The Mexican Bird Museum: an urban garden teaches nature Yani Heweman

m e twoyear-old Mexican Bird Museuin was specifically designed to educate the public and has become tbeprinc@al visitor attraction in the northern city of Saltillo, proving that natural history inuseuins can be as attractive aitd popular as art museum. Its architect and designer, Yani Heweman, explains how this came about. She is on the faculty of the Universidad Nacional Aut6noma de México and is a member of ICOM’s Executive Council.

Natural history museums were an out- standing development in the history of Mexican museums, as in that of the muse- ums of most Latin American countries. One has only to review this history to realize their impact. Ail over Latin America major museums were set up - the Bernardino Rivadavia Natural Science Museum and National Institute of Scientific Research in Argentina, the National Museums of Natu- ral History in Chile and in Mexico to cite but a few. Their efforts in the fields of education and research undoubtedly played a vital role in the dissemination of knowl- edge concerning the natural sciences and the local environment as a part of the national heritage. Nevertheless, as the years have gone by, this type of museum has received markedly less attention in the national development plans of the various countries. Although Mexico has a long tradition in the dissemination of science, public museums having this theme are noticeably fewer than anthropological and historical museums. These exist in their own right separately from the natural his- tory museums, contrary to the situation in other countries, such as Argentina, Chile, the United Kingdom and the United States. For another thing, art museums occupy an honourable second place in number and importance in Mexico.

The Natural History Museum of Mexico City, which was built and inaugurated more than thirty years ago, at the same time as the world famous Museum of Anthro- pology, was until very recently the biggest and most important museum of its kind in the country. It was commended in 1964 by Georges Henri Rivière for its innovatory museological and educational approach, far removed from the taxonomic approach of the traditional natural history museum. Emphasis was placed on making visitors aware of the country’s natural heritage. Another feature was the introduction of

summer courses, which were continued without interruption over a period of more than twenty-five years, and travelling exhi- bitions on themes relating to the national flora and fauna. Many Mexican biologists owe their vocation to this museum!

In recent times, the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de México, the country’s lead- ing . educational institution, opened the Universum, a museum devoted to the dissemination of science. The Kite Mu- seum, inaugurated a couple of years ago, also devotes a large section to the natural sciences and ecology. Nevertheless, the outlook for natural history museums and similar institutions such as botanical gar- dens is unpromising.

Surprisingly, the situation worldwide is very much the same, according to what I was able to observe at the last meeting of ICOM’s International Committee for Muse- ums of Natural History. Despite the fact that these museums are undoubtedlypopu- lar with the general public, have a tremen- dous appeal for children and have irrefuta- bly demonstrated their effectiveness as an educational tool, they have fallen out of favour with governmental decision-mak- ers and well-financed non-governmental organizations, unlike art museums, which are widely appreciated.

Compared with historical museums, natu- ral history museums have not been in- vested with qualities calculated to promote or enhance identities. Nor have they been equipped with the interactive devices ena- bling visitors to repeat the type of physical experiments which make science and tech- nology museums so highly attractive. Yet natural history museums are more impor- tant today than ever. Their subject matter, directly related to the environment and its protection makes, or should make them an essential component of the various)

ISSN 1350-0775, Mzlseitm Intenialional (UNESCO, Paris), No. 190 (Vol. 46, No. 2,1996) O UNESCO i996 Published by Blackwell Publishers, 106 Cowley Road, Oxford, OX4 1JF (UK) and 236 Main Street, Cambridge, MA 02142 (USA)

27

Yani Herreman

countries’ development plans. They are the museums of life, and never before has it been so vital to raise awareness of biodiversity, ecology, pollution, genetic engineering and many other aspects that affect us. It is oniy through knowledge of the environment in which we live that our attitudes will really change. The role these museums can play in bringing about that change is paramount.

The foregoing applies of course to all countries. For the developed nations with high technology, it is important to raise awareness among the general public and decision-makers. For the developing coun- tries, the need to educate the people is the primary consideration. As environmental education has proved the best way of protecting the environment, why are mu- seums not used more for these purposes? Why do governments, aware of the situa- tion, avoid taking museums into account in their legislation on the environment?

Thegarden, exhibit hall windows and education area.

Mexico is no exception. Of the 800 or so museums existing in this ‘country fewer

than 10 per cent are devoted to natural history. AU this will give some idea of the importance of an initiative which culmi- nated with the inauguration of a museum that turned a page in the life of a northern Mexican city.

‘The complex and beautiful world’ of birds

Saltillo is the capital of the State of Coahuila. An eleven-hour drive from Mexico City and four hours from the United States border, Saltillo is very near to Mexico’s third most populous city - Monterrey. Monterrey is the most highly industrialized city and has considerable economic resources. Over the past few years, it has also encouraged cultural development on a large scale and now has a number of high-quality art museums with national and international exhibitions. This situation has drawbacks for Saltillo with its much smaller popula- tion and resources, which incline it to depend on its neighbour.

The Mexican Bird Museum at Saltillo is due to the initiative of a prominent local citizen, Don Aldegundo Garza, a bird-fancier who managed to direct and co-ordinate efforts, resources, petitions and imponderables with a view to ‘providing a new facility to enable his compatriots and foreigners to know the complex and beautiful world of Mexico’s birds. An integral part of the’ country’s wealth, it is essential for the people to learn to value and preserve it.’ His private collection of Mexican birds, the origin of the museum, is outstanding for various reasons. Two of these are relevant here. First, with more than 1,500 speci- mens representing 70 per cent of the country’s ornithological diversity, it is one of the most complete collections. Second, it was assembled over a period of fifty years for the purpose of educating the

O UNESCO 1996 28

The Mexican Bird Museum: an urban garden teaches nature

people in regard to ornithology, thus pro- moting the preservation of the natural heritage. What is more, the state govern- ment was persuaded to assign to the mu- seum the former St John Nepomucene College, a building dating back to the middle of the eighteenth century, situated in the historical centre of the city, to which the community was traditionally attached. In this way, not only was the building preserved, but good use was made of its space and public image to bring the new museum closer to the bulk of the popula- tion. The decision turned out to be the right one, for the area has taken on new life and the community has responded well.

The architectonic plan included the basic services of an institution of this kind. Of particular note, in addition to display areas, are those set aside for educational activities and research, in accordance with the edu- cational purpose mentioned earlier. Atten- tion was first given to the siting and plan- ning of educational areas, with a view to catering for as many schoolchildren as possible. The research areas were de- signed for national and foreign researchers and included open storage space.

‘Not uke a museum’

One of the most diFficult problems to solve was undoubtedly how to pesent more than 670 species of stuffed birds. An illu- sion of au, freedom and space, which we connect with birds, had to be created by showing the visitor specimens of the col- lection with the support of the present-day museographical resources available within a limited budget.

The plan pivoted on the garden at the centre of the building. Thick with trees, of which there are few in the surrounding area, it was used to implement a nesting

0 UNESCO 1996

programme, in conjunction with the plan- ning of complementary aviaries for out- door display. The display rooms proper were situated around the garden, affording a through view from within and without.

The 1,500 stuffed specimens designated for display were arranged in five sections or units, specific ornithological informa- tion being combined with ecological con- cepts, with the emphasis always on the preservation of the environment. Mexico’s varied geographical areas were represented by means of dioramas, some quite huge, with the help of audiovisual aids. Other museographical elements introduced in- cluded a ‘walk through’ of a typical wood of the Coahuila region, recordings and unconventional technical resources, the object being to efface as far as possible the traditional image of an institution of this type and to convey pleasurably and e

i%e ‘walk tt!!rozigij’ of a t@ical wood of the Coahuila region.

29

Ynni Herremnn

effectively the beauty and magnificence of Mexico’s birds. It is perhaps because of all this that the museum is, in the words of a schoolchild, ‘not like a museum’, and that nearly two years after its inauguration it has now become the foremost attraction in the city.

According to its curator, biologist Isabel Morh, the main purpose of the museum is to cater for the public, the initial aim of its founder. In 1994 it was attended by 104,977 visitors, that is, an average of 8,748 a month or 336 a day. (By comparison, the Univer- sity Centre received 1,700 visitors a month, the Contemporary Art Centre 300, and the Cultural Centre 850). Attendance figures in 1995 remained unprecedentedly high for Saltillo. Visitors to the Bird Museum came from all thirty-two states of Mexico, but chiefly from the region, and from the United States. The museum’s well-kept visitors’ register indicates that 72.3 per cent of the visits were local, 24.3 per cent national and 3.4 per cent foreign. Some 67 per cent were regarded as general public and 33 per cent as school visits. Fewer than 50 per cent of the visitors pay for admis- sion.

It would be premature to state that the Mexican Bird Museum has contributed to the preservation of the country’s avifauna. Nevertheless, as Don Aldegundo Garza’s collaborator and the person who planned and designed the museum, I can safely say that Saltillo before and Saltillo after the museum is not the same place. Indeed, wealthy and influential people in Saltillo, eager to participate actively in the preser- vation of the environment, thought that when a natural history museum was actu- ally set up it would become the most important one in Mexico and undoubtedly one of the most outstanding in Latin America. It would makeSaltillo a city with great potential for the tourist trade. A survey in connection with the public is currently being carried out but will take time to yield practical results.

The project as implemented so far has shown that museums with natural history themes can be as attractive as art museums and can likewise have a stimulating effect on a population. To prove this, you have only to go to Saltillo and ask a taxi-driver to take you to the Mexican Bird Museum. No directions will be needed!

30 O UNESCO 1996