Envisioning a Biological Collections Action Center: NYBG

Series Page: Envisioning a Biological Collections Action Center

Workshop at NYBG: March 2023

When: March 23-24, 2023
Where: New York Botanical Garden
Organizers: John Bates, Field Museum of Natural History; Carol Butler, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian; Matt Borths, Duke Lemur Center; Joe Cook, Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico; Libby Ellwood, Florida Museum of Natural History, iDigBio; Jillian Goodwin, Florida Museum of Natural History, iDigBio; David Jennings, Florida Museum of Natural History, iDigBio; Gil Nelson, Natural Science Collections Alliance, Florida Museum of Natural History, iDigBio; Jyotsna Pandey, American Institute of Biological Sciences, Natural Science Collections Alliance; Emily Sessa, New York Botanical Garden; Pam Soltis, Florida Museum of Natural History, iDigBio, UF Biodiversity Institute; Breda Zimkus, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Biological Collections Network
Expected number of participants: 30 - 40

Logistic information

Invited participant support: Hotel cost, travel, and per diem expenses reimbursed following workshop.
Airport: Please contact Jill Goodwin at jgoodwin@floridamuseum.ufl.edu to approve flights prior top booking

• LaGuardia Airport (LGA) 10 mi from NYBG
• JFK Airport (JFK) 20 mi from NYBG
  
• Newark (EWR)
  
• Westchester County (HPN)
  

Airport transportation: Uber/Lyft/taxi/rental car is the easiest and most convenient way to get from any of these airports to the Bronx; the fastest public transportation will take at least an hour and require several switches of bus and/or train. By car the trip will take 20-30 minutes or less, depending on traffic (and be sure to account for traffic and leave plenty of time to reach return flights).
Recommended workshop hotels: Please book a room ASAP to ensure availability and stay under $200/night.

• Rodeway Inn 0.6 mi from NYBG
• Sleep Inn 0.6 mi from NYBG
• Tremont Hotel Bronx

Transportation from hotel to venue: Uber, Lyft, or taxi from any of the suggested hotels to NYBG should be 5-10 minutes. The Rodeway Inn is walking distance, though walkers should use common sense while traveling on foot in the Bronx. Participants should come to the Mosholu gate and check in with security, who will direct them to the appropriate building and entrance.
Workshop venue: New York Botanical Garden
William & Lynda Steere Herbarium
NYBG Mosholu entrance: 2950 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10458
Workshop location: Reading Room, LuEsther T. Mertz Library
Breakfast and lunch: Pfizer Laboratory Conference Room
PLEASE NOTE: Workshop participants should come directly to the Mosholu gate, NOT the main entrance to the Garden. Be sure to use the Mosholu address given above for your Uber/taxi driver or GPS (2950 Southern Blvd). When you arrive at the gate, if you are coming by car, you will need to check in with Security at the booth, and ask them to direct you to either the Pfizer lab or Ross Gallery entrance, depending on the time you arrive (see schedule and map provided). Walkers can turn left upon entering the gate and proceed directly to the appropriate building; do not go to the visitor ticket booths. On the accompanying map, the Pfizer lab entrance is marked A, and the Ross Gallery B.
NYBG Map

Wifi networks: Once on-site, workshop participants can log into the NYBG_Guest network for internet access.
Meals: Breakfast, break refreshments, and lunch will be provided at NYBG on both workshop days. Dinner is not provided, but you will be reimbursed for meals not provided following the workshop.

Agenda

	Day 1: Thursday, March 23
8:00	Breakfast @ NYBG
9:15	Why we are here: NASEM Report Recognize NASEM authors present CHIPs and Science Act Goal is to add detail and definition to the NASEM-recommended concept This is not proposal-writing workshop Discourse platform: https://discourse.idigbio.org/c/discussiontopics Discourse instructions Welcome and introductions (organizing team first) Name Affiliation What is your interest in this workshop? What is one goal you would like to see a Biological Collections Action Center accomplish?	Libby Ellwood
9:45	Highlights of NASEM report and webinars	Pam Soltis Andy Bentley
10:15	Break
10:45	Impacts and Challenges	Gil Nelson Libby Ellwood
11:30	Lunch @ NYBG
	Priorities Breakout Group Deliberations Please develop a consensus list of at least 5 priorities an action center could achieve. (More than 5 is permissible) Discussion Notes: Group1, Group2, Group3, Group4 Slide Presentation: Record Priorities here:
1:00	Looking back from the Future: Nobel Prize exercise	Emily Sessa
1:30	Group 1	Moderator: Joe Cook Scribe: Shyla Davison Libby Ellwood, Andy Bentley, Doug Jones, Angelo Soto-Centeno, Scott Miller, Jenn Yost
1:30	Group 2	Moderator: Breda Zimkus Scribe: Lauren Cohen Matt Borths, Pam Soltis, Chris Johnson, Talia Karim, Jose Fortes, Steve Ellis
1:30	Group 3	Moderator:John Bates Scribe: Jesse Grosso Austin Mast, Jyotsna Pandey, Hilary Swain, Patrick Sweeney, Barbara Thiers, Larry Gall
1:30	Group 4	Moderator: Carol Butler Scribe: David Jennings Emily Sessa, Bill Moser. Shirley Pomponi, Nelson Rios, Scott Schaefer, Reed Beaman
3:00	Break
3:30 - 5:00	Presentations & Discussion: Action Center Priorities from Group Breakouts Slide Presentation: Record Priorities here: Each group should designate speaker(s) to review group priorities and field questions as needed.	sstrong>Moderators: Emily Sessa, Gil Nelson
5:00	Wrap-Up	Moderator: Joe Cook

Workshop Agenda Day 2 Goal of the Day:
Develop detailed written draft statements describing the priority components for an Action Center
(not to be confused with polished pros).

	Day 2: Friday, March 24
8:00	Breakfast @ NYBG
9:30	Reviewing and Refining the Action Center Components recommended on Day 1 (The goal of this session is to review and prioritize Action Center Components that will guide the bulk of our work during Day 2.)	Moderators: Carol Butler, Gil Nelson, Jyotsna Pandey
10:00	Selection of working teams (Self-select topics of interest and divide into working teams. Flexibility is the key to Day 2. Team membership can be fluid, meaning that team members may move to other teams as the day progresses or interests emerge or evolve. Teams may also spawn new teams as needed.)	Moderators: Emily Sessa, Pam Soltis, Breda Zimkus
10:30	Defining and Expanding Action Center Components Goal: Develop detailed written draft statements describing the priority components for an Action Center (not to be confused with polished prose). Group Notes	Team leaders: John Bates, Carol Butler, Matt Borths, Joe Cook, Libby Ellwood, Jyotsna Pandey, Emily Sessa, Pam Soltis, Breda Zimkus
11:00	Break
10:30	Defining and Expanding Action Center Components (continued)	Team leaders: John Bates, Carol Butler, Matt Borths, Joe Cook, Libby Ellwood, Jyotsna Pandey, Emily Sessa, Pam Soltis, Breda Zimkus
Noon	Lunch @ NYBG
1:30	Group reports	Moderator: Libby Ellwood
3:00	Break
3:30	Wrap-up	Moderator: Libby Ellwood