Welcome to the Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre - Alliance of Natural History Museums of Canada

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What is the Alliance of Natural History Museums of Canada?	The ANHMC is a network of natural history museums seeking to improve the preservation and understanding of Canada's natural heritage. By pooling members' efforts, the ANHMC can provide enhanced public programming with national reach, contribute to informed decision making in areas of public policy and enhance collections planning and development to facilitate public and scientific access to information in members' collections.
Why was the ANHMC created?	The members want to create a network of equal and independent museum partners that will each be initiators, co-ordinators and facilitators to pursue a common goal - connecting people with nature. They want to speak with a single voice on issues of common interest, and encourage communication with each other. The Alliance was also created to provide a national network for research, collections and education.
Who are the members of the ANHMC?	They come from coast to coast, all across Canada: Royal British Columbia Museum, Royal Alberta Museum, Royal Tyrrell Museum, Royal Saskatchewan Museum, the Manitoba Museum, Montréal's Nature Museums, Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History, New Brunswick Museum, The Rooms, Provincial Museum Division and Canadian Museum of Nature.
What is the mission of the ANHMC?	The ANHMC is dedicated to improving the preservation and understanding of Canada's natural heritage. By pooling members' efforts, the ANHMC can provide enhanced public programming with national reach, contribute to informed decision making in areas of public policy and enhance collections planning and development to facilitate public and scientific access to information in members' collections.
What are the goals of the ANHMC?	Its goals are to: - Speak with a single voice on issues of common interest - Encourage communication among member museums - Increase our influence on public policy and decision making - Combine collections planning and development efforts to facilitate public and scientific access to information in members' collections
Why are natural history museums valuable to Canadians?	Natural history museums are valuable to Canadians because they provide opportunities for people to discover and learn about nature and our connections with nature. Our museums have developed unique expertise in promoting scientific literacy and developing programs for students and the general public. Natural history museums are also the repositories and guardians of invaluable collections. There are millions of specimens in museum collections across Canada, ranging from the smallest insects to the most gigantic dinosaurs.
Why are these collections invaluable?	Aside from the educational aspects of these collections, they are also an important resource for conducting research in various spheres. Collections research takes in nearly all scientific pursuits, be it the study of living microorganisms or of long-extinct ecosystems. This research has many applications, in particular in the field of health, focusing on medical development, disease vectors, natural resources, and so on. When organized systematically, natural science collections enable us to reconstruct the Earth's history, understand the present and forecast the future. They teach us about evolution and biodiversity. The data held in natural science collections is inestimable and that is why it is so important to protect and preserve it properly.
Are natural science collections threatened?	The current crisis facing collection-based institutions is based on insufficient awareness of how these collections are irreplaceable resources with crucial relevance to society. It is important that we begin by conducting an exhaustive inventory of Canadian collections and creating a network that will allow us to share expertise and exchange information. If we are to preserve our collections, we must also increase public awareness of the importance of natural history collections and develop unified voices and goals.
Contact Information	Louise Winter Head Office, Alliance of Natural History Museums of Canada Canadian Museum of Nature P.O. Box 3443, Station "D" Ottawa, ON K1P 6P4 Telephone: (613) 566-4740 Fax\télécopieur : (613) 364-4020 Email\Courriel : lwinter@mus-nature.ca Map showing the locations of Alliance members (Acrobat file)