If the Whatcom Museum's collection is actually mounts instead of study skins
I have another opinion as how it could be used.

I understand the use of museum skins etc in research but want to share what
the Education Committee of the Lower Columbia Basin Audubon does with its
collection. We currently have approximately 85 mounts. We have the proper
state and federal permits to have this collection. We visit as many
classrooms as possible every year. We have some typical presentations but
fit each presentation to the teacher's needs and wishes. We have visited
every grade level from preschool through college over the years.

We also use the mounts in displays in libraries, Audubon meetings, and in
displays at local events.

When the mounts are not in use for the above, they are on display at the
McNary National Wildlife Refuge Education Center. Each year the Education
Center has programs for 2000 - 3000 kids. They are also there for anyone
who visits the refuge if the center is open.

We would love to have any part of the collection that is available
especially any Shrub-steppe birds. We do NOT harvest birds to add to the
collection. This is an expensive undertaking even using salvage birds
(those found dead and turned in). We have fundraising programs that
specifically support education and the taxidermy collection. (While our
showing of the video Watching Sparrows in March will not directly benefit
the collection, it keeps our chapter going. (Feel free to email for more
info on this - there will also be an encore showing of Watching Warblers
too)).

As has been stated on Tweeters before - if we can only reach the young...

Nancy

Bill and Nancy LaFramboise
Richland WA

_____

From: tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu
[mailto:tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of
SGMlod at aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, December 13, 2005 9:47 AM
To: Tweeters at u.washington.edu
Subject: [Tweeters] Museum Collections

Greetings All

In addition to the Burke, there is the Slater Museum at UPS, also a fine
place and possible final resting place.

I am going to take this moment to get on a podium. Feel free to leave the
room :o)

It was nice to hear a couple folks talk about how much they've enjoyed the
Whatcom collection and are sad to see it go. Specimen collections are much
undervalued by most birders. I am shocked when I go the Burke Museum (which
has a sign-in book) how few folks partake of the opportunity to visit (I'm
sure the same holds for the Slater, which is more informal about recording
visits).

There is so much to be learned from looking at specimens, particularly of
birds pigeon-sized or smaller, for which their tends to be good numbers to
evaluate (it takes a lot of room to store swan specimens!). Yes, there are
photos on the web, but they aren't the same. If you really want to learn how
to ID a bird, study it as much as you can in the field, derive a list of
questions (is species A consistently browner on the back than species B?,
etc), go to the museum and study the differences (keeping an open mind to
those not mentioned in texts and taking careful notes or photos), field test
your new knowledge, and then (new questions will arise) go back.

This process has helped me with a number of identification quandaries,
despite vastly underusing the opportunity myself.

Also, specimens aren't some static dust-collecting ancient ritual. An
example of their utility in ongoing research is --- Sievert Rohwer at the UW
used specimens extensively in his studies that have shown the differences in
molt-timing between many eastern and western species/races. This had added
to our understanding of why Bullock's and Baltimore Orioles have remained
separate while YS and RS Flickers haven't. RS and YS Flickers both molt
before migrating. A hybird would do the same. Bullock's Orioles start their
migration, then molt in sw. US/nw. Mexico. Baltimore Orioles molt on their
breeding grounds. At least one hybrid specimen showed evidence of molting
twice in one fall, a definite survival disadvantage. Thus in flickers
hybrids are not disadvantaged by hybridization (at least in this manner)
while hybrid orioles are. The flickers have remained as one species, the
orioles have not despite some hybridization. The issue is more complex, but
this gives a sense of the utility of specimen collections. Much of this
would be otherwise impossible.

The value of specimen collections in research is tremendous in ornithology
and, potentially, in birding and they deserve our support.

Best Wishes
Steven Mlodinow
Everett WA