We posted recently about the Conservation Commons Initiative -- a proposal for an open-access information resource for those working on issues of biodiversity and ecological conservation. It's a terrific idea. In the subsequent week, I've received two updates to the material posted in the initial article:

Stuart Salter, the manager of the World Conservation Union's Species Information Service, wrote to inform us that the Conservation Commons Initiative website is now up and running. Not only does the Conservation Commons website include information about the initiative itself, the database is up and running. Check it out.

In addition, in the comments on the original piece, the American Museum of Natural History's Director of Library Services Thomas Moritz points us to his 2002 piece "Building the Biodiversity Commons", which laid out in greater detail the need for and utility of an open information resource for ecological conservation. I strongly recommend that anyone with an interest in either biodiversity or the growth of the intellectual commons model read this article. Thank you, Thomas!