| Zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens,
nature centers, and living history farms face a remarkable
range of challenges in caring for and sustaining their
treasured living collections. These issues are rarely
recognized by the public but are of major significance
to the survival of collections of animals and plants.
For smaller institutions these problems are especially
acute.
It’s Alive! Petals to Primates: Preservation
Challenges of Living Collections, held
in San Diego on February 19 and 20, 2009, was a forum
to address issues of pressing concern to the smaller
institutions that are stewards of America’s collections
of plants and animals:
- How to stay current on new directions in collections
planning and management.
- How to protect collections from natural disasters.
- How to organize and care for the records and
photographs that document collections.
- How to attract funding for collections in tough
economic times.
By bringing together the stewards of plant and
animal collections, the forum provided a unique opportunity
to identify their common ground.
It’s Alive! Petals to Primates: Preservation Challenges
of Living Collections was the third in the series
of Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) forums
in the Connecting to Collections National Tour.
It was organized in partnership with Heritage Preservation
and the San Diego Zoo. Participation in the forum is
free of charge.
Participants in this ground-breaking forum:
- Attended plenary sessions of panels with speakers
who have successfully addressed issues of significance
for smaller institutions.
- Participated in the complimentary lunchtime “Connections
Labs” with opportunities to engage speakers,
representatives of funding agencies, and other resource
representatives.
- Took home a specially prepared resources packet.
- Learned about IMLS funding programs by meeting
with IMLS staff and representatives of institutions
that have received IMLS grants.
- Received complimentary admission for an afternoon visit and reception at the San Diego Zoo.
- Received complimentary admission for the registrant
and a guest at Balboa Park museums February 18 to
22.
Douglas G. Myers, CEO/Executive Director of the Zoological
Society of San Diego, was the forum’s keynote
speaker. The forum was held at the Joan B. Kroc
Institute for Peace & Justice at the University
of San Diego.
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