Compiled by Olivia Beavers, Assistant Curator of Vertebrate Zoology at World Museum, National Museums Liverpool.
Welcome to the March edition of NatSCA Digital Digest.
A monthly blog series featuring the latest on where to go, what to see and do in the natural history sector including jobs, exhibitions, conferences, and training opportunities. We are keen to hear from you if you have any top tips and recommendations for our next Digest, please drop an email to blog@natsca.org.
Sector News
NatSCA Annual Conference & AGM 2026: Registration Now OPEN!
Booking is now open for the Annual Conference & AGM of the Natural Sciences Collections Association (NatSCA) held on Thursday 14th and Friday 15th May 2026 at The Ulster Museum in Belfast, Northern Ireland. This year’s theme is: Collaborating and Connecting with Natural History.
Due to limited venue capacity, the conference is limited to 120 places. Please follow this link to the conference page to find out more information: https://www.natsca.org/event/2924.
Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions. If you would like to become a member, which would qualify you for the conference discount or bursaries, please see our website for details.
Second Symposium on Toarcian Palaeobiology
Registration is now open for the second symposium on Toarcian Palaeobiology, 15th – 18th June 2026. The symposium is hosted by the National Museum of Natural History Luxembourg and organized in collaboration with the Geological Collections Group and the University of Leeds.
They welcome senior researchers as well as students, early careers researchers, citizen scientists, curators, and preparators to present their research (talks and poster presentations).
The deadline for registration is June 1st 2026. Delegates have the option to submit an abstract upon registration or at a later date, up until the abstract deadline of April 13th 2026. For more information, click here.
Reminder: 24th Conference of the International Federation of Operational Research Societies – Abstract Submissions Close March 15th
IFORS is now accepting abstract submissions in preparation for the upcoming conference Decision Support for a Sustainable World. The conference will be held July 12th through 17th at the University of Vienna, Austria. Details on the conference and access to the submissions portal can be found on their website, along with program details and information on registration.
Abstract submissions close March 15th. Registration opens April 25th.
NatSCA Lunchtime Chats
The lunchtime chats are for members only and run on the last Thursday of every month.
This series is supposed to be informal; no fancy equipment is needed; it will be put out over the NatSCA Zoom platform and there is no fixed format. For those who want to take part please email training@natsca.org to put forward your idea; if a stable internet connection for what you want to achieve is tricky, we can put up a pre-recorded video and then speakers can jump in at the end for the discussion.
Bring your sandwiches and a cuppa and we hope to see you on the day! All members will have received a link to join via Zoom (the same link works for all sessions) – if you haven’t, get in touch with membership@natsca.org.
Where to Visit
We are nearly at the end of this years’ British Science Week but there’s still time to get involved in several activities by checking out the What’s On page.
Museum of the Moon is coming to National Museum Cardiff. This spring, National Museum Cardiff will be transformed by Museum of the Moon. A glowing, seven-metre sculpture by UK artist Luke Jerram featuring detailed NASA imagery accompanied by a magical soundscape.
To celebrate, the museum will be hosting a series of lunar-inspired events to make your visit even more stellar.
You can follow this link to book your free admission ticket to the museum.
Wild World – Liverpool’s Natural Science Gallery Reopens
World Museum’s newly refreshed natural science gallery: Wild World is now open to the public again. As well as the old favourites of the gallery, the refresh has allowed curators to install specimens that have never been on display before, helping to tell new and inclusive stories.
Bristol Rocks
Bristol Museum and Art Gallery are hosting their annual family geology day on April 4th 2026. Join them to discover the magic of minerals, why they are important and how minerals affect the modern world around us.
For more details visit: Bristol Rocks! 2026 – Marvellous Minerals! | Bristol Museums.
What to Read
We have two new NatSCA blogs out this month, starting with a review of Joel Wainwright’s ‘The End: Marx, Darwin and the Natural History of the Climate Crisis’. written by Joe Rigby, Senior Lecturer at University of Chester.
Next up is Madalyne Epperson’s (Assistant Conservator, Milwaukee Public Museum) intriguing blog on developing a reversible repair for a fox’s tail: An Inspired Approach to Tail Repair: The Conservation of an Arctic Fox.
You can also read about how the organic conservation team at National Museums Liverpool prepared and repaired zoology specimens before they went back in the new Wild World gallery.
Where to Work
Curator and Researcher, Lepidoptera, African Natural History Research Trust, Leominster.
The African Natural History Research Trust (ANHRT) are looking for a full-time Curator and Researcher to work on the Afrotropical lepidoptera held at ANHRT. The incredibly diverse lepidoptera remain broadly under-collected and poorly studied. The rich material held at ANHRT provides an exceptional foundation for taxonomic research on the Afrotropical fauna, using both molecular methods and traditional morphological approaches. Familiarity with lepidopteran families and experience in genitalia dissections is preferable but not essential; all necessary training in the required techniques will be provided. See this link for more details: https://findajob.dwp.gov.uk/details/17990676.
Deadline: Friday 10th April 2026
Contract Duration: Permanent, no remote working.
Contract Type: Full Time (40 hours per week)
Salary: Negotiable, based on previous experience.
CMS Manager Oxford Museum of Natural History
Oxford University’s Gardens, Libraries and Museums (GLAM) are seeking a CMS Manager at a point of significant development in museum digital collections systems infrastructure and service. In this role, you will provide systems management and user support for the Collections Management System (EMu) used by the Museum of Natural History and the History of Science Museum. For more information, see their website. This is a full-time post, working 37.5 hours per week. Deadline: 12.00pm, Wednesday 18 March.
Imaging Assistant, Natural History Museum, London.
The Imaging Platform oversees an extensive array of equipment, including automated light microscopy facilities, Variable Pressure Scanning Electron Microscopy (VP-SEM); high-resolution Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FEG-SEM); analytical SEM (SEM-EDX) and confocal light microscopy (CLSM). In addition, there are 3D scanning, 3D visualisation and X-ray micro-CT. The role provides support across the Imaging Platform, particularly to the CT, Electron, and Imaging Specialists in their roles, ensuring the day-to-day operation of the platform. You will support the imaging of a wide variety of samples, mainly but not limited to NHM’s collection. You will also help maintain the lab spaces to appropriate H&S standards and contribute to risk and COSHH assessments. Closing date: 26th March. For more information and to apply, see their website.
Before You Go…
If you have any top tips and recommendations for our next Digest please drop an email to blog@natsca.org. Similarly, if you have something to say about a current topic, or perhaps you want to tell us what you’ve been working on, we welcome new blog articles so please drop Jen an email if you have anything you would like to submit.
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