Registry of Biodiversity Institutions, Collections and Databases: Institution

Description

Inaugurated as such in 1986, the Natural History Museum of Alava (Museo de Ciencias Naturales de Álava MCNA / Arabako Natura Zientzien Museoa) inherited the work, the collections and the naturalists agglutinated in the Association for the Study and Protection of Nature in Álava (Asociación para el Estudio y Protección de la Naturaleza en Álava, AEPNA 1973-1983), afterwards Nature Institute of Álava (Instituto Alavés de la Naturaleza IAN), under the auspices of the Culture Council (Diputación Foral de Álava- Provincial Government of Álava) until 1988. In 1988, the MCNA was ascribed to the Museums Service (Servicio de Museos), today Museums and Archaeology Service (Servicio de Museos y Arqueología), in the Diputación Foral de Álava (Provincial Government of Álava), after the dissolution of the Culture Council. From an initial local approach to Álava province where it lies, the MCNA activity has increased its geographical coverage first to the Basque Autonomous Community, several areas in the Iberian Peninsula and, finally, a few regions all over the planet. Holding a total specimen number around 600.000, its 22 specific collections are structured in three areas:

• Geology, including paleontological and mineralogical collections
• Botany, with VIT Herbarium (http://sweetgum.nybg.org/science/ih/herbarium-details/?irn=125332)
• Zoology, including vertebrate and invertebrate collections, mainly enthomological and malacological.

The exhibition area in the MCNA is open to public according to times and conditions specified in the Service web (https://naturazientzienmuseoa.eus/es/visita) Collections access and consultation, as well as specialist attention is managed with prior appointment (mcna@araba.eus, or by the specific contact in each collection description).