The Goulandris Museum of Natural History
The
Goulandris Museum of Natural History in Athens
was founded
by Angelos Goulandris and
Niki Goulandris in 1965 in order to promote interest in the natural sciences, to raise the awareness of
the public, in general, and in particural to call its attention to
the need to protect Greece
's natural
wildlife habitats and species in the danger of
extinction.
The Museum includes large collections of insects, mammals, birds,
reptiles, shells, rocks, minerals and fossils, from the rich
natural wildlife of the Greek territory. The botanical collections
number over 200.000 species of plants, among which there are 145
newly-discovered ones, which have been recorded thanks to the
Museum's research. The kernel of the botanical collection was
formed when it acquired the collection of
Constantine Goulimis, the author of
Wild Flowers of Greece that was illustrated by
Niki Goulandris. In the Museum's laboratories, scientific research
is being carried out in the areas of ecology, botany, zoology,
geology, palaeontology and biotechnology. In the exhibition rooms
are presented in detail the variety and interdependence of the
biocommunities and the floral, animal and geological wealth of
Greece.
The Goulandris Museum of Natural History also functions as a
complementary educational institution for all levels of education.
Its
activities include further education programmes, seminars,
lectures, the publication of books and other material, and
itinerant exhibitions on crucial environmental issues in Greece and
abroad. The Museum is linked to international organizations
and to Institutes of Higher Education.
Some of the most important exhibits of the
museum are the
Zoology Room,
the
Palaeontology Room and the display
of
bivalve molluscs from various parts of
the world.
See also
External links
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