Category Archives for exhibitions

NatSCA Digital Digest – June 2026

Compiled by Olivia Beavers, Assistant Curator of Vertebrate Zoology at World Museum, National Museums Liverpool.

Welcome to the June 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

Journal of Natural Science Collections – Call for Papers

The deadline for submissions to the 15th Volume of the Journal of Natural Science Collections is 30th June. If you have projects and practices to share that will benefit the museum community, please send your manuscript to editor@natsca.org

The Journal represents all areas of work with natural science collections, and includes articles on best practice and latest research across disciplines, including conservation, curation, learning, and exhibitions. Articles should be relevant and accessible to our diverse membership.

If you would like to contribute to the Journal, please contact the editor (editor@natsca.org) and see our guidelines for authors.

All submissions are peer reviewed, resulting in high quality articles. If you are interested in contributing to the Journal by acting as a reviewer, please contact editor@natsca.org, along with the areas of specialism you would be confident reviewing (e.g. bird curation, mineralogy, conservation techniques, etc). You can read our information for reviewers here.

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NatSCA Digital Digest – May 2026

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.

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An Acre of Yorkshire to Revitalise Botany Education

Written by Sebastian Stroud, Teaching Fellow in Ecology, School of Biology, University of Leeds.

Did you ever visit the experimental gardens of the University of Leeds? For the vast majority of you, I imagine not. It’s more than likely you’ve never even heard of the old gardens, and that’s because they’ve been shut down entirely. Demolished in the mid-noughties, the collections were disbanded and moved to other institutions. A story not unheard of for university living collections.

For those interested, there exists a fascinating history – a story told by the garden’s former plantsman, Martin Lappage (Lappage and Redshaw, 2021). Although, like many of you, I never stepped foot in the old experimental garden, reading Lappage’s book conjured inspiration as though I’d been there with him. From fascinating figs and their minuscule wasp pollinators to award-winning orchid collections, the old garden was a botanist’s dream.

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NatSCA Digital Digest – April 2026

Compiled by Milo Phillips, Digitisation Co-ordinator at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

Welcome to the April 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.

Please note that the early bird discount ends on the 14th April so get in quick if you want to get the cheaper rate!

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NatSCA Digital Digest – March 2026

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.

Continue reading →