EcoTarium

The EcoTarium will implement a Volunteer-Based Inventorying Protocol (VBI Protocol) as a cost-effective method to inventory its natural history collection. The project has been piloted by the museum, and grant funding will further refine and implement the program by recruiting interns and volunteers; producing and implementing a training program; inventorying and digitizing approximately 6,000 specimens; producing a VBI Protocol manual once the protocol has been refined; and updating equipment and software. The museum will also administer a survey to 25 New England museums to identify future collaborative partners with whom it can disseminate its manual, develop collections-focused collegiate mentoring relationships, share collections resources, and develop projects that help provide better care for museum collections.