museum on the chopping block

[Gordon C. Snelling]

This was originally sent to me due to my entomological interests but it totally is something that will potentially effect us and we should be aware of it. I know there is some trepidation about signing these online petitions and I have my own as well but I think this is a serious enough issue that it is worth the risk and time.

Hello fellow ant scientists,

I am not sure if you have all heard, but we are in the process of severe financial and administrative restructuring which will likely negatively impact our scientific collections and research at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, USA.

I am reaching out to all of you to please consider signing the following petition and "liking" any of the comments you agree with that have been posted by others including Edward O. Wilson and many, many more. In fact we have almost 10,000 signatures already, but we are hoping to get this number up before we present the petition to our new President and members of our Board of Trustees very soon.

https://www.change.org/petitions/protec ... ry-chicago

Please send this petition around to as many other scientists and museum supporters you know. We really need all of your help.

For more information on this restructuring process and the potential implications to science at the Field Museum, please see the following articles (this may even include relaxing tenure to be able to fire tenured cutators):

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... 9773.story

http://www.nature.com/news/chicago-s-fi ... ce-1.12105

Thank you very much in advance for your support!
Corrie Moreau

[jp11biod]

I am close to Chicago and it is getting good circulation here. I will share it with all my contacts.

[excuzzzeme]

In a time of tough finances, there is little surprise that museums would languish financially. It is a shame since they add so much to education to history and geology. I hope they can resolve the problems.

[Suckermouth]

Indeed, this has been making the rounds in the ichthyological circles as well. I have already signed it.