Category Archives for Digital Digest

NatSCA Digital Digest – April

Compiled by Lily Nadine Wilkes. NatSCA Volunteer.

Welcome to the April edition of NatSCA Digital Digest.

A monthly blog series featuring some interesting things to see and do in the natural history sector including jobs, exhibitions, conferences and training opportunities. We are really keen to hear more about museum re-openings, exhibition launches, virtual conferences and webinars, and new and interesting online content. If you have any top tips and recommendations for our next Digest please drop an email to blog@natsca.org.

Where to Visit

The Lost-Wax for Lost-Species online exhibition brings together over 100 artists and five independent founders to collectively make a Noah’s Ark of endangered species.

Visit the Field Museum of Chicago’s egg vault with Alie Ward and Dr John Bates with this Oology podcast.

Virtually visit the Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year Trail, search for clues to be in with the chance of winning some amazing prizes.

The third in City of Trees’ Natural World Webinars on Wednesday 14th April are joined by Rachel Webster, Curator of Botany at Manchester Museum, as the world of blossoms is explored. They will be taking a closer look at some flowers and thinking about the science of blooming.

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NatSCA Digital Digest – March

Compiled by Olivia Beavers, Assistant Curator of Natural Science at The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery.

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 really keen to hear more about museum re-openings, exhibition launches, virtual conferences and webinars, and new and interesting online content. If you have any top tips and recommendations for our next Digest please drop an email to blog@natsca.org.

Where to visit

As we move closer to spring, the Museum of Zoology Cambridge and Cambridge University Garden will be broadcasting a Wildlife Diaries livestream at 5pm on Thursday 1st April. The series of blog posts will be available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/RScsiUeR5aQ accompanied by a panel of wildlife experts who will be ready to answer your questions. You can revisit some of their 2020 BioBlitz highlights here.

The Museum Association’s Moving on Up conference is taking place on March 17th. This is for anyone working in any area of the museum sector, and those employed in a different sector who want to bring their skills to a museum setting.

The Tanyptera Trust webinars are continuing this month with Mining Bees on March 19th and Shieldbugs & Allies 31st March.

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NatSCA Digital Digest – February

Compiled by Glenn Roadley, NatSCA Committee Member, Curator of Natural Science at The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery.

Welcome to the February 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 really keen to hear more about museum re-openings, exhibition launches, virtual conferences, webinars, and new and interesting online content. If you have any top tips and recommendations for our next Digest please drop an email to blog@natsca.org.

Where to Visit

There are plenty of things to see and do online this February. Throughout 2021, the Science Museum is running a series of Climate Talks, with three taking place this month on the 13th, 15th and 12st and previous talks available to watch via the Science Museum website.

National Museum Cardiff is hosting an online Dino Nights sleep-over event for children, including fort-building and a torch-lit tour with a dinosaur expert.

For those wanting to use the time at home to brush up on some natural history ID skills, the Tanyptera Trust are continuing their series of webinars, with events in February focussing on nocturnal ichneumonoid wasps and centipedes.

And just missing February, but pre-dating our next Digest, the Museums Association will be hosting a Climate Crisis event for members on March 3rd, part of their Coronavirus Conversations series.

The last of our NatSCA blogs covering the NatSCA Decolonisation Conference have now been published, completing the series. The whole conference is now available to watch any time for free via YouTube, so be sure to catch up with these powerful talks if you’ve not yet had the chance.

Register now for this ONLINE DAY MEETING 10.00–14.00 FRIDAY, 12 MARCH 2021.
This meeting will bring together researchers from different disciplines (natural sciences, evolutionary biology, philosophy, history of science and gender studies) to discuss ‘race’ and ‘sex’ in Linnaeus’ work and beyond.
This event will take place online using Zoom webinar.
  • Ticket price is £5 for Fellows, Associates and Student Members / £10 for the general admission
  • Registration is essential, and will close 24 hours before the event is set to begin

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NatSCA Digital Digest – January

Compiled by Lily Nadine Wilkes. NatSCA Volunteer.

Welcome to the January 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 really keen to hear more about museum re-openings, exhibition launches, virtual conferences and webinars, and new and interesting online content. If you have any top tips and recommendations for our next Digest please drop an email to blog@natsca.org.

News from the Sector 

Decolonising Natural Science Collections

Our blog has some fascinating videos from the Decolonising Natural Collections online conference. Each post includes a recording of the talk alongside the abstract and information about the author(s). Learn about how a taxidermied gorilla can tell us so much more in this presentation by Rebecca Machin. What words we use to represent Australian animals are challenged in this presentation by Jack Ashby. Decolonising the Powell-Cotton Museum is the topic of this presentation by Rachel Jennings.

All of the conference talks will eventually be published by the end of this week, so do keep an eye on our blog page for each of these posts: https://natsca.blog, and remember, you can also access all the talks directly by going to our

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NatSCA Digital Digest – December

Compiled by Jennifer Gallichan, NatSCA Blog Editor; Curator at Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Caerdydd – National Museum Cardiff.

Welcome to the December edition of NatSCA Digital Digest.

This month’s Digest dispenses with the usual format and focuses on all things Christmas. Apologies to all those Scrooges out there, but all things considered, this year needs as much sparkle and fairy lights as we can throw at it people!

There are some super virtual advent calendars going on. I am off course recommending my very own institutions @CardiffCurator account. This year our annual #MuseumAdvent calendar meets #NatureOnYourDoorstep. We launched our nature #WinterBingo challenge on the 1st December. Find all 24 things before Christmas, tag them in and they’ll retweet your finds.

Then there is the wonderful Leeds Discovery Centre Video Advent Calendar. Every day, open a door to see what object their curators and staff have found in the Store. Also an excellent opportunity for a virtual nose around their stores.

And this year, Manchester Museum are bringing you a #Caring Christmas advent calendar. Each day their gift to you is a little story of wonder, celebrating how we care for our world and each other.

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