Second OpenUp! Annual Meeting in Prague
Last week the OpenUp! project successfully reached its second year and on that occasion we organized the 2nd Annual meeting in Prague.
The OpenUp! Network - an international collaboration of some of the most outstanding Natural History and Science Museums, Botanical Gardens and University Collections worldwide.
Our partner institutions from many countries across Europe and beyond provide millions of records with multimedia objects from the field of natural history to Europeana.
BROWSE OpenUp! Data at www.europeana.eu!
The OpenUp! Natural History Aggregator encourages all kinds of natural history or scientific institutions to join and share their collections with the world.
Especially for smaller or medium size institutes we offer tailored support, a helpdesk and training events.
OpenUp! is accredited Natural History Aggregator for Europeana, coordinated by AIT-Graz (Angewandte Informationstechnik Forschungsgesellschaft mbH) and the Botanic Garden und Botanical Museum Berlin (BGBM), Freie Universität Berlin.
For more information on Biodiversity & Europeana, digital heritage and capacity building please visit the OpenUp! Knowledge Space!
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Co-financed by the Connecting Europe Facility
of the European Union (CEF)
News
4th OpenUp! Newsletter
The fourth OpenUp! Newsletter has recently been published at the project website.
Content Highlights – Death cap (Amanita phalloides)
The death cap is one of the most poisonous mushrooms in the northern hemisphere. However, did you know that food prepared with a death cap is extremely tasty?
Content Highlights - Deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna)
Look at one of the most poisonous plants in Europe - deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna). Did you know that in the early and middle ages, women of all ages rubbed belladonna juice into their eyes to make them large and beautiful, from which also comes the species name of the plant (bella donna = beautiful woman)?
Content Highlights – Woolly Mammoth (Mamuthus primigenius)
The winter is slowly ending; snow is melting and we dedicate a short piece to one of the largest mammals from the last Ice Age – the woolly mammoth (Mamuthus primigenius).
Content Highlight – Spanish fly (Lytta vesicatoria)
Our new Content Highlight is about beautiful, but deadly beetle. Did you know that in the past powder from Spanish fly had been used by women to abort pregnancy?
Spanish fly is a 2 cm long metallic green beetle of Meloidae family (Blister Beetles). It can be found primarily in warm climates in Europe and Asia. This beetle feeds on leaves of ash, privet and others deciduous trees. Spanish fly has a very complicated development, going through several larval stages which parasitize on solitary bees.
Content Highlight - Polar bear (Ursus maritimus)
Did you know that today (February 27) is The International Polar Bear Day?
Polar bear (Ursus maritimus) grows up to 2.6 m and can be simply recognized by a thick white fur. Together with Kodiak bear, the polar bear is the largest land carnivore (order Carnivora). Polar bears are widespread in the whole Arctic region. They prefer floating pack ice which they use for traveling. Thus, their geographic range usually reaches the southern area of floating ice.
Content Highlight – Fugu/Blowfish (Tetraodon/Arothron)
If you like Japanese food, be careful when you try fugu. Some organs of this fish are very poisonous. The chef, who wants to prepare the fugu, must go through a three-year training to recieve a special license.
Common Laburnum (Laburnum anagyroides)
Be aware that some plants in parks and gardens could be poisonous, especially for children. One of them is Common Laburnum. And did you know that during First World War, experiments were conducted aimed at using laburnum to replace tobacco, because the principal psychoactive chemical is cytosine, which has similar effects to nicotine?
California Fungi/Funeral Bell (Galerina marginata)
Do you like picking wild mushrooms? If so, be careful not to pick a Funeral Bell, because they are almost as dangerous as the much better-known death caps (Amanita phalloides), and even contain similar toxins.
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