The WeDigBio Board is pleased to announce a 1-hour symposium entitled “Energizing Understanding of Biodiversity Close-at-Hand with Hyperlocal Collections” on October 13 from 2–3 PM ET (=New York City time). Hear from diverse perspectives on the roles of hyperlocal natural history collections in advancing biodiversity understanding and conservation, and join in the conversation.
| 2:00–2:05 | Welcome! by Austin Mast (Florida State University) |
| 2:05–2:20 | Curating a truly reciprocal resource: the Polly Hill Arboretum Herbarium leverages its focus on local flora to foster mutual community support by Elizabeth Thomas (University of Georgia) |
| 2:20–2:35 | Building from your own backyard: Collections creation in high school as a foundation for research and museum science skills by Matthew Croxton (Lakeland Christian School’s RISE Institute) |
| 2:35–2:50 | Opportunities for hyperlocal collections in libraries—energizing local enthusiasm for biodiversity using citizen science library kits by Amy Osborne (Suwannee River Regional Library) and Austin Mast (FSU) |
| 2:50–3:00 | Panel Discussion |
Additional Information
Hyperlocal collections invite individuals, families, communities, and organizations to a greater understanding of, and personal responsibility for, their local biotas. These collections document such things as a school or library campus, a park, a rural county, and similar. Fostering and deepening relationships between hyperlocal collections and biodiversity research professionals represents a critical opportunity for science and conservation. These collections represent potential pockets of very high quality biodiversity data, given the intense focus on one location, as well as mechanisms to change the ethical calculations that individuals and communities apply to biodiversity (what has been described as “biodiversity mainstreaming”). Join us to hear about examples of hyperlocal collections in several contexts (including a small arboretum on Martha’s Vineyard, a high school, and a rural library) and to contribute to the conversation about the future of these important resources.
Register to join us for the event at:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/symposium-on-hyperlocal-biodiversity-collections-tickets-728773570367?aff=ebdssbdestsearch
The 4-day WeDigBio event runs from October 12–15, 2023, and will return in April and October, 2024. To learn more about WeDigBio, visit https://wedigbio.org/. We’re here to help you make participation in WeDigBio a regular part of your organization’s outreach activities—just reach out to us at wedigbio@gmail.com.
Please share this announcement with others who might be interested in it—thanks!
With best regards,
Austin Mast, on behalf of the WeDigBio Board
