Dear Ecolog, Please help support the retention of the Natural History Museum in Lima, Peru.
See message below. Thank you. *From: *León, Blanca R *Date: *November 18, 2010 9:29:03 AM CST *Subject: **Museo de Historia Natural in Lima in danger* Greetings to you. I am asking your help for the museum in Lima that houses the USM herbarium. The attached document describes the opposition of the community of the Natural History Museum to the plan by the authorities of the University of San Marcos to build a private funded building (including stores, parking, and office space, but no plans for the scientific collections) in the area where the Museum houses the largest scientific collections of the country. Please write an e-mail message with the subject: “Apoyo al Museo de Historia Natural” as soon as possible (a meeting will be held tomorrow Friday to discuss this plan) And a message mentioning your support opposing and rejecting the destruction of the museum and instead requesting a larger help for this 82 year old institution Message should be directed to Dr. Betty Millan, Director of the Museum: [email protected] Copy to the President of the University Luis Izquierdo Vásquez: [email protected]; [email protected] Thanks, Blanca Blanca León, Ph.D. [email protected] Plant Resources Center University of Texas at Austin 1 University Station F0404 Austin, TX 78712-0530 U.S.A. & Department of Geography and the Environment University of Texas at Austin http://www.utexas.edu/cola/depts/geography/faculty/leonbr Museo de Historia Natural, UNMSM Av. Arenales 1256 Lima 14, Peru Dear Colleagues: This message is to inform you of a threat to the future of the largest biological scientific collections in the oldest Peruvian institution, the Natural History Museum (Museo de Historia Natural). The authorities of the University of San Marcos in Lima, Peru have unilaterally decided to propose the construction of a building in the area presently occupied by the Natural History Museum. Their plan under the pompous name of “Academic, Cultural and Research Complex” does not offer the needed housing for the largest scientific collection in the country, nor for any improvement of research facilities for the study of its biodiversity. Despite that the role of the museum in the life of the University has been widely recognized and praised by the same authorities, since their affiliates contribute a large part of the scientific publications of the institution (in peer reviewed journals like PNAS, Science, Nature); they have ignored or diminished the role and needs of the scientific legacy housed in the museum. There is almost a complete lack of financial support of the authorities of the University to the Natural History Museum with a budget of less than 108000 US dollars per year, only 35% of which is devoted to the activities related to the scientific collections. The Natural History Museum in Lima is an institution over 80 years old that includes the largest collections of the flora and fauna of the country. The herbarium includes over 500000 plant specimens, the mammal collection near 37000, birds 28000, amphibians and reptiles 50000, fish 450000, insects and arachnids 750000, mollusks 30000, geological samples and fossils 9000. It also includes historical collections made by naturalists during the XIX and part of the XX centuries such as Raimondi, Taczanowski, Jelski, Stolzman, Weberbauer, Weyrauch, Eigenmann, and Koepcke. Given that the museum plays a vital role in the scientific development and education of Peru, we urge the University, the Peruvian government, and all concerned citizens to support our institution and the only area available for its future development.
