This project will improve the housing and curation of the mammal research collection (182,000 specimens; third largest in US) in concert with a planned relocation of the collection to new facilities. Specific improvements will involve: (1) replacing older inadequate storage cases and wet-specimen containers; (2) adding new cases to accommodate past and anticipated growth. The institution will expend 80 million to renovate the new facility for occupancy by the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, Museum of Paleontology, and the University & Jepson Herbaria. Renovations include a doubling of MVZ collection space and installation of temperature and humidity controls. The University will also assume all costs of collection relocation. This support will provide much better access to the collection for research scientists and students and will further the preservation and use of the collection in biodiversity research. %%% This project will improve the conservation and accessibility of the mammal research collection at the University of California, Berkeley, by replacing antiquated inadequate cases and by accommodating space for collection growth. This improvement will occur in concert with a move of the collection to new facilities and will increase the access to the collection by research scientists and students involved in biodiversity projects.
