CSBR: Natural History Collections: RUI: Collection Improvement of Marshall University's WV Vertebrate Survey Museum: West Virginia Natural History Updated and Online

这项提案的目标是拯救西弗吉尼亚州的主要自然历史收藏，其中包括超过21,000哺乳动物，两栖动物和爬行动物积累了70年。几乎所有在西弗吉尼亚州被描述的物种都包括在内，甚至包括联邦濒危物种。这个收藏比全国任何其他博物馆都要大，因此是一个独特的资源，应该开发用于培训下一代生物学家，他们可以研究，维护和保护阿巴拉契亚的动物。然而，它迫切需要新的设备和护理，以确保其生存。此外，一旦数据库建立起来，就有可能通过网络在全国/全球范围内提供这一数据集。马歇尔大学是西弗吉尼亚州西南部的一所主要的本科教学机构。这个系列对学生和当地的阿巴拉契亚社区产生了巨大的影响。它用于培养学生在生物学课程和学生积极使用的研究，演示和出版物的集合。这些藏品也用于K-12外展，重点是当地的多样性和保护生态。教育推广和早期接触科学对于西弗吉尼亚州科学素养人口的发展至关重要，西弗吉尼亚州是一个在教育和社会经济方面面临挑战的州。

This proposal's goal is to save West Virginia's primary natural history collection which includes over 21,000 mammals, amphibians, and reptiles amassed over 70 years. Almost every species that has been described in West Virginia is included, even federally endangered species. This collection is larger than in any other museum nationally and as so is a unique resource and should be developed for training the next generation of biologists who can then study, maintain, and protect Appalachia's animals. However, it is in urgent need of new equipment and curation to ensure its survival. Additionally, once the database is developed it will be possible to make this collection nationally/globally accessible via the Web. Marshall University is a primarily undergraduate teaching institution in southwestern West Virginia. This collection has tremendous impact on its students and the local Appalachian community. It is used to train students in biology courses and students actively use the collections for research, presentations, and publications. The collections are also used for K-12 outreach focusing on local diversity and conservation ecology. Education outreach and early exposure to science is crucial for the development of a scientifically literate population in West Virginia, an educationally and socioeconomically challenged state.