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