repost from @slash repost from @dean_r_lomax Devastated, shocked and disgusted by the decision to CLOSE FOR GOOD the great and esteemed Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, two years from its bicentenary. @acadnatsci This is the oldest natural history museum in America. It is where the first dinosaur skeleton in the world, Hadrosaurus, was mounted in 1866, and home to President Thomas Jefferson’s fossil collection, among many, many other objects. Take a look at this snapshot of the museum, because you’ll never see it again by the end of the month. GONE. I'm appalled! I have spent time working with the Academy of Natural Sciences, studying its collections and describing fossils as part of my research. It is genuinely one of the most brilliant museums, with many important specimens and a rich legacy. It has been the go-to place for many Philadelphia families. It has many holotypes, even including one I named. Although I have read that the formal collections will remain for research and public engagement, closing the museum itself is closing the door to science and outreach, no matter how you look at it. This has made me so angry. I feel for my friends and colleagues, as well as all the other staff, who will lose their jobs, and for the local families and communities who have been robbed of this beautiful museum. I had heard murmurs that something like this might happen, but I never thought it could. This is among the most important museums in America. Science and education have been severely attacked in recent years. Children, families and people of all ages love science and nature. But it is a sad fact that many people making key decisions simply don't care about science, education and the need to spark curiosity about the natural world. Those who have decided to close the museum should be ashamed. It is embarrassing. And something doesn’t sit right. I am sure there is an ulterior motive. I didn’t think this reel from my last trip to the museum would be my very last time in the displays. September 2024. If you can visit before it’s gone, please do. Express your frustration at this ridiculous decision. iiii]; )' - @slash