--Bruce Stallsmith
Huntsville, AL, US of A
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I am writing to inform you of an upcoming nationwide biodiversity initiative
Explore Your World! Biodiversity Month, taking place in May 2002, and to
invite the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) and the National
Center for Science Education (NCSE) Evolution List Server Network and your
members to become founding participants. Explore Your World! Biodiversity
Month is a time to celebrate America's rich diversity of life through
educational activities and scientific exploration. It's a great time to
teach about biodiversity! We would be delighted if you would join us, either
through a central activity or through participation of individual members.
If appropriate, we would greatly appreciate the opportunity to announce
Biodiversity Month to your members through your newsletter or mailing list.
I have attached some text, which could be used for an announcement and would
be happy to send you the electronic file of this. We also have graphic
announcements downloadable at
http://www.nrel.colostate.edu/iboy/biomonth/posters.html.
Explore Your World! Biodiversity Month is a national effort as part of the
International Biodiversity Observation Year (IBOY) 2001-2002
(www.nrel.colostate.edu/IBOY). An initiative of DIVERSITAS the international
program on biodiversity science, IBOY links scientists and the public in
assessing the past, present, and future status of global biological
diversity. IBOY seeks to advance knowledge of biodiversity and to amplify
the compelling case for general concern and action about its loss.
Founding participants of Explore Your World! Biodiversity Month includes the
National Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian Institution, Carnegie
Museum of Natural History, Connecticut State Museum of Natural History,
Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Missouri Botanical Garden, North
Carolina Museum of Natural Science and San Diego Museum of Natural History.
More organizations are joining all the time. Because May 2002 is just a few
months away, some groups are dedicating already planned biodiversity-related
events to Explore Your World! Biodiversity Month while other groups are
organizing new events. Among the planned activities are BioBlitzes, Nature
Days, free or reduced admission days, behind the scenes tours, hands-on
education programs and other special events at museums, zoos, botanical
gardens, and nature centers.
The attached text announcement contains information for participating in
Explore Your World! Biodiversity Month. Teachers can involve their students
in Explore Your World! Biodiversity Month by organizing an activity to
explore biodiversity in May 2002. Simply by registering their event with
Biodiversity Month they can link their effort to those of others and
contribute to a broader understanding of biodiversity. More information on
these ways to get involved, resources, and how to register are available
from the website www.biodiversitymonth.org.
Please join us as a founding participant in this effort to establish
partnerships and develop new tools for biodiversity awareness. We would be
happy to answer any questions or discuss any ideas. I am at my research site
in Antarctica until early February, but Dr. Gina Adams the IBOY Program
Director will be able to answer any questions before my return
(gadams_at_nrel.colostate.edu; Tel. 970 491 1984). We look forward to working
with you to promote education about vital biodiversity issues.
Sincerely,
Diana H. Wall, Ph.D.
Member, Biodiversity Month Steering Committee,
Chair, DIVERSITAS International Biodiversity Observation Year 2001-2002,
Director and Professor, Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State
University.
Email: Diana_at_nrel.colostate.edu
Tel: (970) 491 2504
--Stella Salvo Program Assistant International Biodiversity Observation Year (IBOY) 2001-2002
Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory Colorado State University Fort Collins, CO 80523-1499 Telephone: (1) 970 491 1984 Fax: (1) 970 491 1965
http://www.nrel.colostate.edu/IBOY/
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