8/ Reaching beyond traditional connections with intention to grow community will increase the value of collections and the relevance of museums. More people using and contributing specimens, data, and diverse knowledge will help support and keep these incredible institutions relevant and thriving.
7/ Researchers should expand the network of contributors to museum collections.
Ex: Bell Museum created a network of people and organizations to salvage and contribute specimens for diverse scientific uses. This has sparked excitement in public engagement.
www.bellmuseum.umn.edu/salvage-wild...
6/ Researchers can building value-added resources to benefit community.
Ex: Research on Madagascar bird diversification led to the creation a database of DNA barcodes for endemic species that can be used for multiple types of eDNA and iDNA studies like leech blood surveys. doi.org/10.1111/1755...
5b/ Ex: A mutual interest in bill shape lead to a collaboration with a behavioral ecologist. We microCT-scanning barbets to examine multiple aspects of bird bills and the biomechanics of bill shape and material properties in resisting stress while excavating wood.
doi.org/10.1098/rspb...
5a/ Another way to increase access is to consider exploring novel research directions. Are there ways to go beyond your original research goals to explore collaborations to bring in different types of scientists into the museum community?
4b/ Ex: building collaborations to combine museum specimens and recent surveys has lead to novel insights into the diversification of birds in the Indian Subcontinent.
4a/ One way to increase access is for researchers to consider ways to extend their network of collaborators. It is especially important to include Global South researchers who do not have either the physical access or even the long history of knowing how to use museum collections.
3/ Most of bird biodiversity occurs in the Global South but most natural history museums are located in the Global North. The scientific community needs to address this disparity.
How can researchers increase inclusion and access to these collections resources?
2/ A collections acknowledgment recognizes the colonial history in the taking of specimens and building collections. @bellmuseum.bsky.social we use this statement as a commitment to advance knowledge in diverse ways and promote inclusive practices.
1/ 🧵 I'm at #BOUasm25 A day at the museum to talk about using natural history collections to build inclusive community.
Natural history #museums are undergoing a renaissance of novel research.
However -who has access to collections? -who is being left out of biodiversity research?
#ornithology
🔈 #BOUasm25 KEYNOTE
Sushma Reddy @sushred.bsky.social
University of Minnesota, USA
Using natural history collections to build community
Submit your abstract: bou.org.uk/event/a-d...
#ornithology 🪶
Yes!
There is more structure to the bird tree than this game acknowledges
Haha, I love that. I’ll think of you for icky and small inverts 😂
This is so cool! A fun guessing game using the #TreeOfLife
metazooa.com
Birds named after people will get new names. Here's why & why it matters, with great insights from Drew Lanham, Kenn Kaufman, Judith Scarl @birdnames4birds.bsky.social www.scientificamerican.com/article/bird... by @meghanbartels.bsky.social
Dr. Allison Shultz showcases specimens from the Natural History Museum's Ornithology Colllection before a visiting group of all ages.
NHMLAC Associate Curator of Ornithology Dr. Allison Shultz has contributed her expertise to a new policy adopted by the American Ornithological Society to change the common names of bird species so they are no longer named after people: bit.ly/RnmgBrbs
The American Ornithological Society says it will alter the names of North American birds named after humans, starting with up to 80 of them.
The group said it will prioritize birds whose names trace to enslavers, white supremacists and robbers of Indigenous graves.
I am so proud of @amornith.bsky.social, particularly the EBN committee and my fellow counselors and leadership for taking this brave and historic step toward inclusion in our field and for all users of bird names.
The WOS welcomes this news, and we're working on a full response that we'll post in the coming days.
I've been thinking a lot about the role of science social media lately, and finding out about this sort of news and other people's reactions to it is a great example of the value it has (at least for me). Bird names for birds!
I’m absolutely delighted with this decision, what wonderful news to see first-thing this morning!
So grateful for the folks who have been pushing for more inclusive bird names, I can’t wait to see what we eventually call each species!!
what better first post on my new blue sky account than to share the awesome news about #BirdNames4Birds! Really proud of everyone leading this monumental change!
This is one the biggest and likely to be most far-reaching moves to make science more inclusive! I’m so proud of @amornith.bsky.social for taking this important step. #birdnames
Please support the great work they are doing at #BlackInNHMs
gofund.me/00f57803
