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Address:
Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
Contact:
Prof. Tamar Dayan
dayant@post.tau.ac.il
Links:
National Museum of Natural History
Tel-Aviv University
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Description:
Tel Aviv university has extensive natural history collections that were founded over 60 years ago. Israel is the only scientific center in the entire Middle East where intensive collecting, research, and teaching in the natural sciences take place, so these collections are priceless and irreplaceable; they have local, regional, and even global significance. Over a decade ago, The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities has recognized the utmost importance of the natural history collections of Tel Aviv University and has declared them, together with collections housed at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, as the Israel National Collections of Natural History. These collections were viewed as a a National Museum of Natural History in the making, and, recognizing their significance, the Planning and Grants Committee of the Council for Higher Education (Vatat) provides annual funds towards costs of maintenance.
The National Museum of Natural History at Tel Aviv University will strive to fulfill the following goals:
- We will endevour to maintain and strengthen our active collecting program. The collections provide the scientific record of nature in Israel, which is crucial for biodiversity research, and to the future of nature in our region.
- The museum will be responsible for conservation and maintenance of the collections, for taxonomic identification, and for providing the international scientific community with a computerized database (virtual museum) available on internet.
- The museum will continue to promote biodiversity research. Museum researchers will work to assess environmental damage and to document threatened species. The museum will serve as a regional center for biodiversity research in the Middle East.
- The museum will help to promote biological studies at different educational levels. It will continue to serve a wide array of university level courses, teaching seminars, and graduate students. The museum will be committed to teaching through public lectures, developing educational programs for children and for the general public.
- The museum will have a major educational and cultural role. It will bring insight into natural history to the public, in particular schoolchildren, and help promote an interchange between scientists at Tel Aviv University and the community. Moreover, Israel is a land of immigration; over 10% of its population have been here a decade or less. A museum of natural history will serve to familiarize this population with its new surroundings, as well as instill a caring and respect in the younger generation for the natural history of its country.
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