CSBR: Natural History Collections: Critical Conservation of Paleontological Collections at the NCSM: A Platform to Engage Underserved Students in Citizen Science

北卡罗来纳州自然科学博物馆（NCSM）是东南部最大的自然科学博物馆，拥有一个具有区域意义和全球独特的化石收藏，其数量、声誉、知名度和使用率都在不断增长。这些古生物标本目前被安置在金属护套的木制橱柜中，这种橱柜结构不牢固，废气是腐烂的酸性副产品，并且具有损坏的毡制门垫圈，防止气密密封。这种情况对NCMS化石标本构成直接的安全和保护风险，特别是对因黄铁矿病而恶化的具有科学意义的藏品。该项目将把NCSM的古生物学藏品重新安置到博物馆级的钢柜中，并按照标本保护的最佳做法保存档案材料。该项目还将向服务不足的公立学校学生介绍公民科学，他们将通过测量和3D模型改善开放获取的自然历史标本数据，并将与现有的多个NCSM计划工作进行深入整合，包括青年科学交流机会，以记录和广播该项目。重新安置将大大提高NCSM古生物学收藏的安全性、价值以及长期研究和教育的可行性，该收藏包括埃迪卡拉纪无脊椎动物、白垩纪-新生代海胆的重要藏品，以及北美东部最广泛的晚三叠世脊椎动物收藏之一。古生物学收藏是研究和教育的积极资源，包括博物馆工作人员每年在博物馆的展览古生物学研究实验室或收藏区教授的公立大学课程。这些活动定期吸引研究生和本科生以及博物馆参观者参与以科隆为基地的古生物学研究。NCSM每年接待约100万游客，免费向公众开放，吸引文化和社会经济多样化的受众。该项目利用样本重新安置，广泛影响现有的NCSM计划，并为多个级别的专业人员（服务不足的9-12，本科生和研究生）创造新的STEM机会。倡议包括推出一个新的公民科学计划-初级馆长：化石收藏-旨在增加从NCSM古生物标本开放获取的形态数据，并吸引当地服务不足的学生。其他目标旨在通过在北卡罗来纳州公立学校系统内通过现场，科学家到教室的连接广播幕后窥视收藏品护理来获得社区参与自然历史收藏品;通过NCSM的数字媒体制作节目TeenTV创建新内容; NCSM的免费每日星球剧院每月演示;以及建立NCSM社交媒体平台（例如，多个博客网站、Twitter和现场探险网站。计划的专业交付成果包括iDigBio网络研讨会。结果可在（collections.naturalsciences.org）上查看。该项目还将支持NCSM的承诺，即增加古生物学收藏作为外部研究资源的可访问性。 NCSM的所有古生物收藏品最近都在GRBIO和Earth Cube注册，可以通过博物馆的网站、全球生物多样性信息设施、VertNet（仅限无脊椎动物和脊椎动物古生物收藏品）和iDigBio（idigbio.org）访问。

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (NCSM), the largest natural science museum in the Southeast, maintains a regionally significant and globally unique fossil collection that is growing in number, reputation, visibility, and usage. These paleontological specimens are currently housed in metal-sheathed wooden cabinetry that is structurally unsound, off-gases acidic byproducts of decay, and possesses deteriorated felted door-gaskets that prevent an air-tight seal. Such conditions pose an immediate security and conservation risk to NCMS fossil specimens, particularly to scientifically significant holdings that are deteriorating from pyrite disease. This project will rehouse the NCSM paleontological holdings into museum-grade steel cabinets with archival materials following best practices in specimen conservation. The project will also introduce underserved public school students to citizen science where they will improve open-access natural history specimen data via measurements and 3D models and will integrate deeply with multiple existing NCSM programmatic efforts including a youth science communication opportunity to document and broadcast the project in action to public school audiences. Rehousing will greatly increase the security, value, and long-term research and educational viability of the NCSM Paleontological Collection, which includes significant holdings in Ediacaran invertebrates, Cretaceous - Cenozoic echinoids, and one of the most extensive collections of Late Triassic vertebrates from eastern North America. The Paleontological Collection is an active resource for research and education, including public university courses taught annually by museum staff either inside the museum's on-exhibition Paleontology Research Lab or in the collections area. These activities regularly engage graduate and undergraduate students, and museum visitors with specimen-based paleontological research. NCSM receives about 1 million visitors each year and is free to the public, engaging culturally and socio-economically diverse audiences. This project capitalizes on specimen rehousing to broadly impact existing NCSM programs as well as create new STEM opportunities targeted for pre-professionals at multiple levels (underserved 9-12, undergraduate, and graduate students). Initiatives include the launch of a new citizen science program - Junior Curator: Fossil Collections - designed to increase open-access morphological data from NCSM paleontological specimens and engage local underserved students. Other goals are aimed at garnering community engagement with natural history collections by broadcasting a behind-the-scenes peek at collections care via live, scientist-to-classroom connections within the North Carolina Public School System; new content creation via NCSM's digital media production program TeenTV; monthly presentations in the NCSM's free Daily Planet Theater; and established NCSM social media platforms (e.g., multiple blog sites, Twitter, and live expedition websites.) Planned professional deliverables include iDigBio webinars. Results can be viewed at (collections.naturalsciences.org). This project will also support NCSM's demonstrated commitment to increasing accessibility of the Paleontological Collection as an external research resource. All paleontology collections at NCSM were recently registered with GRBIO and Earth Cube, and can be accessed via the Museum's website, The Gobal Biodiversity Information Facility, VertNet (invertebrate and vertebrate paleontology collections only) and iDigBio (idigbio.org).