PROGRESS ON THE CLONATIONS PILOT PROJECT

The clonations pilot project is a project, directed by Dr Joan Carles Melgarejo (Mineralogy professor at the Faculty of Earth Sciences of the University of Barcelona), with which our Chapter has been collaborating since a couple of years ago. The project is aimed at providing Earth Science faculties in developing countries with first-class material for their mineral and rock collections (for mineralogy, mineral deposits, palaeontology and petrology subjects). These 30 different collections will contain approximately 222 different mineral species, species that are considered important for sustainable development, critical for the mining industry or particularly relevant in Earth Science teaching. The samples that will be included in the collections are being collected directly from the field (by BCN Student Chapter members, professors from the Faculty, etc.), acquired from collectors or received through donations. 

As time passed since the start of the project, the inventory grew every day. Currently, a very large volume of material has been collected and stored at the Faculty. 

Thanks to the slow easing of COVID-19 day by day, restrictions at Catalan universities a few months ago permitted us to resume the work on the project. With the helping hand of advisors and student members who have kindly contributed their time and effort remarkable progress in the organization and labelling of the samples has now been achieved. We hope to be able to carry on for as long as possible! 

Taking all the necessary precautions against the virus, volunteers label samples with their name, geological context and location as they sort them into cardboard boxes. These are later stored in the faculty’s basement for future distribution.

Here below you will find some images of the current state of the organization, and also images of some of the extraordinary specimens that these collections will include.

We will keep you informed on the state of the project. Keep connected!