INC-STEP Reference Collection

Infographic: "What is SEN-PollColl? (Supporting and Enhancing a Network of Pollinator Collections throughout Spain). SEN-PollColl is a European project based in Spain and derived from previous project INC-STEP (TETTRIsEU) to build a reference pollinator collection in Spain. This project aims to strengthen collaboration among regional pollinator collections and enhance their role in research and conservation."

We are taking flight! 🪰

🌱 We are pleased to announce the start of SEN-PollColl, a project funded by IUCNSOS and firmly grounded in the taxonomy network, workflows, and experience developed under the INC-STEP project.

#EUPollinators

Image of a male Iphiclides feisthamelii (Duponchel, 1832) perched on a thisle. The image accompanied by the project logo and the phrase "We are taking flight!". Credit: Carlos García Sanjuán

🌍 By connecting collections, people, and data, SEN-PollColl will increase the visibility and scientific use of Spanish regional collections, support conservation actions, and contribute to a stronger pollinator research community in Spain.

Stay tuned! 📡

📷 Photo credit: @carlosgarsan2.bsky.social

Infographic: "3 Key Objectives: 1. Mobilisation of collection-based data on pollinators. 2. Training and education of students and collection managers in best practices. 3. Networking and long-term collaboration among institutions housing pollinators."

🎯 Our key objectives are:

1️⃣ Mobilisation of collection-based data on pollinators
2️⃣ Training and education of students and collection managers in best practices
3️⃣ Networking and long-term collaboration among institutions housing pollinators

We intend to strengthen collaboration 🤝

Infographic: "What is SEN-PollColl? (Supporting and Enhancing a Network of Pollinator Collections throughout Spain). SEN-PollColl is a European project based in Spain and derived from previous project INC-STEP (TETTRIsEU) to build a reference pollinator collection in Spain. This project aims to strengthen collaboration among regional pollinator collections and enhance their role in research and conservation."

We are taking flight! 🪰

🌱 We are pleased to announce the start of SEN-PollColl, a project funded by IUCNSOS and firmly grounded in the taxonomy network, workflows, and experience developed under the INC-STEP project.

#EUPollinators

🇪🇺These projects help establish open access to collections data, design and test novel AI and molecular tools, test training frameworks, and involve citizen scientists in monitoring biodiversity hotspots. This community-based perspective is fundamental to the entire ethos of TETTRIs. #Taxonomy

🧵👇

👀 As you can see, our consortium was well represented!

If you want to know more, you might find the congress's summary book (in Spanish) in the following link📗⤵️
xxicongresoientomologia.es/libro-de-res...

A. Ricarte delivers his plenary talk in the main auditorium of the Congress. Source: M. París

4️⃣ Antonio Ricarte delivered an oral presentation titled: 'The conservation of hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) in Spain', in which he mentioned the important contribution of enterprises such as #INCSTEP to this cause.

@ua.es

This picture shows M. París and S. Montagud standing in front of Sergio's virtual poster. Source: M. París

3️⃣ Sergio Montagud presented a virtual poster entitled:'Who is who in #Pyrgus? Illustrated keys for identifying Iberian species', about creating a visual ID tool for one of the most challenging butterfly genus in our territory.

R. J. Wilson delivers his plenary talk on the role of NHCs in pollinator conservation. The moderators of the congress were at his side. Source: M. París

2️⃣ Robert J. Wilson gave an oral presentation titled: 'Towards a national reference collection of pollinating insects in Spain', which aimed to publicise INC-STEP and other initiatives that exploit insect museum specimens!

@robwilsonmncn.bsky.social

This picture shows A. Ricarte, M. París and P. Aguado standing in front of Mercedes' virtual poster. Source: M. París

1️⃣ Mercedes París presented a virtual poster entitled:' Challenges in creating a reference collection of pollinators'. She presented a preliminary analysis of the time spent on building our pilot reference collection at @mncn-csic.bsky.social.

Conference poster. It provides information on the dates, location, organising institutions and a QR code for accessing the website. Source: Congress organisers

Last week, some #INCSTEP members participated in the XXI Iberian Entomology Congress.
The focus this year was on #pollinators! 🪰🐝🦋

Our initiative presented two virtual posters and two oral contributions! 🎓

#NameItToSaveIt #TETTRIsEU

The INC-STEP final meeting is over!

It has been a very productive day, and we are very satisfied with the results. We leave with the hope of continuing to collaborate 🤝🏻 and making this pilot project something even bigger 🔝.

Result: Success! ✅

@tettris.eu @museuciencies.cat

We have reached the end of the meeting!

To conclude, Rob gives a brief summary of the day, the tasks carried out by all the consortium members, and the future possibilities of the project...

To be continued? We hope so! 😉

Now it's the turn of Conrad Gillett, one of the consultants at @tettris.eu assigned to the INC-STEP 3PP project, to give us some insights into the work carried out by the consortium to date and its importance within the TETTRIs framework 📚.

Adrián and Irene, as the project's lead communicators, present how they have managed to communicate and disseminate 🗣️ information about scientific collections, taxonomy and entomological experts, and, of course, the results obtained so far by INC-STEP @tettris.eu

After lunch... More talks! 🗣️

Now it's Paco's turn to talk about the conclusions and impressions of those who attended the Workshop on Scientific Collections held at @ucm.es

A visit to the museum's permanent exhibition was a must! 😉

After lunch, we will continue with more talks 🗣️.

Discussion time! 🗣️🤝🏻

Sergio now presents Task 4: Mapping Spanish pollinator collections.

The aim of this task was to find other public entomological collections in Spain with which to establish links and which could provide more material for the reference collection 🐝🪰🦋.

Now, Arturo gives us a “master class” on analyzing gaps in the reference collection 📊🔎.

Which species are unique to each institution? Which ones are common to all INC-STEP partners? Which ones are missing? 🤔

Let's continue with more talks!

🗣️ Now it's Manuel's turn to update us on the progresses made on the Iberfauna website to implement specimens from private collections.

Next, Berta and Mercedes talked about the taxonomical review of the 5 collections (Task 1) and the protocol development and evaluation (Task 2).

Today we held the final INC-STEP @tettris.eu meeting at @museuciencies.cat!

🗣️ To kick off the meeting, we had an opening talk by @robwilsonmncn.bsky.social, who gave us an overview of the project.

Robert J. Wilson stands with a hot cup of tea in front of his poster, 'Developing a National Reference Collection for Pollinating Insects in Spain'. Source: R. J. Wilson

A general view of the Congress's poster room. Source: R. J. Wilson

Hey! How are you coping with the post-holiday blues? We're ready for anything! 🏁

Take a look at @robwilsonmncn.bsky.social contribution to #Ento25 in Glasgow. It's another chance to show off our progress on the #INCSTEP reference collection!

#NameItToSaveIt 🐝🪰🦋

Take a look to what @incstep.bsky.social did yesterday in the workshop held in #Madrid !! 👇👀

It was focus in #pollinators conservation to foster coneections and raise awareness of #TETTRIsEU and #INCSTEP 🐝

#taxonomy #biodiversity

Buenas, Félix

Este workshop estaba orientado a gestores (MITECO), asociaciones (AEE, Abejas Silvestres), ciencia ciudadana, etc. Para testar los recursos que generamos (e.g., de identificación).

La asistencia era libre pero no estaba enfocada en el personal investigador. ¡Habrá ocasión para ello!

From left to right: Isabel Rey, Domingo Marquina and Rafael Zardoya in the assembly hall of the Biology Faculty at the UCM, during the opening talk of the day.

Starting up! 🙌☀️

Opening words from Domingo Marquina (UCM), Isabel Rey (MNCN-CSIC) and Rafael Zardoya (MNCN-CSIC) 🗣️

The focus is on #pollinator declines 📉 and the importance of collaborative projects like #INCSTEP in addressing them! 🐝🪰🦋

#NHMs and reference collections are key to monitoring them!

Team photo of the workshop attendees in front of the Faculty of Biology at UCM.

The End 😎

#NameItToSaveIt #TETTRIsEU

@ucm.es @biologicasucm.bsky.social

Blackboard covered in post-its for the SWOT analysis: weaknesses are written in green on the top left, strengths in pink on the top right, threats in yellow on the bottom left, and opportunities in blue on the bottom right.

Sandra Grzechnik (UCM) summarising the answers written on the post-its for the concluding comments.

Final round 🎬

We conclude today's journey with a #SWOTAnalysis (DAFO in Spanish) 🚦

There were lots of constructive observations, compliments and invaluable suggestions 🎉

Thank you to everyone who attended the workshop! And to those who followed this thread virtually! 🧵

A3 sheets provided to answer the questions mentioned above, which were discussed at a table with several participants.

General view of the room where the group discussions take place. Participants were asked to form four diverse teams.

After the lunch break, we moved on to the participatory evaluation 🔍👥 of the #INCSTEP tools: 📄 ID-sheets, 🖥️ databases, 🗺️ RC distribution map...

❓ Participants need to respond:
How can the tools in this project help you? 🙌
How can you contribute to them? 🤲
What improvements would you suggest? ☝️