La Pampa's cultural project was chosen to receive funding from the European Union

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The La Pampa’s government and the National University of La Pampa announced the digitization and publication of historical collections of natural sciences and a herbarium. The project was selected from 39 that were submitted to the National Interuniversity Council (CIN) and received funding from the European Union (EU).

Left to right: Daniel Pincén, Pablo Lucero Álvarez, María Ema Martín, Walter Bertotto & Walter Muiño

The Provincial Museum of Natural History (MPHN*) was the scene of an important announcement related to science, history, and the cultural heritage of La Pampa. A joint project between the Government of La Pampa and various faculties of the National University of La Pampa (UNLPam) will allow for the digitization and publication of natural science collections and a herbarium.

The announcement was led by the director of the Museum, Daniel Pincén, accompanied by the Secretary of Culture, Pablo Lucero Álvarez, the Vice-Rector of the National University of La Pampa, María Ema Martín, the Secretary of Research and Graduate Studies, Walter Bertotto, and Dr. Walter Muiño (a faculty member of the School of Exact and Natural Sciences and Agronomy).

This achievement was the result of remarkable work that allowed the Pampean project to be selected among 39 proposed to the National Interuniversity Council (CIN). In this way, it gained funding from the European Union (EU) that will make it possible to digitize and publish all the available information.

The work period is one year, during which the scientists will have to make a precise selection of the material to be included in the project and then digitize it. All the professionals who have been involved so far and those who will participate in the future to realize this aspiration are from the Pampean region.

Open Access
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The collections can be used in scientific research, academic work, and will serve as reference material for teachers and students. As they will be published on the internet, the public will have free and unlimited access to them. It will also allow foreign researchers to access reliable information without having to resort to fieldwork, as was the case until now.

Lucero Álvarez: Pampean pride
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“This announcement brings us great happiness and immense pride. It is a joint project between the National University of La Pampa and the provincial government, which demonstrates the cross-cutting nature of cultural management. It is a joint challenge that highlights the importance of coordinated work,” emphasized the Secretary of Culture, Pablo Lucero Álvarez.

Lucero emphasized that this achievement was possible “because we have a clear vision of where we are going in cultural management” and noted that “we are committed to defending and preserving heritage, but we also focus on production, which is why we have recently introduced the diploma in cultural management.”

He emphasized that the project is related to good cultural management: “It is a clear example of a successful case of an institutional scientific project to protect cultural rights and provide access to information.” Then highlighted the implications that this project will have regarding social transformation: “When all this information is available for the infinite curiosity of students and researchers, it will take us to other worlds, imaginaries, and conclusions.”

Consistent investment
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In 2025, the Culture Secretariat made a total investment of 8.7 million pesos in areas related to the maintenance, conservation, and fieldwork of the museum’s collections, as part of the strategic plan 2023-2027. This investment includes the improvement of workspaces, new furniture and conservation materials, as well as the digitization of collections and biodiversity survey campaigns. With this initiative, the institution will strengthen access to scientific information through its integration into the Argentine Network of Biological Data and Collections (RAdCyB) and associated digital platforms, promoting the production of knowledge and the social appropriation of natural heritage.

The vice-rector of the UNLPam, María Ema Martín, highlighted the work team that was formed among professionals from various faculties. “An interdisciplinary group was integrated, with both teaching and non-teaching staff who made it possible to generate this ambitious project that is now a reality,” she stated.

During the presentation, Daniel Pincén emphasized that “the goal is to digitize and publish the museum’s natural science collections online, making available to the scientific community and the general public a collection that is part of the Pampean natural heritage.”

Muiño, meanwhile, pointed out that “the project was extremely necessary and will be the foundation for multiple investigations.”

Contact [Notaspampeanas](mailto: notaspampeanas@gmail.com)