The Field Museum’s Mission: Conservation Training Building a critical mass of scientists and naturalists who study and teach biodiversity is essential to preserving our planet’s fragile web of life. The more scientists we have serving as advocates for species and habitats, the more information we can gather and the greater the chances that protective policies will be enacted. Learning how to conduct inventories or pursue collections-based research is not an easy task, especially in places where educational opportunities are limited. The Field Museum is helping to build an international infrastructure for conservation by training scientists, land managers, park naturalists, and conservation leaders both here in the United States and abroad. Conservation training includes: Advanced Academic Training: providing training in the field, in the Museum, and in universities for students pursuing higher degrees in science Local Conservation Training: providing training in the field, in the Museum, and within in-country institutions for park rangers, forest preserve managers, and concerned citizens interested in protecting their local habitats Advanced Academic Training The accelerated loss of biological diversity in the world through habitat destruction, pollution, and ecosystem fragmentation has been accompanied by a loss of taxonomic experts—people who are trained to discover, identify, describe, classify, and understand the natural history of the world's diversity of organisms. Unfortunately, many specialists have retired, and shifts in academic recruitment and staffing have hampered biodiversity research and conservation. In particular, fewer students pursue the study of large but relatively unknown groups such as bacteria, fungi, and invertebrates. In response, The Field Museum has a long history of providing advanced academic training to university students and scholars from U.S. institutions and overseas. Through supervising research projects and teaching in a variety of workshops, classes, and fieldwork programs, the Museum equips the next generation of scientists with the tools they need to study, understand, and protect our planet’s biodiversity. top Local Conservation Training Sustainable conservation requires that countries with highly significant biodiversity have local scientists and trained staff in place that can study and put conservation strategies into practice. But what can be done to advance conservation in countries where scientific experts are in short supply? Where access to higher education, funding, and research facilities is limited, Field Museum scientists work with students, park rangers, and forest preserve managers alike to train them in inventory and collections techniques. The Museum acts as a catalyst, working behind the scenes to create a skill base that will leave long-term management in the hands of local people. The charge of training scientists and conservation leaders is a mission few Museum scientists take lightly. By sharing their passion and knowledge with others, Field Museum scientists hope to empower students, scientists, and conservation professionals in their home countries to ensure the protection of the world’s biodiversity. top   back to The Field Museum's Mission >>   continue to Conservation Action >> Introduction | Investigate Biodiversity | YBC | Meet the Scientist | Explore Global Diversity | Events and Programs | Take Action! | Teaching Biodiversity | Biodiversity Exhibition | Credits