On organizing a Biodiversity based Information System:

I think this is a good idea.  How do I get on board?  I think the mission seems
daunting. Achieving it will, in part, require an answer to this question, which
I would like to open up for discussion on Museum-l:

"How do we (museums) make objective information available to those
responsable for developing public policy?"  Is the answer "lobbyists"?

I think we are all very interested in effecting positive change (whatever that
means).  Biodiversity is too often passed over or poorly understood en masse,
this _is_ an important issue. It is also a global issue.  Now is the time for
all those Natural History museum people to put on their thinking caps and help a
coalition devlop that will effect public policy.  This desire is not merely a
natural history problem, I 'm sure that all museum proffesionals see how this
question affects themselves, thus I expect a hearty exchange of ideas on this
subject to be forthcoming.

Someone's byline says "Cause an Effect," I agree, followed by "Carpe Diem."

Terry Vidal
Collections Manager
University Museum
University of Northern Iowa