Natural Science Collections provide a valuable resource for helping us to understand the world in which we live.

Apart from being hugely popular with the public, natural history collections play a vital role in our understanding of biodiversity, evolution, population genetics and the environmental impacts of climate change, pesticide use and so on. This is because historical collections provide base-line data against which modern observations can be compared and to produce predictive models.

The most fundamental role of natural history collections is safeguarding type specimens. These are preserved specimens of the individuals that were used to describe and name a species, providing the basis for taxonomy. Continue reading →

Natural science collections and the specialist staff that work with them provide a vital resource for researchers, environmental consultants, biological recorders, educators and the wider public. In this period of financial depression there is growing need for advocacy as collections face budget and staff cuts leading to neglect, damage and ultimately disposal of collections. This call-to-arms outlines a broad strategy for a partnership approach to safeguarding UK natural science collections for all. Continue reading →