Access to insect information is under threat!
The Field Guide to the Insects of Tasmania supports scientific research, collections and education. It is imperative for the Tasmanian and world wide community to know, understand and share information about Tasmania’s unique local ecosystems. It is also fundamental that our young people should bea able to be inspired by the best facilities, energised by specialist scientists. Nature, both pristine and farmed is Tasmania’s key “selling point”, thus scientific knowledge, records and education are imperative.
The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) is about to suffer further staff cuts. Here we will focus on insects. The museum is fundamental to housing and classifying historic and modern insect collections, identification of species, international scientific collaboration and education with outreach in the local community. The TMAG invertebrate curator position is under direct threat. This is currently Dr Simon Grove’s position. He has regularly provided invaluable assistance to the IOT website and is well known for his outreach within the community. If the invertebrate position is dissolved, it seems unlikely given current trends, that it will ever return.
The plan is that two positions will be replaced with a single person to oversee both invertebrates and vertebrates at TMAG. Due to the broad differences in living organisms, this can no longer be a specialist position. Anyone who has navigated our site will realise how complex the insects are on their own. Tasmanians deserve access to high academic standards and the constant usage and participation in our insect website shows that the Tasmanian, and global community are interested, eager and need to learn rigorous facts about invertebrates.
We urge you to formally register your concerns about the cuts to science at TMAG and act quickly. Sign the petition, write to politicians, make noise however you can. Make your opinion heard and don’t accept the dumbing down of Tasmanian resources.