The American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) has submitted a letter to Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker and the Philadelphia City Council expressing strong support for the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University and deep concern about the museum’s closure of public-facing operations.
In the letter, AIBS urges the City to recognize that the Academy is not only a beloved local institution but one of profound national and international significance. Founded in 1812, the Academy is the oldest natural science research institution and museum in the United States and a globally important center for biodiversity research. Its collections—more than 19 million specimens of animals, plants, and minerals, including Thomas Jefferson’s fossil collection, the Lewis and Clark Herbarium, and the Titian Peale Moth and Butterfly Collection—are an irreplaceable resource for the national and international scientific community.
AIBS emphasized that these collections are active, dynamic tools for discovery, cared for by expert curatorial staff whose work advances research on climate change, biodiversity, public health, and food security. The letter calls on city leaders to support the Academy’s continued research mission and the expert long-term care of its collections, and was submitted ahead of a City Council hearing on the Academy’s future on October 26.
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