These have been very exciting months! Since I wrote my last message to you I have spoken on KFCO-Radio's Good Afternoon Monterey Bay in Santa Cruz, given a slide show to the Chicago Herpetological Society, presented a three-part series on "Evolution in Action" for the Santa Cruz Natural History Museum, conducted field and museum studies in Papua New Guinea and Australia, done museum research at the Field Museum in Chicago, and been a guest on a second season episode of O'Shea's Big Adventure. On top of that, I continue to write my monthly column, "Reptile Road," for Reptile & Amphibian Hobbyist magazine, write other articles for other magazines, and act as administrator for this Museum.

If it sounds like I'm on a crusade it is because I am! Getting people aware of the VMNH is a full-time job, and being a totally Internet presence makes publicizing us a bit difficult. Besides, I'm a zoologist and teacher by training, so all this public relations stuff is a learning experience for me. But the hard work is starting to pay off. We are getting and answering more and more e-mail requests for information, uploading new species accounts, and getting regular favorable feedback all the time. 

One of the biggest events of the summer, though, has been the donation of a building to the VMNH. That's right, a building--in Oro Province, Papua New Guinea. This generous gift by the Tufi Dive and Adventure Lodge (www.tufitelita.com), is being dubbed "VMNH Research Station Tufi," and will provide a fully-equipped base of operations for conducting biodiversity and ecological studies in one of the least explored (and incredibly beautiful) tropical locales in the world.

So, inch by inch, we grow. Our major need now is for operating capital, because we still need to buy groceries, pay rent, and book flights! To that end, we are now offering memberships to VMNH users. Please help us stay online and able to offer our services free. Become a member today. We also seek funding for our specific research projects in Australia and Papua New Guinea. If you can help, or know of a granting agency that would like to sponsor some worthwhile biodiversity work, please contact me at the email address below. 

Thank you, and we hope you continue to enjoy our site!

Sincerely yours,