The Egidio Feruglio Foundation was initially created to promote and support the museum's activities. Today, however, it has grown to be one of the most active and promising NGO's devoted to education and research in Argentina.
Thanks to the support of its members, the Foundation has implemented a number of outreach programs intended to make scientific knowledge accessible to the public. In this sense, MEF is the most striking example of its mission and vision.

The Foundation's Mission
"To bring upon other scientific and educational organizations a style of management based on the social responsibility of Science to promote cultural development, through the integration of scientific production and accessibility and outreach efforts."

History
FEF was legally born in 1991 as a way to facilitate the support of the local community to a group of scientists interested in promoting and protecting the paleontological activity in the area.

One of its primary goals was to build a proper place for the conservation of fossil findings, so that they would not be taken away from their homeland. To this aim, FEF worked closely with Trelew city's authorities and researchers at the Museum Egidio Feruglio.

The Foundation became an active forum for the development and support of scientific and educational activities, as well as sustained outreach efforts to disseminate knowledge of recent discoveries.

Working side by side with the Museum, FEF helped it to connect and establish working ties with similar organizations all over the world. In a relatively short time, the Museum became internationally recognized by its peers.

The growing scientific activity and the equally growing number of visitors to its exhibitions, allowed the Foundation to embark in one of its dearest projects: to give the Museum its "own home", and offer the community the kind of facilities it deserved.

The Foundation worked intensely on the problems of finding funding for the new house, and designing a Museum that could be regarded among the great science museums of the world. It also worked with dedication in the production of visitor programs and educational activities.

This aim was achieved through hard work, commitment and the support of people from the public and private sectors, including government officials, business leaders, and the citizens of Trelew. The new Museum Egidio Feruglio opened in 1999 in the building that we hope you will visit (again?) soon.

After completing its primary goal, the Foundation took a further step to look upon itself and its future activities. In 2000, through an agreement with "Fundación Compromiso", FEF made a thorough self-evaluation and redefined its mission (the one stated in these pages), to extend its work and style beyond the Museum's walls. Such a critical look of its own goals, allows the Foundation to look at itself as an organization that can support others in their work.

This vision is focused on working towards a new definition of Science, one that has a strong sense of community service, where scientific production meets outreach efforts, and such products are made accessible to the general public. The Foundation understands that such style of management is only possible if research and outreach organizations commit themselves to working closely with the communities they serve.

Yet, we believe that there is much to be done. Some of our projects include:
▪ Expansion of the Museum's facilities to double its current exhibition and research space,
▪ Completion of the Bryn Gwyn Geological Park,
▪ Botanical Garden and Institute of Desert Plant Research
▪ Consulting work with museums and other cultural institutions of Argentina

As we move into the 21st Century, we are eager to continue establishing solid links with institutions that share our vision of science's role in society. If you have any inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact us.