Category: Wiki Home

Shipping Natural History Specimens

Published: September 12, 2026    Legislation and Regulations, Wiki Home

Contents Statement of Purpose This page contains an overview of shipping natural history specimens. Contributors Dirk Neumann, Jeremy Kisala, Peter Giere, Stephanie Carson, Jacqueline Miller, Benjamin Hess, Breda Zimkus Disclaimer Regulations constantly change, so always consult the current versions and contact the relevant authorities for clarification. The information provided below should not be considered comprehensive…

Hand-carrying Specimens into the United States

Published: August 10, 2026    Legislation and Regulations, Wiki Home

Contents Statement of Purpose Hand-carrying material can be a complex and stressful process. This page is intended to help those transporting specimens into the United States. Contributors Benjamin Hess, Jeremy Kisala, Olwen Grace, Breda Zimkus Introduction Researchers are often aware that imports of wildlife material into the United States (U.S.) require that a Declaration of Importation/Exportation (3-177)…

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES)

Published: August 6, 2026    Legislation and Regulations, Wiki Home

Contents Statement of Purpose This page is for information on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). See also Overview of Permitting for Natural History Collections. Contributors Major editors: Dirk Neumann, Breda Zimkus Introduction The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is a…

Conservation Laws and Protected Species (US)

Published: August 6, 2026    Legislation and Regulations, Wiki Home

Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Contributors 3 Introduction 4 Endangered Species Act (ESA) 5 Bald & Golden Eagle Protection Act 6 Migratory Bird Treaty Act 7 Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) 8 The Lacey Act Statement of Purpose This page is for information on the conservation laws and protected species within the United States. Contributors Major editor: Breda…

Agencies Regulating Import, Export, and Transport (US)

Published: August 5, 2026    Legislation and Regulations, Wiki Home

Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Contributors 3 Introduction 4 U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) 4.1 Injurious Wildlife 5 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 6 U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Statement of Purpose Compliance with multiple regulatory agencies may be required for the import, export, or transport of natural history specimens.…

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Published: July 13, 2026    Best Practices, Botanical Collections, Collection Management, Collection Management Policies & Procedures, Curation, Curation Practices, Environment, Wiki Home, Zoology Collections

Integrated pest management is the preventive process protecting collections from damaging pests. Current recommendations for IPM discourage using toxic chemicals, or using them minimally. Preventative measures usually include things like isolation and observation, non-chemical treatment of collections before integrating with a main collection, pest identification for understanding of issues, and building envelope exclusionary measures. Most…

Mammal Specimen Preparation

Published: August 19, 2025    Best Practices, Specimen and Material Type, Specimen and Object Preparation, Wiki Home, Zoology Collections

Statement of Purpose These links and documents contain information about mammalogy specimen preparation. Contributors Andrea M. Carrillo Introduction Mammal specimens are prepared in multiple formats depending on anticipated collection needs and utility. Study skins and skulls are the standard method of preparation in Mammalogy Collections, though complete skeletons, fluid-preparations, and other preparation methods are also…

USFWS Federal Migratory Bird Special Purpose Salvage Permits

Published: March 26, 2025    Best Practices, Collection Management Policies & Procedures, Collection Transactions, Field Collecting, Legislation and Regulations, Wiki Home, Zoology Collections

Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Contributors 3 USFWS Federal Migratory Bird Special Purpose Salvage Permits 4 Resources Statement of Purpose This page is for information on USFWS Federal Migratory Bird Special Purpose Salvage Permits. See also Permitting. Contributors Emily Braker USFWS Federal Migratory Bird Special Purpose Salvage Permits Federal Migratory Bird Special Purpose Salvage Permits are administered by the Department…

Training Personnel

Published: March 26, 2025    Collection Management, Emergency Management, Health and Safety, Wiki Home

Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Contributors 3 Staff Training Statement of Purpose These links and documents contain information about best practices for training personnel working with natural history collections. Contributors Content generated during The American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (ASIH) Annual Joint Meeting – 2016, during an iDigBio sponsored workshop by the following individuals…

Tissue Sample Collection

Published: March 26, 2025    Best Practices, Cryogenic Collections, Field Collecting, Specimen and Material Type, Specimen and Object Preparation, Wiki Home, Zoology Collections

Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Introduction 3 Contributors 4 Vial Considerations 5 Labeling and organizing vials 6 Tissue Collection Methods 7 Tissue Types 8 Tissue Preservation Methods 8.1 Freezing and Flash-freezing 8.2 Ethanol 8.3 DMSO 8.4 RNAlater 8.5 Tissue Piecing Protocol 9 Discipline Specific Information 9.1 Herpetology 9.2 Ichthyology 9.3 Mammalogy 10 References Statement of Purpose These links and documents contain information about best practices for tissue sample collection. Introduction Role of…

Threatened and Orphaned Collections

Published: March 26, 2025    Best Practices, Collection Management, Collection Transactions, Wiki Home

Contents 1 SPNHC Threatened Collections Toolkit 2 Contributors 3 What are endangered and orphaned collections 4 What natural history collections are at risk? 5 Why do collections become orphaned? 6 Warning signs of endangered collections 7 Taking in an orphaned collection 8 Preventing orphaned collections 8.1 Museum and university research collections 8.2 Private collections 8.3 Corporate collections 9 Deaccessioning an orphaned collection in a museum or university…

Taxonomic Resources

Published: March 26, 2025    Best Practices, Botanical Collections, Collection Management, Curation Practices, Geology and Paleontology Collections, Wiki Home, Zoology Collections

Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Introduction 3 Contributors 4 General Taxonomic Resources 5 Botanical Resources 5.1 Online Nomenclature Resources 5.1.1 General Botany Resources 5.1.2 Vascular Plant Resources 5.1.3 Non-Vascular Cryptogam Resources 5.1.3.1 Bryophytes 5.1.3.2 Fungi and Lichens 5.1.3.3 Algae 5.2 Print Nomenclature Resources 5.3 Rules of Botanical Nomenclature 5.4 Botanical Latin 5.5 Assessing Specimen Names 6 Zoological Resources 6.1 Online Nomenclature Resources 6.1.1 Amphibians 6.1.2 Birds 6.1.3 Fishes 6.1.4 Invertebrates 6.1.5 Mammals 6.1.6 Reptiles 7 Geology and Paleontology 7.1 Online…

Taxidermy and Skins

Published: March 26, 2025    Archaeology and Ethnographic Collections, Best Practices, Curation Practices, Health and Safety, Specimen and Material Type, Wiki Home, Zoology Collections

Contents Statement of Purpose Contributors Links Highlighted Resources History of Taxidermy Taxidermy Storage Stabilization & Restoration of Taxidermy Taxidermy & Pest Control Taxidermy & Disaster Recovery Health & Safety Statement of Purpose These links and documents contain information about the care and preservation of skin and taxidermy collections. There is a wealth of information on…

Supplies and Vendors

Published: March 26, 2025    Best Practices, Collection Storage, Curation Practices, Preventative Conservation Book, Specimen and Material Type, Wiki Home

This page is an initial listing of useful supplies and vendors for curation activities Curation Supplies & Vendors Category 1 Category 2 Item Description Mfg Supplier Pricing Unit size Cmt Image Curation Storage Jars (flint & paragon) withpoly-propylene lids with F217 poly-ethylene, alcohol resistant liners N/A O’Berk/Kols containers $xx.xx/jar 8 oz – 1 gallon Also…

Storage Materials: Plastics

Published: March 26, 2025    Best Practices, Collection Storage, Curation Practices, Preventative Conservation Book, Specimen and Material Type, Wiki Home

Chapter 33: Plastic Storage Products Scott Williams, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Contents 1 Chapter 33: Plastic Storage Products 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Basic Terminology 1.3 Suitability Criteria for Plastic Storage Products 1.4 Hazards Associated with Plastic Storage Products 1.5 The Nature of Plastics 1.5.1 Polymerization 1.5.2 Thermoplastics and Thermosets 1.6 Degradation of Plastics 1.6.1 Chemical Degradation 1.6.2 Oxidation 1.6.3 Moisture and hydrolysis 1.6.4 SIDEBAR 1 – How to Interpret the…

SPNHC Annual Meetings

Published: March 26, 2025    Conference Proceedings, Wiki Home

Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Contributors 3 Annual Meetings 4 Resources Statement of Purpose This page is where information pertaining to official Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC) Annual Meetings can be maintained, including PDFs of conference proceedings and abstracts. Contributors Genevieve Tocci, Emily Braker, Sankurie Pye Annual Meetings 2023 – San Francisco, CA, USA – 38th…

Software Resources

Published: March 26, 2025    Software Resources, Wiki Home

Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Software Resources 3 Contributors 4 References Statement of Purpose This page is a finding aid for users to discover information about software resources relevant to the SPNHC community. This includes but is not limited to collections/content management systems, specimen digitization tools, and tools designed to facilitate specimen-based research. Many of the resources below…

Skeleton Preparation

Published: March 26, 2025    Specimen and Material Type, Specimen and Object Preparation, Wiki Home, Zoology Collections

Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Links Statement of Purpose These links and documents contain information about preparation of skeletons. Links NPS Conserv O Gram 11/7 Vertebrate Skeletons: Preparation and Storage  from https://www.nps.gov/subjects/museums/conserve-o-grams.htm https://research.amnh.org/vz/ichthyology/congo/other03.html https://lsa.umich.edu/ummz/mammals/Dermestarium.html  

Shipping Small Fossils

Published: March 26, 2025    Best Practices, Collection Management, Collection Transactions, Curation Practices, Geology and Paleontology Collections, Specimen and Material Type, Wiki Home

Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Contributors 3 Introduction 4 Shipping Small and Fragile Fossils 5 Packing Micro-Fossil Mounts for Shipping 6 Links 7 References Statement of Purpose This page presents recommendations on how to pack and ship small fossils to prevent damage in transit. Contributors Carrie Eaton Introduction These glass vials are packed with batting then nested into a box for…

Packing Large Fossils

Published: March 26, 2025    Collection Transactions, Geology and Paleontology Collections, Wiki Home

Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Contributors 3 Introduction 4 Packing Large Fossils 4.1 Key points: 5 Custom Packing Options 6 Crates 7 Links 8 References Statement of Purpose This page presents recommendations on how to pack and ship large fossils to prevent damage during shipment. Contributors Carrie Eaton and Jessica Cundiff Introduction Packing large fossils properly is important to prevent damage in transit when shipping…

Overview of Packing, Handling, and Shipping for Natural History Collections

Published: March 26, 2025    Best Practices, Botanical Collections, Collection Management, Collection Transactions, Curation Practices, Geology and Paleontology Collections, Wiki Home, Zoology Collections

Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Contributors 3 Introduction 4 Shipment Types 4.1 Dangerous Goods 4.2 Genetic Resources 4.3 Geology and Paleontology 4.4 Pinned, Dry Insects 5 Shipping Regulations 5.1 List of Regulations 5.2 Links to SPNHC Wiki Pages 6 Links 7 References Statement of Purpose This page contains an overview on shipping collections and links out to specific shipping resources an information Contributors Genevieve Tocci; Shelley A. James;…

Shipping and Handling of Dangerous Goods

Published: March 26, 2025    Best Practices, Collection Transactions, Wiki Home

Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Contributors 3 Regulating agencies 4 Training 5 Dangerous goods/Hazardous materials 6 Regulations 6.1 Domestic Regulations 6.2 International Regulations 6.2.1 International Customs Requirements 6.2.2 Dangerous Goods Regulations of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) 7 Transport in personal baggage as carry-on or checked luggage 8 Natural history specimens 8.1 Problems and concerns 9 Source Material 10 Conference Presentations & Training Modules 11 References Statement of Purpose…

Scientific Collecting Licenses (US)

Published: March 26, 2025    Best Practices, Botanical Collections, Collection Management Policies & Procedures, Collection Transactions, Field Collecting, Legislation and Regulations, Wiki Home, Zoology Collections

Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Contributors 3 Scientific Collecting Licenses 4 Resources Statement of Purpose This page is for information Scientific Collecting licenses for lethal take of wildlife, including plants. See also See also Permitting. Contributors Emily Braker Scientific Collecting Licenses Scientific Collecting Licenses authorize the lethal collection of wildlife, generally for purposes of survey, inventory, or targeted scientific research.…

Salvage Permits (US)

Published: March 26, 2025    Best Practices, Collection Management Policies & Procedures, Collection Transactions, Field Collecting, Legislation and Regulations, Wiki Home, Zoology Collections

Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Contributors 3 Salvage Permits 4 Resources Statement of Purpose This page is for information on US state-issued Salvage Permits. See also Permitting. Contributors Emily Braker Salvage Permits Salvage Permits are a type of Scientific Collecting License that authorize collecting of dead animals and their parts (skulls, feathers, etc.) for scientific research and educational purposes. These…

Reopening Collections

Published: March 26, 2025    Best Practices, Collection Management, Emergency Management, Health and Safety, Wiki Home

Contents 1 About 2 Contributors 3 Introduction 4 Reopening Collections 4.1 Managing Collections After Closure Due to Public Health Emergencies 4.2 Receiving Incoming Collection Items After Closure Due to Public Health Emergencies 5 Links About Here we present a checklist of items to consider for reopening collections after institutional or departmental closures, specifically when circumstances do not allow some or all staff…

Rehousing Materials

Published: March 26, 2025    Best Practices, Collection Storage, Curation Practices, Preventative Conservation Book, Specimen and Material Type, Wiki Home

This content is excerpted from Preventive Conservation: Collection Storage (2019), Elkin and Norris, eds. Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Contributors 3 Boards and Papers 4 Foams, Padding and Support Materials 5 Film and Sheet Products 6 Fabrics and Soft Products 7 Adhesives 8 Tapes 9 Mechanical Fasteners 10 Sewing 11 Products for Metals Storage 12 Inappropriate Materials Statement of Purpose This list of materials is primarily drawn from Chapter…

Preparation

Published: March 26, 2025    Botanical Collections, Conference Proceedings, Cryogenic Collections, Field Collecting, Specimen and Material Type, Wiki Home, Zoology Collections

Contents 1 About 2 Contributors 3 Specimen Preparation Types by Collection Type 3.1 Botany 3.2 Herpetology 3.3 Ichthyology 3.4 Ornithology 4 Links 4.1 Community Standards About These links and documents contain information about best practices for the preparation of different types of natural history specimens. Contributors Content generated during The American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (ASIH) Annual Joint Meeting – 2016, during an…

Posters

Published: March 26, 2025    Conference Proceedings, Wiki Home

Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 2022 Gallery 3 2020 Gallery 4 2019 Gallery 5 Contributors 6 References Statement of Purpose This page offers SPNHC members a permanent place to share and expand the reach of posters shared at our annual conference. Realizing the import of collections and related materials [1][2][3], SPNHC recognizes the need to collaborate to…