Author Archives for Natural Sciences Collections Association

NatSCA Digital Digest

natscaYour weekly round-up of news and events happening in the world of natural sciences

Jobs

Curator, Grant Museum of Zoology, UCL I can tell you from three years of first-hand experience (pseudo-first-hand; as curatorial assistant) that this is the job all curators should be applying for. The Grant Museum of Zoology is an amazing place to work and in this role I know you will have the opportunity to spread your curatorial wings and make a real difference in the natural history sector. The kind of job where you don’t mind getting up in the morning. Closing date for applications is 3rd August. Good luck!

If only for the superb job title, anyone with experience of learning programmes for families and children with ASC (Autistic Spectrum Condition) should definitely take a look at the current vacancy for the Dawnosaurs Programme Co-ordinator at the Natural History Museum. This looks like an amazing opportunity for the right person. The closing date for applications is the 22nd July.

See the job page of the NatSCA website for more exciting opportunities.

News

The next Museums Association exhibition and conference is due to take place on 5th and 6th November, in Birmingham. There is still time to register as an early bird who gets the cheaper worm rates. Early bird registration ends on the 7th August, click here for more.

Around the Web

Sun bear, fox, hippo or pangolin. What tickles your natural history bones the most? Choose your favourite to be the new museum mascot for Derby Museum and Art Gallery! If you are on Twitter, you can whip up some support for the sun bear, errr, I mean, your favourite using: @DMNature and @derbymuseums. The winning specimen will be announced on the 7th August. I’ve already chosen mine, can you guess what it is…?

The Friends of Crystal Palace Dinosaurs have been working up a storm of support lately, with ongoing events at the park complemented by a very dynamic talk at the Grant Museum by the master of science comedy- Prof Joe Cain, from UCL. These incredible statues are a vivid reminder of the evolution our concept of dinosaur appearances has gone through. They are also an important part of our British cultural heritage, that helped shape the palaeontological world in the mid 1800s. Find out more about these iconic statues that are in desperate need of conservation on the Friends of Crystal Palace Dinosaurs website.

 

NatSCA Digital Digest

natscaYour weekly round-up of news and events happening in the world of natural sciences

Events

12th-14th October: Discovering Collections, Discovering Communities: Exploring new digital destinations for heritage and academia at The Imperial War Museum North, Manchester. Free conference exploring the use of digital, in museums environments.

22nd July: Digital vs. Analogue at Oxford University Museum of Natural History. One day conference looking at four themes: Tactile Engagement, Story Telling, Families and Schools, and Digital Displays.

8th September: Osteology Day at University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge. A one day hands-on workshop covering aspects of osteology such as bone cleaning, rearticulation, restoration, identification and preparation.

 

News

The Palaeontological Association is advertising for a new Executive Officer, after the sad news of Tim Palmer’s retirement. Closing date for applications is 21st August 2015.

Did you know that Dubai Aquarium in the UAE has the world’s largest single piece of acrylic. It is pretty hefty at an impressive 70 cm thick, but it is not always with the most reliable seals, as they found out in 2010…

 

Around the Web

What do you do with a dead fish? Check out this blog for a unique idea: Printing and Reanimating the Dead.

**JURASSIC WORLD IS OUT** And smashing Box Office records. Of course. This review is great, but if you haven’t seen the film yet (firstly- why not? and secondly…) it contains spoilers!

 

Got a submission for the blog or Digital Digest? Email us at blog@natsca.org

NatSCA Digital Digest

NatSCA polar bear

Jobs

Education Assistant – National Museum of Ireland – Natural History

Duration: Permanent

Closing date: 5th June 2015

To apply, click here

Conferences and Workshops

A few exciting talks are coming up at the Natural History Museum soon, which I thought would be worth highlighting for you. The first is the Annual A. R. Wallace Lecture which this year will take place on the 2nd June 16:30-17:30. The subject is ‘Wallace, Darwin, and Spiritualism: The Trial of the Spirit-Medium Henry Slade, 1876’. For more information, click here.

On the 24th July at 16:30, the SciFri Seminar series brings to you ‘The Greatest Living Naturalist- The Life and Conflicts of Professor Richard Owen’, in celebration of Richard Owen’s birthday. It will be in the Neil Chalmers Seminar Room. For more information, click here.

 

Exhibitions

The long awaited ‘Power of Poison’ exhibition has opened at the Old Truman Brewery in London. The website invites you to ‘discover the alluring, seductive and terrifying role of poison and how it affects our everyday lives through nature, myth, medicine and healing’ and of course, will contain spiders, snakes, and other lovelies. For more information, click here.

Content assembled by Emma-Louise Nicholls

NatSCA Digital Digest

Hectors swallowtail butterfly extracting nectar from a flower. © Cláudio TimmWelcome to the weekly digest of interesting things from around the web with relevance to natural science. We hope you find this useful and if you have any articles of interest, please contact us at blog@natsca.org

1. Blog: Crime scene micropalaeontology

Natural History Museum, London

Synopsis

‘Micropalaeontological evidence is increasingly being used to solve major crimes. Read on to find out about [curator of micropalaeontology] Steve’s involvement in Crime Scene Live, how our collections could help forensic studies and how our co-worker Haydon Bailey gathered some of the evidence that was key to convicting Soham murderer Ian Huntley’- Giles Miller

Click here to read the whole blog.

2. Museum altruism: Trip Advisor

Anyone, anytime!

Synopsis

Now that the sunshine is here (I hope I don’t jinx it by writing that) potential museum visitors will be looking ahead at inspiration for how to spend their weekends, days off, school holidays, etc. In this day and age it seems the way to find such inspiration is on websites such as Trip Advisor, on which you can read other people’s reviews of places they have visited. Obviously popping on a review of your own collection, if you work in one, would be a bit naughty, but if you have been anywhere else lately, why not help their visitor numbers out by inspiring people to visit too?

Click here to find out more.

3. Now open: Sensational butterflies at the NHM

2nd April to 13th September

Synopsis

It’s back for another summer of beautiful live insects, screaming kids and irritated academics in the offices above. Sensational butterflies in the garden of the Natural History Museum London is now open, complete with exhibition trail, and is well worth a look.

Click here for more details

 

Compiled by Emma-Louise Nicholls, NatSCA Blog Editor

NatSCA Digital Digest

 

Chill out with NatSCA's Digital Digest. Binturong (C) Emma-Louise Nicholls

Calm down and chill out with NatSCA’s Digital Digest. Binturong /Arctictis binturong/ (C) Emma-Louise Nicholls

Welcome to the weekly digest of interesting things from around the web with relevance to natural science collections. We hope you find this useful and if you have any articles that you feel would be of interest, please contact us at blog@natsca.org

 

 

 

 

 

1. Conference: A Question of Ecology: Answers from Biological Recording

23rd – 25th April 2015

Synopsis

‘Biodiversity information is crucial to understanding ecological relationships and supporting conservation effort in a changing climate. Use of volunteer-collected biological records by the professional scientific community is widely encouraged and celebrated, but much interpretation of biological records is carried out by amateur naturalists, who are uncovering new ecological knowledge from their own records and sharing that knowledge with others.’ ~ National Forum for Biological Recording

Click here for more information.

2. FREE Course: Behind the Scenes at the 21st Century Museum

Starts 1st June 2015, lasts 6 weeks, all online

Synopsis

‘How can we understand museums today? Who makes the decisions about what to put in them and whose stories they tell? Who are museums for and why are they working to engage new audiences? How do we respond emotionally to museum objects and spaces? And how can museums play a role in the pursuit of social justice, human rights, or health and wellbeing?’ ~ Future Learn

Click here to find out more.

3. Event: An unconquerable aversion to Piccadilly”: Charles Waterton, traveller, taxidermist and pioneer conservationist

31st July to 1st August 2015

Synopsis

‘The Annual General Meeting or the Society for the History of Natural History will be held in association with a one day conference of talks celebrating the life and work of Charles Waterton and a second day with related excursions around Wakefield in West Yorkshire.

The Wakefield Museum, at Wakefield One, is currently hosting an exhibition “The extraordinary world of Charles Waterton” and the Society’s meeting will take place at a venue within easy reach of the Museum and will include a visit to the exhibition’ ~ Society for the History of Natural History

Click here for more details and to apply

 

Compiled by Emma-Louise Nicholls, NatSCA Blog Editor