Dear Sir/Madam Would you be please be kind enough to print the enclosed announcement/press release. For a long time I have been trying to establish an international network for naturalists - both amateur and professional. I have finally been successful and have established a Naturalists' forum on CompuServe. However, I must emphasize that in these early stages, it is neither a permanent nor a complete forum - it is simply a section of the Pacific CompuServe Forum running for a trial period. The forum will only be made permanent if there is a positive reaction from users and a substantial number of users shows interest. Without your help and support the concept will perish, and a potentially invaluable resource will be lost, possibly for ever. The forum has been started entirely through my volunteer work without any outside financial help or payments. Please do what you can for the benefit of all of us. Yours faithfully, Vratislav Richard P.S. We compilling database of Naturalists Adressar. Please would you be so kind enough and send to following information about your organisation: When your society/organisation was found, Address, phone, fax, e-mail, secretary, yearly fee and details how to obtain membership, journals and news published (with price, when was published 1st. number) nd y other usefull informations. PRESS RELEASE September 1994 CompuServe opens Naturalists' section A unique and new "Naturalists' Section" in the Pacific CompuServe forum has just opened on the world-wide CompuServe network, dealing initially with general naturalist interests. CompuServe is an international computer "bulletin board" type network with E-Mail (electronic mail) links to the world-wide academic Internet and to many of the world's best information sources. It is accessible from any computer via a modem conected to the telephone line. The information available for "downloading" onto your own computer will include: databases - eventually with high quality "multimedia" colour images, animation and sounds general gossip on line, live conferences and chats 24 hours a day conservation and legislation issues specimen exchange or sale information (where legal) CompuServe normally would devote a complete Forum divided into specialist sections to a subject as broad as Naturalism, but at the moment everything has to reside in a single section due to the small number of subscribers supporting it at this embryonic stage. The original proposal is listed below and illustrates the potential of a complete Naturalist's Forum in the future. This means that in this critical stage you can expect to put a little more into it than you will get out of it, but this situation will rapidly reverse and it is crucial that you do not leave all this to others. Therefore, this will only be achieved with your active support to achieve a critical mass after which it will then become rapidly self sustaining. Proposed Sections. 1 General A forum for the electronic exchange of the latest news for natural history workers e.g. the discovery of important new species or species thought extinct, conservation issues, forthcoming publications, new legislation, and personal items such as appointments, deaths etc. 2, 3 & 4. Animals, Insects, Plants A library of photographic images of plants, animals and insects from around the world, in a compressed standard graphics format, along with accompanying information for each image, articles, small database files etc. 5 The Databases: . Address database A database listing contact address, telephone number, fax numbers, e-mail address and special interests of each collector and each institution similar with the registered PIFON's directory. This will gradually build up into a comprehensive database of everyone interested in naturalism around the world. . Catalogue, Checklist and Reference databases Databases recording all reference works (articles, books, films, videos etc.), and checklists of all the world's wildlife and plant flora. The location of "type" specimens will be entered here. . Collections database Database of specimens held in governmental or private collections around the world, listing items such as species name, locality, date, name of collector, etc. This data is important to researchers and to environmental issues. 6. Permaculture, Natural Pest Control Articles in the field of permaculture (gardening without chemicals) and natural control of pests using "beneficial" insects. 7. Techniques (breeding, collecting) Tips for breeding, collection of specimens, photography, preparation of microscopic slides, etc. 8. Books, Journals & Articles Book and Article reviews, plus abstracts of interesting and important articles. 9. Conferences, Clubs & Societies Upcoming conferences, meetings, expeditions. 10. Professional Corner A discussion lounge aimed at professional natural scientists all over the world for instant communication and debating of ideas in specialised fields e.g. morphology, anatomy, genetic studies. 11. Sell/buy/swap A central forum for the exchange, purchase or sale of specimens wanted or offered by both institutions and private persons around the world. At present this is done usually on an ad-hoc basis, with little organisation or detail as to exactly what people have to offer or exchange, and researchers have to write time-consuming letters and draw up extensive lists of species on paper. Using the Naturalists' Forum, it will able to be done easily and quickly. Users will simply register their name against a list of species that will be provided as part of the service, with appropriate codes as to whether they wish to buy. exchange or donate specimens. 12. Conservation and philosophy A central forum to discuss aspects of wildlife conservation, insects, plants and their habitats, along with the philosophical questions that arise. 13. CIS/Computers, software, programs Information on special computer programs developed for taxonomists, geneticists, statisticians and other natural science professionals. 14. Travelling (collecting, laws) Information on laws, restrictions, travel and accommodation advice and logistics, contacts, and the best places to collect specimens. 15. "TRAFFIC" Magazine Devoted to the information expressed in articles in the magazine "Traffic" which deals with trade in wildlife and legislation affecting it. 16. "New science" & "Nature" Magazines Devoted to the information expressed in articles in the magazines which deals with Nature. What is Currently Available in the Naturalist's Section? At the moment subscribers can download a catalogue of Australian Cleridae, Lucanidae, pictures of Australian beetles (as GIF files), zipped dBase files the addressary of Naturalist Organisations, societies, universities etc. around the world, Naturalists Abstracts (choice of articles from 1750 to today) or the DELTA program (which is capable of writing an identification key). Users can also offer sale or exchange of insects etc. Many more features will be added as the Forum develops according to the above plan. But in order to develop, the Forum needs the following: * users to show their interest by registering as members of the Forum. Note that this is FREE! If joining CompuServe, it would also help a lot if you put down Naturalist when asked for your interests. * regular users to provide material and information which they are willing to share. It would be of great assistance if naturalists who have such information could upload it direct to CompuServe, or send it on computer disk in any popular form to my address and it will be acknowledged and uploaded, or even send it to me via modem for uploading. The Forum has been started entirely through my volunteer work without any outside financial help, payments or promises of payments. naturally, any offers of help of any sort will be gratefully accepted! The cost of using the service is minimal considering that users will be able to access vast amounts of information and correspond with others with similar interests world-wide, 24 hours a day. The CompuServe software program (WINCIM, available free from CompuServe) runs under Windows (also available under DOS), and is probably the most user-friendly communications program available with complete automation and even voice prompts. If you are a current member the command to access it is GO NATURALISTS (which is a section of PACFORUM,). If you join "Pacforum", please do not forget to write "Naturalist" as the first word inside the "Interest" column. to show that you are supporting this section.. CompuServe is now available in: Argentina (541-457 825), Australia (free call 008 025 240), Canada (614 457 8650), Chile (2-698 8807), France (331 47 62 79 60), Germany (free 0130 86 46 43) , Hong- Kong (867 0102), Hungary (1 251 7676), Israel (3-290 466), Japan (free 0120-22-1200), New Zealand (free l 0800-441-082), South Korea (free 080-022-4700), Switzerland (free 155 31 79), United Kingdom (free 0800 289458), USA (free 800-848-8990) , Venezuela (2-793-2984) , but will soon be available in other countries as a Ukrain or Russia For further information, please leave E-mail for me on CompuServe, write to me or call me. I sincerely hope that you will take advantage of the Forum. This is a very exciting opportunity and I welcome any suggestions or criticisms that you might provide. Vratislav Richard BEJ AK PO Box 619, Bondi Junction, New South Wales 2022 Tel: (61+2) 365 5253 Fax: (61+2) 30 6885 e-mail: 76711,[log in to unmask]