Recently, we received a gracious letter from the Director of the Zhejiang Museum of Natural History. We are pleased to share their kind words with our community.
Dear President Stephen Beinke,
Greetings! Upon reading your kind letter from across the ocean, I would like to extend, on behalf of all my colleagues at Zhejiang Museum of Natural History, our most sincere gratitude and highest respect to you and the Behring Global Educational Foundation. As an ancient Chinese saying goes, “Distance cannot separate true friends; even across ten thousand miles, we remain as close as neighbors.” Although separated by the seas, we share the same passion and commitment to nature. The profound friendship cultivated through years of collaboration connects our hearts closely.
Looking back on more than a decade of cooperation, we are deeply grateful for the strong support from you and your foundation, which has provided strong impetus to our mission of ” building harmony between humanity and nature”. We are especially thankful for the 335 rare animal specimens donated by your foundation, which not only enriched our museum’s collection but also allowed Chinese audiences to appreciate at close range the diversity and beauty of the world’s natural environment. Many young people have lingered before the specimens, sparking their interest in exploring nature-this is the most fascinating power of science communication, a power that originates from your foresight and goodwill. These specimens not only embody the profound value of natural science but also stand as a lasting symbol of friendship across the Pacific Ocean.
We are also grateful for the “Global Natural History Day®”event initiated by you and your foundation. Over the past decade, the event has attracted more than 100,000 participating teams in China, reaching hundreds of thousands of families, millions of teachers and students. It has provided a broad platform for Chinese youth to explore the nature while cultivating skills in independent learning, public speaking, team collaboration, and creative thinking. We fully recognize that behind these achievements lies your foundation’s unwavering dedication to science communication and strong aspiration for closer people-to-people exchanges between China and the United States.
Looking ahead, we sincerely hope to continue deepening our cooperation with your foundation. We look forward to promoting mutual benefits through the exchange of exhibition resources. With your foundation’s unique specimens and science exhibit donations mechanism, these valuable resources can be put to fuller use. Meanwhile, our institution will utilize its platform advantages to promote touring exhibitions within Zhejiang Province and across the country, enabling more audiences to experience the unique charm of natural science.
We look forward to enhancing joint cultural and creative IP development. By integrating the global brand influence of ” Global Natural History Day®” with Zhejiang’s distinctive cultural heritage, we hope to co-develop creative IP products and collaborative projects with market potential creating high-quality outcomes that integrate both educational value and cultural depth.
We look forward to expanding the influence of “Global Natural History Day®.” We envision Zhejiang serving as a model demonstration region, with greater outreach and penetration at the grassroots level, broader coverage at the local level, tailored strategies to suit regional contexts, expanded collaborative network, and diversified competition formats. By leveraging this initiative, we hope to establish a collaborative science education alliance with other museums in the province through this program, jointly advancing youth science education.
Finally, we once again extend our heartfelt gratitude to you and the Behring Global Educational Foundation. We sincerely invite you and your team to visit Zhejiang Museum of Natural History again at a convenient time. Let us join hands, with science as our bond and nature as our bridge, to further promote global science communication and inspire deeper respect and care for nature among humankind.
May your work go smoothly and your family be blessed with health and happiness. May our friendship remain evergreen, and our path of cooperation extend far into the future!
Mingke Wu
Secretary of the Party Committee and Director
Zhejiang Museum of Natural History
August 21, 2025
We are deeply grateful for this recognition and remain committed to fostering international cooperation that improves lives around the world.