Curation of the Wasp Nest Collection of The American Museum of Natural History

在詹姆斯·卡彭特博士和丽莎·克朗塔尔博士的指导下，美国自然历史博物馆获得了一笔赠款，用于部分支持根据现代保护技术对世界上最大的群居蜂巢之一(黄蜂科)的收藏进行管理，并对这些藏品进行数字摄影，以便能够访问互联网。收藏品将被重新安置在新的橱柜中，并构建适当的支撑。保护将为未来的研究人员保留一种独特的资源，因为如果没有适当的保护，收藏将继续恶化，信息将丢失。该项目还将通过允许电子访问来提高收集的可用性。该项目代表了一种独特的合作：科学家和专业保护人员从未合作过收集蜂巢。我们将制作一份处理此类藏品的“最佳做法”文件，该文件将在AMNH自然科学保护网站上提供，这是关于如何正确对待此类藏品的第一个资源。该文件将提供有关鸟巢的建造和组成的一般信息，以及关于它们对外部环境的反应和在博物馆环境中发现的力量的信息。有关搬运、长期储存和重新安置的说明和参数将通过补充图表提供。将展示这些收藏中的例子的图像，以进一步说明重新安置和建造支架所涉及的具体步骤。还将为新出现的自然历史收藏保护领域的实习生提供学生培训。学生将参与鸟巢收藏的保护和成像。这些收集已经成为大量科学出版物的基础，包括一些对进化生物学普遍感兴趣的出版物。它还发挥了教育作用，在成员、学生、记者和其他各方的讲座和参观中进行示范。最佳做法文件将通过因特网访问，为世界各地日益增长的自然科学保护人员和藏品管理人员服务。在该项目下完成的成像将对科学研究人员有直接的好处，他们将能够在不必参观博物馆的情况下研究图像，并将采取行动通过减少目前的处理水平来保护藏品，但它也将有间接的好处。

A grant has been awarded to the American Museum of Natural History under the direction of Dr. James Carpenter and Lisa Kronthal for partial support of curation of one of the largest collections of social wasp nests (family Vespidae) in the world, according to modern conservation techniques, and for digital photography of the collection to allow Internet access. The collection will be re-housed in new cabinetry, with appropriate supports constructed. The conservation will preserve a unique resource for future researchers, for without proper preservation the collection will continue to deteriorate and information will be lost. This project will also improve availability of the collection by permitting electronic access.This project represents a unique collaboration: scientists and professional conservators have never worked together on a wasp nest collection. We will produce a "Best Practices" document for treating such collections which will be made available on the AMNH natural sciences conservation website - the first resource for how to treat such collections properly. The document will provide general information on the construction and composition of the nests as well as information concerning their response to external environments and forces found within a museum setting. Instructions and parameters concerning handling, long-term storage and re-housing will be presented using supplementary diagrams. Images of examples from the collections will be presented to further illustrate specific steps involved in re-housing and building supports. Student training will also be provided, for an intern in the newly emerging field of conservation of natural history collections. The student will participate in both the conservation and imaging of the nest collection. The collection has already served as the basis for a significant number of scientific publications, including some of general interest to evolutionary biology. It has also served in an educational role, in the form of demonstrations at lectures and tours given to members, students, journalists, and other parties. The best practices document will serve the growing field of natural science conservators as well as collections managers worldwide through its accessibility via the Internet. The imaging that will be accomplished under this project will have a direct benefit to scientific researchers who will be able to study the images without having to visit the Museum and will act to preserve the collection by reducing the level of handling it currently endures, but it will also have indirect benefits as well.