Science centres and museums team up with Countdown 2010 for biodiversity

9 October 2008, Barcelona (Spain). Science centres and museums are the repositories of the wonders of life on the planet. Sample collections, interactive games and exceptional exhibitions nurture children and adults’ imagination and provide the key to better understand the world. As major actors in the dissemination of knowledge, science centres and museums can play a fundamental role in boosting Countdown 2010 network and increase outreach potential.

At IUCN World Conservation Congress, the European Network of Science Centres and Museums (Ecsite) joined Countdown 2010 and brought in more than 335 institutions, also including zoos, aquariums, universities and research organisations in Europe – united by the common objective of communicating science through accessible, interactive exhibits and programmes.

The Network developed a special plan for biodiversity and committed to the following actions:

• Monitor and reduce as much as possible the impact on biodiversity of its own activities, in particular the Annual Conference.
• Promote projects, actions and issues on biodiversity communication in the Ecsite Annual Conference, the printed newsletter and the monthly e-newsletter;
• Encourage our members to communicate their initiatives on biodiversity, in particular for the year 2010;
• Develop programs to train scientists doing research in biodiversity in science communication. The aim is to ensure that researchers with a strong scientific basis in biodiversity enhance their skills and find appropriate ways and opportunities to communicate effectively with the public.
• Set up a group of Ecsite members that will focus on the theme Nature to share knowledge and experiences in communicating this topic;
• Create new opportunities to communicate biodiversity.

Ecsite website
Ecsite on Countdown 2010 website