Compiled by Ellie Clark, Curator of Fossil Cnidaria at the Natural History Museum.
Welcome to the May edition of NatSCA Digital Digest.
Digital Digest is 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
Registration Open for SHNH Summer Meeting 2026
After months in the planning, registration is now open for ‘The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) at 200: Science, Society and the Natural World’, the SHNH International Summer Meeting in partnership with The Zoological Society of London (ZSL).
This three-day conference, held in SHNH’s 90th year, will mark the bicentenary of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and delve into its history and impact on our knowledge of the natural world. Founded in the age of empire and Enlightenment science, ZSL has shaped – and been shaped by – transformations in zoological knowledge, conservation practice, and human-animal relations. The bicentenary offers a timely opportunity to explore ZSL’s history and to reflect on its legacy in Britain and beyond.
Location: Hybrid – Huxley Lecture Theatre, Zoological Society of London, and Online
Dates: 1-3 July 2026
Programme: https://shnh.org.uk/the-zoological-society-of-london-zsl…/
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/…/zsl-at-200-shnh-summer…
Registration will close at 6pm (BST) on 12th June 2026.
Marine Reptile Conference – Call for Abstracts
This conference at Oxford University Museum of Natural History is open to all including professionals, students, amateurs and enthusiasts interested in marine reptiles. The primary focus will be on the fossil record, including topics such as taxonomy, taphonomy, fieldwork, conservation, recent discoveries, the origins of Mesozoic marine reptiles and ancient ecosystems. However, abstracts will be welcomed on both extant marine reptiles, as well as the depiction of fossil marine reptiles in scientific and public literature, media and culture. This meeting will be in-person only and will consist of two days (7th and 8th October 2026) of oral platform presentations (approx. 20 minutes duration, including questions), plus discussions, posters and collections tours. There will also be optional field trips before and after the conference (including to The Etches Collection Museum of Jurassic Marine Life) and an evening reception in Oxford University Museum of Natural History.
The deadline for abstracts is Monday the 1st of June 2026. Find more information here.
GCG Winter Seminar – Unnatural Disaster: fighting back against the steady erosion of geological collections – Call for Abstracts
Despite their clear public popularity, the future of geological collections, as well as that of the people and institutions who care for them, feels constantly under threat. The 2026 GCG Winter Seminar will serve as a ‘call to arms’ for those in our community to present on and discuss the public and scientific benefits of our collections.
The Winter Seminar and AGM will take place on the 18th November 2026 at Manchester Museum. A fieldtrip to the Peak District (max. capacity 20) and tours of the Manchester Museum collections (max. capacity 10) will take place on19th November.
The deadline for abstracts is the 31st of July 2026. Find more information here.
Symposium on Palaeontological Preparation and Conservation (SPPC) 2026 – Call for Abstracts
Abstract submission for SPPC is now open. Submission is open until 1st September, for abstracts of up to 200 words. Send abstracts to sppc@geocurator.org. SPPC will be held at Manchester Museum on the 17th of November, immediately preceding the GCG Winter Seminar and AGM. Find more information here.
NatSCA Lunchtime Chats – call for speakers
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.
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.
2026 TownsWeb Digitisation Grant
Applications for the 2026 TownsWeb Digitisation Grant are officially open. This year marks the 10th annual TWA Digitisation Grant, as well as the 20th anniversary of TownsWeb Archiving.
To celebrate, TownsWeb are offering 10 grants of £3,000.
The Digitisation Grant supports archives, museums, and libraries looking to digitise their collections, whether to protect fragile archives or make valuable collections more accessible and discoverable. This year’s grant includes:
- 10 grants of £3,000 available
£500 added to a Match Funding Pot for every application received
Up to £1,000 in match funding per applicant, available on a first come, first served basis
Applications close on 5th June 2026 at 5pm
You can find all the latest grant news here, as well as a direct link to request your application form here.
Where to Visit
Jurassic Oceans: Monsters of the Deep at the Natural History Museum, London
Meet the legends of Earth’s prehistoric oceans, from the pliosaur – a gigantic, gnarly toothed creature – to the ichthyosaur, a majestic and speedy, dolphin-like predator. Not to mention, the fiercest hunter to ever rule the waves, T. rex of the sea, the mighty mosasaur.
The exhibition opens on Friday the 22nd of May. Find more information here.
From the Blog…
Sebastian Stroud’s blog titled An Acre of Yorkshire to Revitalise Botany Education dives into the history of the experimental gardens at the University of Leeds.
Dan Gordon, Keeper of Biology at the Great North Museum: Hancock, fills us in on the story behind a striking I’iwi specimen. Scott Wilson’s Iʻiwi: Colouring the Past
Where to Work
Collections Assistant (Projects) – University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge
The University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge is currently undertaking a significant relocation project for collections and labs housed in a nearby building. The new role-holder will be working alongside the Collections Team supporting all collections management and collections care functions with particular focus on the safe movement of specimens into dedicated stores in the David Attenborough Building and reconfiguration of these stores to accommodate these collections.
You should have practical collections management and care experience including documentation, packing and storage experience. This is an excellent opportunity to gain hands-on experience as part of a fast-paced, cross-disciplinary team, working across a wide range of natural history collections.
This post is fixed term. Salary: £27,319-£31,236. Closing date: 17 May 2026.
Full details about the post, and how to apply, can be found here.
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.
NatSCA 