Description

Photo:
PMNH in the community. Credit: PMNH website
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Message from Mazin Qumsiyeh
Professor and Director
Palestine Museum of Natural History
Palestine Institute of Biodiversity and Sustainability
Bethlehem University
Occupied Palestine

Using largely volunteer efforts and donations, we have a mission focused on research, education, and conservation of our natural world, culture and heritage and use knowledge to promote responsible empowered human interactions with all components of our environment.

Our motto is RESPECT (first for ourselves, then others, then the environment). In the past two years, we managed to 1) published several research papers (on things ranging from environmental health to biodiversity to museology, to reptiles, to butterflies, and more) 2) initiated a botanical garden with an integrated water and land ecosystem, 3) developed permaculture including
bee keeping and aquaponics systems (production, research, and knowledge transfer), 4) developed an educational program including hosting science festivals that benefited hundreds of school students, 5) hosted hundreds of local and international visitors who gained knowledge of local challenges and opportunities, 6) built partnerships with local and global governmental and non-governmental entities resulting in benefit to environment and
sustainability, 7) developed databases and other resources including
collections, photo library, digital library, local biodiversity database,
and a seed bank. We now have an integrated system for research, education, and conservation to address areas in need in Palestine.

The museum grounds and its botanical garden (integrated ecosystem) is also an oasis for wildlife in Bethlehem and an oasis for young people seeking alternatives and a new way of looking at themselves and their environment (empowerment
and nature conservation).

Thank you for your support

Stay human

Mazin Qumsiyeh
Professor and Director
Palestine Museum of Natural History
Palestine Institute of Biodiversity and Sustainability
Bethlehem University
Occupied Palestine
http://qumsiyeh.org
http://palestinenature.org