Duke University has a collection of 825,000 plants, fungi, and algae. The collection was started over 100 years ago. It is one of the largest such collections in the country, and it helps scientists track the impact of humans on the environment. It allow researchers to extract DNA material from plant specimens. It permits all kinds of studies. Duke wants to now close it down, but has no destination in mind. A warehouse?
Duke is not the first to do this. Some years ago the University of Louisiana Monroe “deaccessioned” a half a million specimens to make way for a new sports facility.
What a short-sighted and shameful decision.
Info for this post is from Carl Zimmer, “Duke University Prunes Century-Old Herbarium,” New York Times, (22 Feb. 2024), p. A16.
Is that about evolution?
ReplyDeleteI think it is more about Duke University losing sight of what a University is for. Perhaps our universities are evolving into businesses and sports franchises.
ReplyDeleteI dislike the idea that you go to college to get a good job. :(
ReplyDelete