy In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Hi All, I'd be interested to learn / hear more about how those of you following this topic:? Labelling heavy metals residues on display taxidermy capture this data in your collection management software? I'm assuming, you have some fields to track information like: tests done on specimens (which ones), date/s tested, results for those tests. What other fields / data do you capture? And do some of you then have the related policies in place for these use cases you're describing, that you could share / point to? In anticipation, Debbie On 7/8/2026 7:20 AM, Shoobs, Nate wrote: > I don?t have experience with public exhibit of specimens like this but > we do have heavy metal contamination in some of our wet collection, > and I have opted to put large, very clear hazard labels on the > specimens affected (following some advice on this list). > > I think ?discrete? and ?hazard warning? are ideas which are at odds. > You want to make sure the staff gets adequately warned before they > open a case, without worrying/distracting the patrons (who are not at > risk), right? I think labeling like this should guarantee that someone > gets the right warning before they can access a potentially hazardous > specimen. > > Perhaps putting a warning label on whatever access panel or sliding > door there is on the cabinets? If those access portions all visible to > the public, you could put a bright warning label on the keyring or fob > that must be used to access specific cabinets? You could also have a > more specific warning inside whatever key control box you use, if you > use a key control system. It could be as simple as having a label on > the keyring that says ?RESPIRATOR/PPE REQUIRED TO OPEN THIS CASE?. You > could couple this with a discrete label on the specimen mounts > themselves that has the preservation history. > > - > *Nathaniel F. Shoobs, *Curator of Mollusks > College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal > Biology, The Ohio State University > Museum of Biological Diversity > 1315 Kinnear Rd, Columbus, OH 43212 > 614-688-1342 (Office) > mbd.osu.edu > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > *From:* Nhcoll-l on behalf of > Glofcheskie, Morgan > *Sent:* Wednesday, 08 July 2026 08:05:58 > *To:* Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu > *Subject:* [Nhcoll-l] Labelling heavy metals residues on display > taxidermy > Hi Everyone, I?m working on a project related to residual heavy metals > found on some of our taxidermy and study skins. Several years ago we > did XRF testing on our bird and mammal collections and have since been > adding hazard labels to > > Hi Everyone, > > I?m working on a project related to residual heavy metals found on > some of our taxidermy and study skins. Several years ago we did XRF > testing on our bird and mammal collections and have since been adding > hazard labels to reflect the risk and PPE that should be worn when > handling our toxic specimens.? I?ve currently finished specimens in > the collection, and am now working on specimens on display. We have a > few toxic but significant taxidermy on display in cases which have no > hazard labels. Since they are enclosed in display cases, the concern > is less for the public and more for our exhibits team when handling to > be aware of the PPE needed and special handling notes. > > Thoughts on discrete hazard labeling of our taxidermy on exhibit? I?m > curious if other museums have dealt with a similar problem. I plan to > work with our exhibits team as well. > > Thanks in advance! > > Morgan > > *Morgan Glofcheskie *(she/her) OCGC Museum Management and Curatorship, > MSc Integrative Biology, BSc Biology > > *Natural History Collections Management Assistant*** > > Archives and Collections > > *t:*(709) 757-8010 > > -- - Deborah Paul, Biodiversity Informatics Community Liaison - Species File Group (INHS), University of Illinois -- Natural History Collections and Museomics NHCM Editor-in-Chiefhttps://nhcm.pensoft.net -- Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG) Past Chair 2021-2022 -- Florida State University Courtesy Appointment -- Species File Group and Eventshttps://speciesfilegroup.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dssikes at alaska.edu Thu Jul 9 17:14:52 2026 From: dssikes at alaska.edu (Derek Sikes) Date: Thu, 9 Jul 2026 13:14:52 -0800 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Museum exhibit scientifically accurate 3D insect models? US company? Message-ID: Can anyone recommend a US company that can fashion and sell large, 3D, scientifically accurate models of insects (or similar invertebrates). I am aware of the company 10Tons in Denmark but would like to learn if there is a similar US company. Thanks! Derek -- +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ *Derek S. Sikes*, Curator of Insects, Professor of Entomology University of Alaska Museum (UAM), University of Alaska Fairbanks 1962 Yukon Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775-6960 dssikes at alaska.edu phone: 907-474-6278 he/him/his University of Alaska Museum - search 400,000+ digitized arthropod records +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Interested in Alaskan Entomology? Join the Alaska Entomological Society and / or sign up for the email listserv "Alaska Entomological Network" at http://www.akentsoc.org/contact_us -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From lex at snsb.de Fri Jul 10 06:57:17 2026 From: lex at snsb.de (Lex, Melanie) Date: Fri, 10 Jul 2026 10:57:17 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Monitoring residual fats in bones Message-ID: <1c309b6e366241e89b129114aa6a51e3@snsb.de> Dear colleagues, does anyone have experience with monitoring residual fats in bones and how they react to changes in storage temperature and relative humidity? We would like to conduct an experiment with some of our greasier specimens to check our storage conditions and have thought about different approaches: * Taking photos every week to record the amount of surfacing fat by the looks of the bones. In this case we would set up a form to write down the affected area and intensity of the stains and, if possible, analyse the photos with a computer programme to get some quantitative data. * Placing sheets of filter paper underneath the bones and check the size of the stain on the paper and/or the weight of the paper sheet. Replace the sheets every week. Does anyone have recommendations for the type of filter paper we should use or does another approach come to mind? Thank you very much and have a great weekend! Melanie -- Melanie Lex Collection Management [1739347159996] SNSB ? Staatssammlung f?r Pal?oanatomie M?nchen Gruber Str. 64-68, 85586 Poing Tel.: +49 (0)8121 7089 - 32 E-Mail: lex at snsb.de https://spm.snsb.de www.snsb.de -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: OutlookEmoji-17393471599963fbf3a88-6fbc-40c6-8a71-debd3dcc7941.png Type: image/png Size: 10153 bytes Desc: OutlookEmoji-17393471599963fbf3a88-6fbc-40c6-8a71-debd3dcc7941.png URL: From MorganGlofcheskie at therooms.ca Fri Jul 10 13:47:44 2026 From: MorganGlofcheskie at therooms.ca (Glofcheskie, Morgan) Date: Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:47:44 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Labelling heavy metals residues on display taxidermy In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Hi Debbie, We use Axiel EMu as our CMS. When we have large projects (such as when we tested for heavy metals), we create a collections management event. Through this event we can link the objects that were tested, reports, datasets, pictures and people present during the event. In terms of catalogue records themselves, EMu has a tab for handling recommendations where protocols can be attached; this includes adding required PPE, masks, and lab coats if needed. Depending on what is selected in the record, it triggers a flag to show hazard symbols. There are also condition tabs and condition assessment tabs that we use to include hazards such as condition status (it can also track dates, making it helpful to follow the amount of times an object has been testing and its history). This was imported into EMu from a dataset we compiled with all the relevant information, and reference to the specific tabs and fields. Hope this helps! Morgan From: Nhcoll-l On Behalf Of Deborah Paul Sent: Thursday, July 9, 2026 2:04 PM To: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] Labelling heavy metals residues on display taxidermy CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Hi All, I'd be interested to learn / hear more about how those of you following this topic: Labelling heavy metals residues on display taxidermy capture this data in your collection management software? I'm assuming, you have some fields to track information like: tests done on specimens (which ones), date/s tested, results for those tests. What other fields / data do you capture? And do some of you then have the related policies in place for these use cases you're describing, that you could share / point to? In anticipation, Debbie On 7/8/2026 7:20 AM, Shoobs, Nate wrote: I don't have experience with public exhibit of specimens like this but we do have heavy metal contamination in some of our wet collection, and I have opted to put large, very clear hazard labels on the specimens affected (following some advice on this list). I think 'discrete' and 'hazard warning' are ideas which are at odds. You want to make sure the staff gets adequately warned before they open a case, without worrying/distracting the patrons (who are not at risk), right? I think labeling like this should guarantee that someone gets the right warning before they can access a potentially hazardous specimen. Perhaps putting a warning label on whatever access panel or sliding door there is on the cabinets? If those access portions all visible to the public, you could put a bright warning label on the keyring or fob that must be used to access specific cabinets? You could also have a more specific warning inside whatever key control box you use, if you use a key control system. It could be as simple as having a label on the keyring that says 'RESPIRATOR/PPE REQUIRED TO OPEN THIS CASE'. You could couple this with a discrete label on the specimen mounts themselves that has the preservation history. - Nathaniel F. Shoobs, Curator of Mollusks College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University Museum of Biological Diversity 1315 Kinnear Rd, Columbus, OH 43212 614-688-1342 (Office) mbd.osu.edu ________________________________ From: Nhcoll-l on behalf of Glofcheskie, Morgan Sent: Wednesday, 08 July 2026 08:05:58 To: Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Labelling heavy metals residues on display taxidermy Hi Everyone, I'm working on a project related to residual heavy metals found on some of our taxidermy and study skins. Several years ago we did XRF testing on our bird and mammal collections and have since been adding hazard labels to Hi Everyone, I'm working on a project related to residual heavy metals found on some of our taxidermy and study skins. Several years ago we did XRF testing on our bird and mammal collections and have since been adding hazard labels to reflect the risk and PPE that should be worn when handling our toxic specimens. I've currently finished specimens in the collection, and am now working on specimens on display. We have a few toxic but significant taxidermy on display in cases which have no hazard labels. Since they are enclosed in display cases, the concern is less for the public and more for our exhibits team when handling to be aware of the PPE needed and special handling notes. Thoughts on discrete hazard labeling of our taxidermy on exhibit? I'm curious if other museums have dealt with a similar problem. I plan to work with our exhibits team as well. Thanks in advance! Morgan Morgan Glofcheskie (she/her) OCGC Museum Management and Curatorship, MSc Integrative Biology, BSc Biology Natural History Collections Management Assistant Archives and Collections t: (709) 757-8010 -- - Deborah Paul, Biodiversity Informatics Community Liaison - Species File Group (INHS), University of Illinois -- Natural History Collections and Museomics NHCM Editor-in-Chief https://nhcm.pensoft.net -- Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG) Past Chair 2021-2022 -- Florida State University Courtesy Appointment -- Species File Group and Events https://speciesfilegroup.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From csheehy at floridamuseum.ufl.edu Fri Jul 10 09:16:57 2026 From: csheehy at floridamuseum.ufl.edu (Sheehy III, Coleman M) Date: Fri, 10 Jul 2026 13:16:57 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] =?utf-8?q?Freshwater_Fish_Collections_Intern_?= =?utf-8?q?=E2=80=93_Everglades_National_Park=2C_Florida?= In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Hi all, The Everglades BioCorps Internship Program is looking for a museum collections intern (for 1-year) to help evaluate, maintain, and organize scientific collections of freshwater fish and invertebrate samples collected from the Everglades Ecosystem. See below for more info. Thanks, Coleman Coleman M. Sheehy III, Ph.D. Division of Herpetology Florida Museum of Natural History 1659 Museum Road PO Box 117800 University of Florida Gainesville, FL 32611 (352) 273-1945 coleman3 at ufl.edu ________________________________ From: Romagosa,Christina M Sent: Thursday, July 9, 2026 4:35 PM To: Rob Robins ; Sheehy III, Coleman M ; Blackburn, David C Subject: FW: Freshwater Fish Collections Intern ? Everglades National Park, Florida Hi all, Please share widely. Thank you! The Everglades BioCorps Internship Program is looking for a museum collections intern (for 1-year) to help evaluate, maintain, and organize scientific collections of freshwater fish and invertebrate samples collected from the Everglades Ecosystem. This is a great post-undergrad position for someone familiar with working with museum specimens and can identify freshwater organisms. The position is located in Everglades National Park, near Homestead Florida. We will start reviewing applications on August 1, 2026, and hope to fill the position as soon as possible. We?ve posted the position to the Texas A&M Job Board (https://jobs.rwfm.tamu.edu/view-job/?id=117523) and I?ve pasted that same information below. ---------------- Freshwater Fish Collections Intern ? Everglades National Park, Florida Title: Freshwater Fish Collections Intern ? Everglades National Park, Florida Agency: University of Florida and National Park Service Location: Everglades National Park, 40001 State Road 9336, Homestead, Fl 33034 Job Category: Temporary/Seasonal Internship Salary: $15/hr Application Deadline: Open until filled. Application review will begin on August 1, 2026. Starting Date: ASAP Ending Date: 06/30/2027 Hours per Week: 40 Education Required: Bachelors preferred Experience: Interest and experience in laboratory work and/or with museum collections preferred Description: Everglades National Park is seeking one full-time Everglades BioCorps intern interested in evaluating, maintaining, and organizing scientific collections of freshwater fish and invertebrate samples from the Everglades ecosystem. The intern will prioritize, clean, preserve, and properly label specimens and containers, and compare samples to records of collections. They will also work closely with NPS natural resources scientists to recommend options for long-term archiving and storage. The Everglades BioCorps Internship Program supports biological management, monitoring, and research within the Florida Everglades and is supported through a collaboration between the National Park Service and The University of Florida. Upon completion of this internship, interns may be eligible to receive a Public Lands Corps benefit, which confers competitive hiring status for federal land management agencies up to two years after internship completion. https:/?/?www.nps.gov/?ever/?getinvolved/?biocorps-internship-program.htm QUALIFICATIONS: Applicants must have a relevant bachelor?s degree, proven work ethic, and demonstrated ability to collect accurate data. Applicants should be comfortable working alone in a laboratory setting with minimal oversight. The ideal candidate will have the ability to identify aquatic freshwater animal species in South Florida, strong attention to detail, and organizational skills. Interns must be U.S. citizens and possess a valid driver's license issued in the United States along with a clean driving record. Prior to hiring, a federal background check will be necessary. TO APPLY: Send a cover letter (no more than 1 page) and a resume or CV that includes contact information for 3 references to: ever_biocorps at nps.gov and wecinternships at ifas.ufl.edu. The subject line of the e-mail should read ?Everglades BioCorps Internship Application Fish Specimens?. Please attach applications as a single PDF using the file name format Lastname_ FishBioCorps _DDMMMYY [e.g., Darwin_FishBioCorps_ 01Aug26.pdf]. Contact Everglades BioCorps Internship Coordinator ever_biocorps at nps.gov and wecinternships at ifas.ufl.edu -- Christina M. Romagosa, PhD Associate Professor and Undergraduate Program Coordinator UF/IFAS Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation University of Florida PO Box 110430 Gainesville, FL 32611 Office: 352.273.3996 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From spnhc.conference at gmail.com Mon Jul 13 15:40:08 2026 From: spnhc.conference at gmail.com (Ruth Seyler) Date: Mon, 13 Jul 2026 15:40:08 -0400 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] SPNHC - Bridging Hemispheres - Early Rates End on July 15 Message-ID: Join colleagues from across the natural history preservation community at the SPNHC 2026 Annual Meeting ? *Bridging Hemispheres* ? in Cape Town at the Iziko Museums of South Africa, September 7?11. This will be the first SPNHC conference held on the African continent. Be part of this historic event and experience a conference?and a trip?of a lifetime. ? Explore our draft program to learn more about the sessions and symposia being offered. ? Discover two days of focused, hands-on learning through our post-conference workshops ? September 11-12. ? Join pre-conference field trips ? that provide exclusive access to South Africa?s fossil sites, botanical treasures, marine science facilities, and iconic landscapes. ? Enjoy the early evening beauty of Groot Constantia Wine Estate during the SPNHC Gala Dinner . Don't delay - register today. Registration is now open for all ticketed events, including field trips, workshops, and the Gala dinner. If you prefer to register for everything at once, you can now do so in a single transaction. A virtual attendance option is also available for those unable to travel. Learn more about this conference of a lifetime by visiting the SPNHC 2026 conference webpages. *Already registered and interested in adding ticketed events?* Whether you are registering for the first time or updating an existing registration, you can add ticketed events at any time. If you have not yet registered, please register today to secure early registration rates. You will be able to add ticketed events during the process. If you have already registered, updating your selections is simple. Log into Oxford Abstracts using the same email address you originally used. >From your profile menu, select *My Registrations*, open your SPNHC 2026 registration, and choose *Modify Registration* to reopen your form. Select any additional ticketed items, proceed through checkout to pay only for the new items, and you will receive an updated confirmation once the changes are complete. We look forward to welcoming you to Cape Town, September 7?11, for sessions, workshops, field trips, collaboration, and professional exchange. Questions? Reach out to SPNHC.conference at gmail.com SPNHC 2026 Joint Organizing Committee Ruth Seyler Conference and Sponsorship Coordinator Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From gali.beiner at mail.huji.ac.il Tue Jul 14 06:51:44 2026 From: gali.beiner at mail.huji.ac.il (Gali Beiner) Date: Tue, 14 Jul 2026 13:51:44 +0300 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Putting together info on printed labels in collections! Message-ID: Dear All, Some of you may recollect that I started compiling information on which (printed) labels exist in collections and how they fare condition-wise. The aim is to add this info to the SPNHC Wikipage on labels in the form of a rather simple, easy to review table. Thank you to all those who already sent the information from "their" collections. Those who haven't yet done so are invited to send me: Printer model Ink (toner) type / model Substrate (paper, plastic... + manufacturer) Conditions observations - kept well, faded, "alphabet soup", etc. Comments - expensive / ease of use / other If acceptable, I'd like to add your name, position, institute name. Please be aware that *failed labels are particularly interesting *and important! We want to know what did not work for you, as well as what did! Thank you, Gali -- Gali Beiner (ACR) Conservator, Palaeontology Lab National Natural History Collections The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Berman Building, Edmond J. Safra campus, Givat Ram Jerusalem 91904, Israel Fax. 972-2-6585785 *gali.beiner at mail.huji.ac.il * *https://nnhc.huji.ac.il/?lang=en * -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From rebeccadesjardins39 at gmail.com Tue Jul 14 08:10:51 2026 From: rebeccadesjardins39 at gmail.com (Becky Desjardins) Date: Tue, 14 Jul 2026 14:10:51 +0200 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Transferring specimens from denatured alcohol Message-ID: Hello all, At the Natuurhistorisch Museum Maastricht we have a series of aquatic plants that were preserved in Dutch "huishoudspiritus" which is blue colored (methylated?) denatured alcohol. I want to move them to ethanol..but is it better to move them to isopropyl? Thank you very much for your help. Becky Desjardins -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ajvandam at alcomon.com Tue Jul 14 08:48:29 2026 From: ajvandam at alcomon.com (Andries J. van Dam) Date: Tue, 14 Jul 2026 14:48:29 +0200 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Transferring specimens from denatured alcohol In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Hi Becky, Excerpt from paper by van Dam, A. J. and Brambilla, L. 2026. A review of interactions in fluid-preserved specimen collections and their impact on conservation and collection maintenance. JoNSC. 14. pp.51-62. https://www.natsca.org/article/2929: ?Although its volatility and flammability present safety concerns, ethanol (70?80 vol %) remains the most widely used preservative when fire hazard is not a limiting factor. IMS might be used as an alternative in countries where no tax exemption applies for ethanol purchase for scientific uses. IPA, mostly used in a concentration of 50?60 vol %, reacts with air (oxygen) to form dangerously unstable peroxides (Sax and Lewis, 1989). Its long-term stability as a preservative is questionable (Simmons, 1995).? Therefore, my advice would be to transfer the specimens to a mixture of ethanol 96% diluted with demineralized water to an end concentration of 70-75%. Hope this helps. Andries J. van Dam -- Director Alcomon Company https://alcomon.com/ Conservator (1983-2024) - Anatomical Museum Leiden University Medical Centre Directory Board member ICOM-CC (2008-2014) Coordinator ICOM-CC Natural History Collections Working Group (2002-2008) Van: Nhcoll-l namens Becky Desjardins Datum: dinsdag 14 juli 2026 om 14:11 Aan: Onderwerp: [Nhcoll-l] Transferring specimens from denatured alcohol Hello all, At the Natuurhistorisch Museum Maastricht we have a series of aquatic plants that were preserved in Dutch "huishoudspiritus" which is blue colored (methylated?) denatured alcohol. I want to move them to ethanol..but is it better to move them to isopropyl? Thank you very much for your help. Becky Desjardins _______________________________________________ Nhcoll-l mailing list Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l _______________________________________________ NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information. Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From bradbredehoft at museumstudy.com Tue Jul 14 09:19:08 2026 From: bradbredehoft at museumstudy.com (Brad Bredehoft) Date: Tue, 14 Jul 2026 09:19:08 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [Nhcoll-l] August Professional Development at Museum Study Message-ID: <1359978440.420602.1784035148976@email.ionos.com> We have to online professional Development courses in August at Museum Study. Laws and Collections Management 4 week online course begins Aug 3 on Museum Study Join instructor John Simmons for the professional development course Laws and Collection Management. The 4 week online course provides an accessible introduction to the ethical principles and legal aspects of managing museum collections by presenting the scope and significance of museum ethics and an introduction to national and international laws and regulations affecting museums, museum collections, and collections management. For more information visit our website: https://www.museumstudy.com/laws-and-collection-management Integrated Pest Management: The Plan and Implementation online course begins August 3 on Museum Study So you are familiar with Integrated Pest Management, but you never got around to writing a plan to carry it out. Here is the course for you! A written plan formalizes the IPM strategy and keeps management abreast of your status. It organizes your ideas and lays the groundwork for the needs of the collection and the building(s). It provides the direction in which you want to take the program, including grant funding and accreditation. Join Conservator Gretchen Anderson for this four week online course in which participants will learn how to apply IPM principles to their specific situation and institution. A draft plan and specific implementation strategies will be developed and discussed. Even though our institutions have different challenges the exchange of ideas presents the opportunity for us to help each other brainstorm solutions that will work for our situation. For more information visit our website: https://www.museumstudy.com/integrated-pest-management-plan -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From naturalhistoryarts at gmail.com Tue Jul 14 09:23:46 2026 From: naturalhistoryarts at gmail.com (The Institute for Natural History Arts) Date: Tue, 14 Jul 2026 09:23:46 -0400 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Fwd: Upcoming Course: Expedition Experiences - Birds In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Hi everyone! I'm excited to share our next incredible class at the *Institute for Natural History Arts.* We can't wait for you to join us! Warm regards, George Dante Jr. *Upcoming Course: **Expedition Experiences - Birds* Presented by *The Institute for Natural History Arts* Get ready to step into the field and experience ornithology like never before! *Expedition Experiences ? Birds* take students on an exciting journey through the history and hands-on techniques of collecting and preserving bird specimens, all in an immersive outdoor camp setting. Whether you're setting mist nets at dawn or preparing study skins by the campfire, this course brings science to life in the wild. *Dates:* Day 1 ? September 12th / Day 2 ? September 13th *Location:* INHA?s Catskill Biological Field Station, Andes, NY *Duration:* 2-day course *Course Fee:* $750.00 *Registration Deadline:* September 7, 2026 *A discounted bundle option is available with INHA's companion course, Field Notes ? Drawing Birds.* *Course Overview* Led by renowned field ornithologist and museum specialist *Dr. Peter Capainolo, and George Dante, *internationally recognized taxidermist and natural history exhibit specialist, *Expedition Experiences ? Birds* invites students into the fascinating world of bird collecting and preservation. Set in a rustic, outdoor camp inspired by historic zoological expeditions, this immersive course blends scientific discovery with hands-on practice. Participants will learn the history and significance of ornithological specimen collection while gaining practical experience preparing bird skins, skeletons, eggs, and more. By the end of the course, students will walk away with not only a deeper appreciation for the science and artistry behind bird specimen preservation but also the real-world skills to work with museum-quality materials. Whether you're a curious beginner or a science enthusiast eager to explore a lesser-known corner of natural history, this course offers a unique and rewarding adventure into the field of avian research. *What You?ll Learn:* - Explore the *history and science of bird collecting* for research and museums. - Gain *hands-on experience* preparing: - Avian study skins - Skeletal specimens - Wet specimens - Blown eggs - Learn techniques used by *field ornithologists*, past and present. - Discover the *tools, traps, and methods* of bird procurement (no live collection). - Enjoy immersive instruction in a *270-acre outdoor setting* with rustic camp vibes. - Take home your own preserved specimens to keep the learning going. *No birds will be collected during this course and specimens used are either non-protected domestic species or specimens held under federal and state salvage/education permits. Permit numbers are available upon request. Camping on site is available! Please follow the link for more information: https://www.naturalhistoryarts.org/event-details/2-day-expedition-experiences-birds-with-dr-peter-capainolo-george-dante Thank you! www.naturalhistoryarts.org The Institute for Natural History Arts 192 Lackawanna Ave Unit 104 Woodland Park NJ 07424 P: 973 890 1516 CONFIDENTIALITY NOTE This message is the property of the Institute for Natural History Arts. It may be legally privileged and/or confidential and is intended only for the use of the addressee(s). No addressee should forward, print, copy, or otherwise reproduce this message in any manner that would allow it to be viewed by any individual not originally listed as a recipient. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any unauthorized disclosure, dissemination, distribution, copying or the taking of any action in reliance on the information herein is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please immediately notify the sender and delete this message. Thank you. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de Tue Jul 14 10:01:32 2026 From: d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de (Dirk Neumann) Date: Tue, 14 Jul 2026 16:01:32 +0200 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] [EXTERN] Re: Transferring specimens from denatured alcohol In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <2bde08a1-0bf7-457b-bece-d7e6090e7e36@leibniz-lib.de> ... maybe worth adding: within the EU, technically denatured ethanol used MEK as a denaturant, which is - among other uses - can be used as running agent in chromatography, i.e. it dissolves colour and stains dark pigments very well. Depending on the total ethanol volume that is needed, it might be worth using undenatured ethanol for the plants, or to test, if the original blue coloured ethanol contains MEK. If not, and if there is no immediate conservation issue that requires changing of the ethanol, it might be worth considering the risks of transfer with regard to MEK. Hope this helps Dirk Am 14.07.2026 um 14:48 schrieb Andries J. van Dam: Hi Becky, Excerpt from paper by van Dam, A. J. and Brambilla, L. 2026. A review of interactions in fluid-preserved specimen collections and their impact on conservation and collection maintenance. JoNSC. 14. pp.51-62. https://www.natsca.org/article/2929: ?Although its volatility and flammability present safety concerns, ethanol (70?80 vol %) remains the most widely used preservative when fire hazard is not a limiting factor. IMS might be used as an alternative in countries where no tax exemption applies for ethanol purchase for scientific uses. IPA, mostly used in a concentration of 50?60 vol %, reacts with air (oxygen) to form dangerously unstable peroxides (Sax and Lewis, 1989). Its long-term stability as a preservative is questionable (Simmons, 1995).? Therefore, my advice would be to transfer the specimens to a mixture of ethanol 96% diluted with demineralized water to an end concentration of 70-75%. Hope this helps. Andries J. van Dam -- Director Alcomon Company https://alcomon.com/ Conservator (1983-2024) - Anatomical Museum Leiden University Medical Centre Directory Board member ICOM-CC (2008-2014) Coordinator ICOM-CC Natural History Collections Working Group (2002-2008) Van: Nhcoll-l namens Becky Desjardins Datum: dinsdag 14 juli 2026 om 14:11 Aan: Onderwerp: [Nhcoll-l] Transferring specimens from denatured alcohol Hello all, At the Natuurhistorisch Museum Maastricht we have a series of aquatic plants that were preserved in Dutch "huishoudspiritus" which is blue colored (methylated?) denatured alcohol. I want to move them to ethanol..but is it better to move them to isopropyl? Thank you very much for your help. Becky Desjardins _______________________________________________ Nhcoll-l mailing list Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l _______________________________________________ NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information. Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate. _______________________________________________ Nhcoll-l mailing list Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l _______________________________________________ NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information. Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate. -- **** Dirk Neumann Collection Manager, Hamburg Postal address: Museum of Nature Hamburg Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change Dirk Neumann Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3 20146 Hamburg +49 40 238 317 ? 628 d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de www.leibniz-lib.de -- Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversit?tswandels Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany Stiftung des ?ffentlichen Rechts; Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian Gr?ter (Kaufm. Gesch?ftsf?hrer) Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael Wappelhorst -- Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversit?tswandels Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany Stiftung des ?ffentlichen Rechts; Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian Gr?ter (Kaufm. Gesch?ftsf?hrer) Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael H. Wappelhorst -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From gnelson at floridamuseum.ufl.edu Tue Jul 14 12:26:18 2026 From: gnelson at floridamuseum.ufl.edu (Nelson,Gil) Date: Tue, 14 Jul 2026 16:26:18 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] New iDigBio Webinars Message-ID: IDigBio is excited to kick off the next round of the Sustaining Collections & Digitization Webinar Series with our upcoming webinar, Talking with TaxonWorks: Connecting Collections and Research. Join us Tuesday, July 21, 2026, from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM ET for a discussion exploring TaxonWorks, its growing community, and the many ways it supports biodiversity collections and research. Register and check out upcoming events here: https://ufl.zoom.us/ze/hub/iDigBio For past recordings, check out our YouTube!: https://www.youtube.com/@iDigBio/ July 21, 2026 | 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM ET Talking with TaxonWorks: Connecting Collections and Research Join the TaxonWorks conversation and explore our software and community. Loosely focused on three themes, research, collections, and getting started, there will be lots of opportunities for conversation. To kick-start things, we'll touch on some features, new and old, including our emerging ChecklistBank integration, export and API use, digitization tools, and customization capabilities. We'll then open the conversation?if you can do all this with your collections, should you!? Bring your questions, insights, and challenges to the table; we'd love to discuss how they intersect. Speakers: * Deborah Paul * Matthew Yoder We're thrilled to welcome Deborah Paul and Matthew Yoder to the webinar series. Both have been longtime leaders in the biodiversity informatics community and have played a major role in the development and growth of TaxonWorks. Whether you're already using TaxonWorks, considering it for your collections, or simply interested in learning more about modern collection management tools, this is a fantastic opportunity to hear directly from the people helping shape its future. We hope to see you there! Gil Nelson PhD, Director Integrated Digitized Biocollections (iDigBio) Immediate Past President, Natural Science Collections Alliance (NSCA) Florida Museum of Natural History University of Florida gnelson at floridamuseum.ufl.edu [FM_logo_horizontal_CMYK] -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/png Size: 10269 bytes Desc: image.png URL: From ewommack at uwyo.edu Tue Jul 14 16:04:21 2026 From: ewommack at uwyo.edu (Elizabeth Wommack) Date: Tue, 14 Jul 2026 20:04:21 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Mounting clay for museum objects Message-ID: Hello everyone, We recently had a researcher asking for some mounting clay to help support some bird skeleton elements for photography. This is not something I've stocked before in the UWYMV, so I wanted to see if anyone had some brands or types they would recommend? This wouldn't be used for long-term display purposes, but something that could help hold museum objects up for short-term use. Hopefully something that could be re-used would be great, because there may be some length of time between use of the mounting clay. cheers, Beth Elizabeth Wommack, PhD Curator and Collections Manager of Vertebrates University of Wyoming Museum of Vertebrates Berry Biodiversity Conservation Center, Dept. 3381 University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071 ewommack@uwyo.edu pronouns: she, her, herself www.uwymv.org UWYMV Collection Use Policy [https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/mail-sig/AIorK4wzeBAm3ZshQCDFzQ5wkSAIelZLntGMwLQ0l3OaxGfoFH4PEQ-tYzlg1s7X9ScKxz1dFEGIXS8] -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From diana.tirlea at gov.ab.ca Tue Jul 14 17:05:37 2026 From: diana.tirlea at gov.ab.ca (Diana Tirlea) Date: Tue, 14 Jul 2026 21:05:37 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Mounting clay for museum objects In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Hello Beth, We use Klean Klay for holding items temporarily - it stay malleable but I think it is oil-based, so not sure if that is an issue. I use it to hold seeds, cones, fruit while imaging the object. Paleontologists here use this for supporting bones too. https://conservationsupportsystems.com/product/show/klean-klay/modeling-clay Good luck. Diana Diana Tirlea, MSc (she/her) Assistant Curator Quaternary Environments, Royal Alberta Museum 9810 103a Ave NW, Edmonton, AB, Canada T5J 0G2 t (lab) 825 468 6050 (office) 825 468 6164 ???????????? (Amiskwac?w?skahikan), Treaty 6/M?tis Territory [cid:6cd4d68f-1406-479e-bbfc-a6f039fd02ac] Do you really need to print this e-mail? Please think of the environment. ________________________________ From: Nhcoll-l on behalf of Elizabeth Wommack Sent: Tuesday, July 14, 2026 2:04 PM To: NHCOLL-L Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Mounting clay for museum objects CAUTION: This email has been sent from an external source. Treat hyperlinks and attachments in this email with care. Hello everyone, We recently had a researcher asking for some mounting clay to help support some bird skeleton elements for photography. This is not something I've stocked before in the UWYMV, so I wanted to see if anyone had some brands or types they would recommend? This wouldn't be used for long-term display purposes, but something that could help hold museum objects up for short-term use. Hopefully something that could be re-used would be great, because there may be some length of time between use of the mounting clay. cheers, Beth Elizabeth Wommack, PhD Curator and Collections Manager of Vertebrates University of Wyoming Museum of Vertebrates Berry Biodiversity Conservation Center, Dept. 3381 University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071 ewommack@uwyo.edu pronouns: she, her, herself www.uwymv.org UWYMV Collection Use Policy [https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/mail-sig/AIorK4wzeBAm3ZshQCDFzQ5wkSAIelZLntGMwLQ0l3OaxGfoFH4PEQ-tYzlg1s7X9ScKxz1dFEGIXS8] Classification: Protected A -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/jpeg Size: 2464 bytes Desc: image.png URL: From ewommack at uwyo.edu Wed Jul 15 11:20:16 2026 From: ewommack at uwyo.edu (Elizabeth Wommack) Date: Wed, 15 Jul 2026 15:20:16 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Mounting clay for museum objects In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Hi Diana, Thanks for the recommendation! I'll take a look. cheers, Beth Elizabeth Wommack, PhD Curator and Collections Manager of Vertebrates University of Wyoming Museum of Vertebrates Berry Biodiversity Conservation Center, Dept. 3381 University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071 ewommack@uwyo.edu pronouns: she, her, herself www.uwymv.org UWYMV Collection Use Policy [https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/mail-sig/AIorK4wzeBAm3ZshQCDFzQ5wkSAIelZLntGMwLQ0l3OaxGfoFH4PEQ-tYzlg1s7X9ScKxz1dFEGIXS8] ________________________________ From: Diana Tirlea Sent: Tuesday, July 14, 2026 15:05 To: Elizabeth Wommack ; NHCOLL-L Subject: Re: Mounting clay for museum objects ? This message was sent from a non-UWYO address. Please exercise caution when clicking links or opening attachments from external sources. Hello Beth, We use Klean Klay for holding items temporarily - it stay malleable but I think it is oil-based, so not sure if that is an issue. I use it to hold seeds, cones, fruit while imaging the object. Paleontologists here use this for supporting bones too. https://conservationsupportsystems.com/product/show/klean-klay/modeling-clay Good luck. Diana Diana Tirlea, MSc (she/her) Assistant Curator Quaternary Environments, Royal Alberta Museum 9810 103a Ave NW, Edmonton, AB, Canada T5J 0G2 t (lab) 825 468 6050 (office) 825 468 6164 ???????????? (Amiskwac?w?skahikan), Treaty 6/M?tis Territory [cid:6cd4d68f-1406-479e-bbfc-a6f039fd02ac] Do you really need to print this e-mail? Please think of the environment. ________________________________ From: Nhcoll-l on behalf of Elizabeth Wommack Sent: Tuesday, July 14, 2026 2:04 PM To: NHCOLL-L Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Mounting clay for museum objects CAUTION: This email has been sent from an external source. Treat hyperlinks and attachments in this email with care. Hello everyone, We recently had a researcher asking for some mounting clay to help support some bird skeleton elements for photography. This is not something I've stocked before in the UWYMV, so I wanted to see if anyone had some brands or types they would recommend? This wouldn't be used for long-term display purposes, but something that could help hold museum objects up for short-term use. Hopefully something that could be re-used would be great, because there may be some length of time between use of the mounting clay. cheers, Beth Elizabeth Wommack, PhD Curator and Collections Manager of Vertebrates University of Wyoming Museum of Vertebrates Berry Biodiversity Conservation Center, Dept. 3381 University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071 ewommack@uwyo.edu pronouns: she, her, herself www.uwymv.org UWYMV Collection Use Policy [https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/mail-sig/AIorK4wzeBAm3ZshQCDFzQ5wkSAIelZLntGMwLQ0l3OaxGfoFH4PEQ-tYzlg1s7X9ScKxz1dFEGIXS8] Classification: Protected A -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/jpeg Size: 2464 bytes Desc: image.png URL: From emtroyer7 at gmail.com Fri Jul 17 10:45:00 2026 From: emtroyer7 at gmail.com (Emily Troyer) Date: Fri, 17 Jul 2026 10:45:00 -0400 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Collection Manager, Fishes, Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History Message-ID: Collection Manager (Curator Archivist), Fishes, Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History To apply, go to: https://jobs.ou.edu/jobs/curator-archivist-norman-oklahoma-united-states Pay Range: Targeted salary $18.99 per hour, based on experience Benefits Eligible: Yes Work Schedule: Monday ? Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (may include some weekends) Travel: May be required For Best Consideration Date: 8/1/2026 Position Introduction: The Curator Archivist is responsible for the daily curatorial operations and management of the SNOMNH Fish Collection. Develop and maintain the collection, database, and support research and exhibition programs. Maintain the Fish Collection website, including the online database and image library. Ensure proper permits and documentation for field collection and loan and exchange of museum specimens. Assist curator, faculty, scholars, and students in obtaining and identifying specimens for their research projects. Assist in organizing and preparing presentations and programs highlighting collection materials and research activities. Train and supervise students, interns and volunteers, and helping visitors make use of the collection. View full job description Required Education and Experience: Bachelor's degree. Department Preferences: Graduate degree (M.S. or PhD) in a discipline relevant to natural history collections, such as Biology, Biological Sciences, Museum Studies, or a related field, with an emphasis in fish biology. 36-48 months of collection-related experience in natural history museum collections, including some to all the following: curation, collection and database management, registration, digitization, and preparation of fish specimens (wet and dry collections), or academic experience working with collections in a museum, educational or similar public institution. Demonstrated knowledge of fish systematics and biology. Experience in the preparation and preservation of fishes and genomic resources. Experience with database management and relational databases and knowledge of external data repositories such as GBIF. Proficiency in using microscopes and other equipment essential for laboratory biological collections work. SCUBA certification (e.g., PADI/SSI Open Water or higher). Hiring Contingent Upon a Background Check: Yes Norman Campus: If you are selected as a finalist for a position that supports the Norman Campus, you will be subject to The University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Tuberculosis Testing policy. To view the policy, visit https://hr.ou.edu/Policies-Handbooks/TB-Testing. Why You Belong at the University of Oklahoma: The University of Oklahoma values our community's unique talents, perspectives, and experiences. At OU, we aspire to harness our innovation, creativity, and collaboration for the advancement of people everywhere. You Belong Here! Equal Employment Opportunity Statement: The University, in compliance with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, genetic information, gender identity/expression (consistent with applicable law), age (40 or older), religion, disability, political beliefs, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices, or procedures. This includes but is not limited to admissions, employment, housing, financial aid, and educational services. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From gnelson at floridamuseum.ufl.edu Mon Jul 20 07:45:37 2026 From: gnelson at floridamuseum.ufl.edu (Nelson,Gil) Date: Mon, 20 Jul 2026 11:45:37 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Register for July's iDigBio webinars! Message-ID: Hello everyone, Don?t forget to join us tomorrow, July 21, for Talking with TaxonWorks: Connecting Collections and Research! Registration is also open for our July 28 webinar, Field Stations, Marine Labs, and the Preservation of Biodiversity Collections. Be sure to register and join us for both of these upcoming events! Register and check out upcoming events here: https://ufl.zoom.us/ze/hub/iDigBio For past recordings, check out our YouTube!: https://www.youtube.com/@iDigBio/ July Webinars July 21, 2026 | 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM ET Talking with TaxonWorks: Connecting Collections and Research Join the TaxonWorks conversation and explore our software and community. Loosely focused on three themes, research, collections, and getting started, there will be lots of opportunities for conversation. To kick-start things, we'll touch on some features, new and old, including our emerging ChecklistBank integration, export and API use, digitization tools, and customization capabilities. We'll then open the conversation?if you can do all this with your collections, should you!? Bring your questions, insights, and challenges to the table; we'd love to discuss how they intersect. Speakers: * Deborah Paul * Matthew Yoder July 28, 2026 | 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM ET Field Stations, Marine Labs, and the Preservation of Biodiversity Collections Field stations and marine laboratories (FSMLs) are in some of the most species-rich and ecologically diverse environments across the globe and are hubs for specimen collection, long-term biological monitoring, and collections-based research. Some specimens collected at FSMLs live on in full museum collections and some are stored at the FSMLs. This talk provides a brief history of FSMLs and their role in natural history, highlights the collections held at or generated by FSMLs, and discusses how FSMLs can help play a role in the long-term stewardship of biodiversity collections. The talk will focus on panelists from FSMLs with onsite biological collections. Panelists will share about their FSML?s collection and participate in a discussion with the iDigBio community about FSMLs as places to collect, store, digitize, and research collections. Panelists will come from the Organization of Biological Field Stations (OBFS), the nonprofit and professional society representing of hundreds of FSMLs across the globe. Speakers: * Conner Philson * Gil Nelson * Rick Williams We hope you'll join us! Additional webinars will be announced as they are finalized, so be sure to check our Zoom Events Hub regularly for the latest schedule and registration information. You can also follow iDigBio on social media for webinar announcements, updates, and other news from the biodiversity collections community. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iDigBio LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/idigbio X: https://x.com/iDigBio Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/idigbio/ We look forward to seeing you at an upcoming webinar! Best, Gil Nelson PhD, Director Integrated Digitized Biocollections (iDigBio) Immediate Past President, Natural Science Collections Alliance (NSCA) Florida Museum of Natural History University of Florida gnelson at floridamuseum.ufl.edu [FM_logo_horizontal_CMYK] -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/png Size: 10269 bytes Desc: image.png URL: From gnelson at floridamuseum.ufl.edu Mon Jul 20 08:01:51 2026 From: gnelson at floridamuseum.ufl.edu (Nelson,Gil) Date: Mon, 20 Jul 2026 12:01:51 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Urgent iDigBio Reminder: ACT NOW to ensure your images and other media are not lost forever Message-ID: SUBJECT: Urgent iDigBio Reminder: ACT NOW to ensure your images and other media are not lost forever iDigBio is permanently shutting down its servers at the University of Florida in August. All images and media will be permanently deleted. Hence, access to all media and image files currently visible in the iDigBio Portal will terminate on 31 August 2026. Here is what you must do to preserve your images: 1. If your collection records contain links to media/images that are physically stored on iDigBio?s servers and those media/images are not moved to another storage resource, they will be permanently deleted and lost forever. 2. If your images or other media have been moved to another storage resource but the links/URIs in your specimen records are not updated to the new location, the images will become inaccessible to GBIF and other aggregators. 3. If your media/images have been moved to another storage resource, the record links/URIs have been updated, but the modified/updated records have not been republished to GBIF and other aggregators, your images will not be accessible. 4. If your media/images have been moved to another storage resource, the record links/URIs have been updated, and the modified/updated records have been republished to GBIF or another aggregator, the media/images can be accessed as usual. COMPLETING ALL 3 STEPS ABOVE IS THE ONLY WAY TO ENSURE CONTINUED ACCESS TO YOUR IMAGES. What if my images are served in a Symbiota portal? The Symbiota Support Hub (SSH) team at the University of Kansas (KU) is aware that some active Symbiota portals contain primary media/images that are stored on and/or linked to iDigBio servers. The SSH team will be making every effort over the coming weeks to permanently transfer these media/images to KU infrastructure and update linkages as needed to ensure their long-term accessibility through the Symbiota portals and other aggregators downstream. >>> You must take action now to ensure that your media/image files are not permanently deleted and remain accessible via other aggregators! <<< >>> iDigBio cannot perform these tasks for you! <<< What if I have questions? More information is available at https://idigbio.gbif.us/post/2026/media-update/. Otherwise, you may contact Cat Chapman, our Biodiversity Informatics Manager, with any additional questions. Best, Gil Gil Nelson PhD, Director Integrated Digitized Biocollections (iDigBio) Immediate Past President, Natural Science Collections Alliance (NSCA) Florida Museum of Natural History University of Florida gnelson at floridamuseum.ufl.edu [FM_logo_horizontal_CMYK] -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/png Size: 10269 bytes Desc: image.png URL: From ianicus.za at gmail.com Mon Jul 20 10:27:57 2026 From: ianicus.za at gmail.com (Ian Engelbrecht) Date: Mon, 20 Jul 2026 16:27:57 +0200 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Online label maker In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Hi everyone, Thank you for the positive feedback received. Entomology (pinned insect) labels are now up. You'll need to test them out with your own data and fiddle with the dimensions and font size settings a bit to get it all working. Please feel free to drop me message if you find any problems. Kind regards, Ian On Mon, Jan 26, 2026 at 10:19?AM Ian Engelbrecht wrote: > Hi folks, > > I just wanted to drop an alert here about a simple online label designing > tool I built, available at > https://labels.nscf.org.za. > > You drag in your Darwin Core-ish csv file with your label data and then > tweak the settings (dimensions, font weight, etc) to your liking and then > ?print? the labels via the browser?s print dialog (typically saving to PDF > for actual printing). You can edit field mappings and select which elements > you want to include/exclude (barcodes, det labels, punch hole marks). Your > settings are saved when you ?print? your labels. There?s a link to an > example dataset too as a place to start if needed. > > The idea was to have a way to quickly generate specimen labels > independently of a full blown CMS. This is nice for undergraduate student > projects, independent collectors/hobbyists wanting to label their specimens > prior to depositing with an institution, etc. We have ?general? and > herbarium labels presently. Ento labels are ?coming soon?, but will > probably just be a smaller version of the ?general? labels. > > Just a note that no data are sent over the wire at any point, everything > happens locally in your browser, so your data are safe and private > throughout (feel free to drop the code, available on github, into your > favorite AI chat to check and confirm). > > This tool was built while I was employed at the NSCF, there?s also a link > to that project?s website if you?re interested. > > Any feedback is welcome on this email address. > > Kind regards, > > Ian > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From celina.klink at stud.abk-stuttgart.de Mon Jul 20 08:04:16 2026 From: celina.klink at stud.abk-stuttgart.de (Celina Klink) Date: Mon, 20 Jul 2026 12:04:16 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Survey: Retouching of Faded Taxidermy Specimens Made of Fur in Natural History Collections Message-ID: Dear Sir or Madam, My name is Celina Klink, and I am a second-semester master?s student in the Department of Object Conservation at the State Academy of Fine Arts in Stuttgart, Germany. As part of my current project, I am working on the conservation and restoration of a bison taxidermy specimen from the permanent exhibition at the State Museum of Natural History in Stuttgart. Due to exposure to sunlight and UV radiation over the past 20 years, the specimen has undergone significant color changes. To restore the object?s legibility and visual appeal, these changes will be corrected to its original condition through retouching. According to the literature, Orasol? pigments and dye solutions are particularly well-suited in terms of their color effect, reversibility, and lightfastness; however, in practical application at the Natural History Museum in Stuttgart, they proved only partially satisfactory (red hues in particular proved to be not lightfast, while yellow hues could not be completely removed). It is of great interest to me how other institutions deal with this issue. I would therefore like to ask you to participate in the attached survey and share the experience in your institution with handling fur specimens that have changed color. It will take about 10-15 minutes to complete. All information provided will be used exclusively for the purposes of this project. Thank you very much for your support! Best regards, Celina Klink -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Umfrage_Survey.docx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document Size: 22592 bytes Desc: Umfrage_Survey.docx URL: From an.yena at gmail.com Wed Jul 22 03:54:17 2026 From: an.yena at gmail.com (Andrey Yena) Date: Wed, 22 Jul 2026 10:54:17 +0300 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] [HERBARIA] Urgent iDigBio Reminder: ACT NOW to ensure your images and other media are not lost forever In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Dear Colleagues, I'm seeking advice on how to organize an exhibition on regional flora in a local history museum. I'd be extremely grateful if any of my colleagues could share any suggestions based on the best experience available. With the best wishes Andrey V. Yena Dr. Biol. Sc., Professor, Dept. of Forestry and Horticulture Construction, Curator of Herbarium CSAU Agrotechnological Academy of the V.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University Simferopol Crimea RF email: an.yena at gmail.com ??, 20 ???. 2026??. ? 15:02, Nelson,Gil via HERBARIA < herbaria at lists.engr.oregonstate.edu>: > [This email originated from outside of OSU. Use caution with links and > attachments.] > SUBJECT: Urgent iDigBio Reminder: ACT NOW to ensure your images and other > media are not lost forever > > iDigBio is permanently shutting down its servers at the University of > Florida in August. All images and media will be permanently deleted. > Hence, access to all media and image files currently visible in the > *iDigBio > Portal* > > will terminate on 31 August 2026. > > Here is what you must do to preserve your images: > > 1. If your collection records contain links to media/images that are > physically stored on iDigBio?s servers and those media/images are not moved > to another storage resource, they will be permanently deleted and lost > forever. > 2. If your images or other media have been moved to another storage > resource but the links/URIs in your specimen records are not updated to the > new location, the images will become inaccessible to GBIF and other > aggregators. > 3. If your media/images have been moved to another storage resource, > the record links/URIs have been updated, but the modified/updated > records have not been republished to GBIF and other aggregators, your > images will not be accessible. > 4. If your media/images have been moved to another storage resource, > the record links/URIs have been updated, and the modified/updated records > have been republished to GBIF or another aggregator, the media/images can > be accessed as usual. COMPLETING ALL 3 STEPS ABOVE IS THE ONLY WAY TO > ENSURE CONTINUED ACCESS TO YOUR IMAGES. > > > What if my images are served in a Symbiota portal? > The Symbiota Support Hub (SSH) team at the University of Kansas (KU) is > aware that some active Symbiota portals contain primary media/images that > are stored on and/or linked to iDigBio servers. The SSH team will be making > every effort over the coming weeks to permanently transfer these > media/images to KU infrastructure and update linkages as needed to ensure > their long-term accessibility through the Symbiota portals and other > aggregators downstream. > > *>>> You must take action now to ensure that your media/image files are > not permanently deleted and remain accessible via other aggregators! <<<* > *>>> iDigBio cannot perform these tasks for you! <<<* > > What if I have questions? > More information is available at > *https://idigbio.gbif.us/post/2026/media-update/* > > . Otherwise, you may contact *Cat Chapman* > , our Biodiversity Informatics Manager, > with any additional questions. > > Best, > > Gil > > Gil Nelson PhD, Director > > Integrated Digitized Biocollections (iDigBio) > Immediate Past President, Natural Science Collections Alliance (NSCA) > > Florida Museum of Natural History > > University of Florida > > *gnelson at floridamuseum.ufl.edu* > > [image: FM_logo_horizontal_CMYK] > > > _______________________________________________ > HERBARIA mailing list -- herbaria at lists.engr.oregonstate.edu is > co-sponsored by the American Society of Plant Taxonomists and the Society > of Herbarium Curators. > To unsubscribe send an email to herbaria-leave at lists.engr.oregonstate.edu > -- Andriy V. Yena Dr. Biol. Sc., Professor, Dept. of Forestry and Horticulture Construction, Curator of Herbarium CSAU Agrotechnological Academy of the V.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University Simferopol Crimea email: an.yena at gmail.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/png Size: 10269 bytes Desc: not available URL: From gnelson at floridamuseum.ufl.edu Mon Jul 27 08:32:49 2026 From: gnelson at floridamuseum.ufl.edu (Nelson,Gil) Date: Mon, 27 Jul 2026 12:32:49 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] iDigBio Sustaining Digitization Webinar Message-ID: Hello everyone, Don?t forget to join us tomorrow, July 28th, for our upcoming webinar: Field Stations, Marine Labs, and the Preservation of Biodiversity Collections! Registration is also open for our other scheduled webinars. Be sure to register and join us for all of these upcoming events! Register and check out upcoming events here: https://ufl.zoom.us/ze/hub/iDigBio For past recordings, check out our YouTube!: https://www.youtube.com/@iDigBio/ July 28, 2026 | 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM ET Field Stations, Marine Labs, and the Preservation of Biodiversity Collections Field stations and marine laboratories (FSMLs) are in some of the most species-rich and ecologically diverse environments across the globe and are hubs for specimen collection, long-term biological monitoring, and collections-based research. Some specimens collected at FSMLs live on in full museum collections and some are stored at the FSMLs. This talk provides a brief history of FSMLs and their role in natural history, highlights the collections held at or generated by FSMLs, and discusses how FSMLs can help play a role in the long-term stewardship of biodiversity collections. The talk will focus on panelists from FSMLs with onsite biological collections. Panelists will share about their FSML?s collection and participate in a discussion with the iDigBio community about FSMLs as places to collect, store, digitize, and research collections. Panelists will come from the Organization of Biological Field Stations (OBFS), the nonprofit and professional society representing of hundreds of FSMLs across the globe. Speakers: ??Conner Philson ?Gil Nelson ?Rick Williams We hope you'll join us! Best Gil Gil Nelson PhD, Director Integrated Digitized Biocollections (iDigBio) Immediate Past President, Natural Science Collections Alliance (NSCA) Florida Museum of Natural History University of Florida gnelson at floridamuseum.ufl.edu [FM_logo_horizontal_CMYK] -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/png Size: 10269 bytes Desc: image.png URL: From spnhc.conference at gmail.com Wed Jul 29 21:48:13 2026 From: spnhc.conference at gmail.com (Ruth Seyler) Date: Wed, 29 Jul 2026 21:48:13 -0400 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] SPNHC - 2027 Conference Update Message-ID: Hello, I?m delighted to share exciting news: SPNHC has secured the location for our 2027 Annual Meeting and will be partnering with four international networks to produce one of the largest ecological data conferences ever held in North America. *Living Data 2027* will take place June 9?12, 2027, at the Palais de Congr?s in Montr?al, Canada. SPNHC is joining forces with TDWG, GEO BON, iBOL, and QCBS to create a once-in-a-generation gathering for the global biodiversity and ecological data communities. Montr?al is an ideal host city for this moment. It offers convenient travel access for U.S. attendees while providing an international setting where participants from around the world feel welcome and safe. SPNHC has already begun discussions with our partners to ensure that our society?s programming reflects the full breadth of our membership and showcases the strength of our collections, research, and community. The proposed 2027 location will be brought to a vote at the All Member Business Meeting at SPNHC 2026 in Cape Town on September 10. If you are not yet registered for SPNHC 2026 , there is still time to join us in Cape Town?one month out is often the best window for booking international travel. If you are unable to attend in person, consider registering as a virtual attendee so you can access the Bridging Hemispheres programming and take part in SPNHC?s first conference on the African continent. We look forward to seeing you in Cape Town in September, and let's mark our calendars to rendezvous in Montreal in June! [image: image.png] Ruth Seyler Conference and Sponsorship Coordinator Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/png Size: 375858 bytes Desc: not available URL: From george at georgedantestudios.com Thu Jul 30 10:13:57 2026 From: george at georgedantestudios.com (george at georgedantestudios.com) Date: Thu, 30 Jul 2026 10:13:57 -0400 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Upcoming Course from INHA Message-ID: <000001dd202d$a9c99340$fd5cb9c0$@georgedantestudios.com> Greetings everyone, The Institute for Natural History Arts has a few spots left for this September! Upcoming Course: Expedition Experiences - Birds Presented by The Institute for Natural History Arts Get ready to step into the field and experience ornithology like never before! Expedition Experiences - Birds takes students on an exciting journey through the history and hands-on techniques of collecting and preserving bird specimens, all in an immersive outdoor camp setting. Whether you're setting mist nets at dawn or preparing study skins by the campfire, this course brings science to life in the wild. Dates: Day 1 - September 12th / Day 2 - September 13th Location: INHA's Catskill Biological Field Station, Andes, NY Duration: 2-day course Course Fee: $750.00 Registration Deadline: September 7, 2026 A discounted bundle option is available with INHA's companion course, Field Notes - Drawing Birds. Course Overview Led by renowned field ornithologist and museum specialist Dr. Peter Capainolo, and George Dante, internationally recognized taxidermist and natural history exhibit specialist, Expedition Experiences - Birds invites students into the fascinating world of bird collecting and preservation. Set in a rustic, outdoor camp inspired by historic zoological expeditions, this immersive course blends scientific discovery with hands-on practice. Participants will learn the history and significance of ornithological specimen collection while gaining practical experience preparing bird skins, skeletons, eggs, and more. By the end of the course, students will walk away with not only a deeper appreciation for the science and artistry behind bird specimen preservation but also the real-world skills to work with museum-quality materials. Whether you're a curious beginner or a science enthusiast eager to explore a lesser-known corner of natural history, this course offers a unique and rewarding adventure into the field of avian research. What You'll Learn: * Explore the history and science of bird collecting for research and museums. * Gain hands-on experience preparing: * Avian study skins * Skeletal specimens * Wet specimens * Blown eggs * Learn techniques used by field ornithologists, past and present. * Discover the tools, traps, and methods of bird procurement (no live collection). * Enjoy immersive instruction in a 270-acre outdoor setting with rustic camp vibes. * Take home your own preserved specimens to keep the learning going. *No birds will be collected during this course and specimens used are either non-protected domestic species or specimens held under federal and state salvage/education permits. Permit numbers are available upon request. Camping on site is available! Please follow the link for more information: https://www.naturalhistoryarts.org/event-details/2-day-expedition-experience s-birds-with-dr-peter-capainolo-george-dante George A. Dante, Jr., BA, FLS George Dante Studios, LLC 192 Lackawanna Ave. Unit 104 Woodland Park, NJ 07424 P: 973-890-1516 E: george at georgedantestudios.com The Institute for Natural History Arts, Inc President & Founder 192 Lackawanna Ave. Unit 104 Woodland Park, NJ 07424 P: 973-890-1516 E: gdante.inha at gmail.com www.naturalhistoryarts.org CONFIDENTIALITY NOTE This message is the property of WP, GDS and INHA. It may be legally privileged and/or confidential and is intended only for the use of the addressee(s). No addressee should forward, print, copy, or otherwise reproduce this message in any manner that would allow it to be viewed by any individual not originally listed as a recipient. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any unauthorized disclosure, dissemination, distribution, copying or the taking of any action in reliance on the information herein is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please immediately notify the sender and delete this message. Thank you. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 34299 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image002.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 3130 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image003.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 4017 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image004.png Type: image/png Size: 12611 bytes Desc: not available URL: From george at georgedantestudios.com Thu Jul 30 10:31:19 2026 From: george at georgedantestudios.com (George Dante) Date: Thu, 30 Jul 2026 10:31:19 -0400 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Upcoming Field Day Event Message-ID: Greetings Colleages, The Institute for Natural History Arts is pleased to announce *Field Day*, a new immersive program offering a rare behind-the-scenes exploration of museum expedition practices On August 29, 2026, participants will spend a full day touring our 270-acre Field Station while visiting a series of expedition-style demonstration camps staffed by museum professionals representing multiple disciplines. Together, these instructors will recreate the collaborative environment of a historic museum collecting expedition, illustrating how scientists, artists, preparators, and researchers worked together to document and interpret the natural world. This program brings together an exceptional group of professionals whose work spans scientific collecting, museum research, exhibit development, diorama construction, botanical documentation, and taxidermy: ? *Dr. Walter Meshaka ? *Herpetology and specimen collection *? Darrin Lunde ? *Mammalogy and field preparation techniques *? Dr. Peter Capainolo ? *Ornithology and museum bird collections *? Sean Murtha ? *Diorama mural painting and landscape documentation *? Stephen C. Quinn ? *Diorama design and exhibit planning *? Joyce Cloughly ? *Botanical collection and preservation *? George A. Dante, Jr. ? *Museum taxidermy Throughout the day, participants will travel together as a single expedition team, observing live demonstrations and discussions at each station. Presentations will examine both historical and contemporary approaches to fieldwork, specimen preparation, reference gathering, environmental documentation, and exhibit development. While conferences and workshops often focus on individual disciplines, this program is unique in presenting these interconnected museum practices together within a field setting. The goal is to provide participants with a broader understanding of how natural history collections and exhibitions have traditionally been developed through collaboration across specialties. The day concludes with an informal dinner and evening campfire gathering, providing additional opportunities for conversation and professional exchange among instructors and participants. *Date: August 29, 2026Tour: 10:00 AM ? 5:00 PMDinner & Campfire Gathering: 5:30 PM ? 9:00 PM* Registration is limited to 12 participants to ensure an intimate and highly interactive experience. Cost: $395 per participant We welcome museum professionals, exhibit developers, preparators, artists, collection managers, researchers, educators, students, and anyone interested in the history and practice of natural history museum work. For additional information and registration details: https://www.naturalhistoryarts.org/event-details/field-days-1 George A. Dante, Jr., BA, FLS, FINHA George Dante Studios LLC 192 Lackawanna Ave. Unit 104 Woodland Park, NJ 07424 P: 973 890 1516 E: george at georgedantestudios.com The Institute for Natural History Arts, Inc President & Founder 192 Lackawanna Ave. Unit 104 Woodland Park, NJ 07424 P: 973 890 1516 E: gdante.inha at gmail.com www.naturalhistoryarts.org CONFIDENTIALITY NOTE This message is the property of WP, GDS and INHA. It may be legally privileged and/or confidential and is intended only for the use of the addressee(s). No addressee should forward, print, copy, or otherwise reproduce this message in any manner that would allow it to be viewed by any individual not originally listed as a recipient. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any unauthorized disclosure, dissemination, distribution, copying or the taking of any action in reliance on the information herein is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please immediately notify the sender and delete this message. Thank you. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From spnhc.conference at gmail.com Thu Jul 30 20:25:46 2026 From: spnhc.conference at gmail.com (Ruth Seyler) Date: Thu, 30 Jul 2026 20:25:46 -0400 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] SPNHC - 2027 Conference Update Message-ID: Hello, I?m delighted to share exciting news: SPNHC has secured the location for our 2027 Annual Meeting and will be partnering with four international networks to produce one of the largest ecological data conferences ever held in North America. *Living Data 2027* will take place June 9?12, 2027, at the Palais de Congr?s in Montr?al, Canada. SPNHC is joining forces with TDWG, GEO BON, iBOL, and QCBS to create a once-in-a-generation gathering for the global biodiversity and ecological data communities. Montr?al is an ideal host city for this moment. It offers convenient travel access for U.S. attendees while providing an international setting where participants from around the world feel welcome and safe. SPNHC has already begun discussions with our partners to ensure that our society?s programming reflects the full breadth of our membership and showcases the strength of our collections, research, and community. The proposed 2027 location will be brought to a vote at the All Member Business Meeting at SPNHC 2026 in Cape Town on September 10. If you are not yet registered for SPNHC 2026 , there is still time to join us in Cape Town?one month out is often the best window for booking international travel. If you are unable to attend in person, consider registering as a virtual attendee so you can access the Bridging Hemispheres programming and take part in SPNHC?s first conference on the African continent. We look forward to seeing you in Cape Town in September, and let's mark our calendars to rendezvous in Montreal in June! [image: image.png] Ruth Seyler Conference and Sponsorship Coordinator Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/png Size: 339399 bytes Desc: not available URL: