October 2002: The third Biobyte was sent by email to more than 500 people and organizations. This can be read in English and Spanish in the project web page www.biomap.net)

Oct. 16: BioMap was invited to participate in the “Workshop: Botanical Information Management by Internet to Help Modelling Biodiversity” held at the VIII Latin American Botanical Congress and II Colombian Botanical Congress in Cartagena. Diana Arzuza gave a talk on the Project BioMap

Oct. 14-18: Presentation of BioMap at the AndinoNET in Maracay, Venezuela

November 2002: The mailing list of the Colombian Bird Collections Network (RCCA) was established. Achievement of an agreement with 4 Colombian Museums to participate in the Project BioMap and agreements with others are started.

Nov. 4: BioMap meeting with researchers of Conservación Internacional to discuss the use of the BioMap data base for other taxonomic groups.

Nov. 8: Participation of BioMap in the meeting "Integrating Systems and Biodiversity Information Networks in the Americas" organized by the Alexander von Humboldt Institute and the IABIN Network.

Nov. 7-11: XV Colombian Ornithology Meeting in Valledupar. BioMap presented two talks about the project.

October – December 2002: Visit to several collections in Venezuela, Ecuador and Perú.

November – December 2002: Visit to 6 large and 12 smaller collections in Europe. About 9.000 Colombian bird specimens were included in the BioMap data base.

December 2002: Visit to the Zoology Museum of the Copenhagen University. About 264 Colombian bird specimens were systematized in the BioMap data base. These include the recent collections made by Jon Fjeldsa and K. E. Jakobsen. Project BioMap was presented at the recently created “Global Biodiversity Information Facility” (GBIF).

January 9 2003: Visit to the Bird Collection of the Tel Aviv University in Israel. No Colombian specimens were found.

Jan. 19: Data of about 50.000 Colombian specimens was published in the BioMap web page. Every month new data will be added to this data base.

Jan. 19: An article about the Project BioMap was published in the National University Newspaper. This newspaper circulates with the National Newspaper El Tiempo.

Jan. 19: National and international press release on the Project and the launch of the first part of the Darwin Data Base

Other Activities

In November the mailing list of the Colombian Bird Collection Network (RCCA) was established in the internet. This network was product of the meeting of Colombian Bird Collections held in September in Bogotá. The list has more than 30 members, including people from other countries in Latin America and many messages have been sent. The RCCA is an important mechanism for communication and cooperation between national collections that have been very isolated. Address for the RCCA: RCCA@gruposyahoo.com

On January 19th, an article about the BioMap Project written by Mabel Lopez was published in the National University Newspaper. This newspaper circulates with the National newspaper El Tiempo. Mabel Lopez, is a journalist at the National University and was the winner of the second prize of the Colombian Biodiversity Report Prize 2002, given by Conservación Internacional, National Association of Environmental Journalists, International Center of Environmental Journalists and the International Federation of Environmental Journalists. The article can be read at http://unperiodico.unal.edu.co

On January 19th an international press was released with the news on the publication of the first part of BioMap (Darwin Database).

The Universities of Antioquia, Atlántico, Distrital and Cauca agreed on participating in the BioMap Project and agreements with other universities and organizations are being carried on.

In January 2.003, Sussy De La Zerda visited the Tel Aviv University Bird Collection in Israel. As we thought, there were no Colombian specimens, even though they do have a few teaching specimens like Toucans, Hummingbirds, Tanagers, but without any specific data. Nevertheless the visit was very interesting and Sussy was able to see the Israeli and African specimens they held. We want to thank Professor Yoram Yom-Tov and Tsila Shariv for their guidance.