A major philanthropic gift to the Nature Foundation by two renowned entomologists will fund a program for visiting scientists at the Canadian Museum of Nature, Canada’s national museum of natural history and natural sciences.
The endowment by Drs. Jarmila and Stewart Peck, now retired but with long-standing ties to Carleton University, will support in-person study of the museum’s world-class collections of beetles and fossil insects by researchers and students from around the world. These studies, in turn, inform projects and international collaborations related to natural history, biodiversity and environmental change.
“The Pecks’ gift is timely. The pandemic has put a fine point on the importance of nature to our own health and the well-being of the planet, yet only a tiny fraction of philanthropy supports nature initiatives,” says Rob Crosbie, Chair of the Nature Foundation Board. “The Pecks demonstrate the type of commitment needed to support evidence-based science that fosters solutions for a sustainable future.”