Museums for Biodiversity

How can museums help protect and restore nature?

What’s the situation?

Biodiversity means the variety of life – at species, genetic and ecosystem levels. Biodiversity is fundamental to people’s lives and identities. There are great frameworks available that museums can use, to plan, deliver and communicate their work, and to make it as impactful for biodiversity – and people – around the world. Biodiversity is in decline around the world, due to five main threats: habitat change, over-exploitation, climate change, the impact of invasive species, and pollution. Museums can contribute to biodiversity conservation, restoration and sustainable use in many ways.

Mainstreaming biodiversity in museums means getting biodiversity considerations into all museum activities…

How I work with biodiversity:

I started out as an ecologist, working mostly with birds and bird conservation. I moved into museums, working as a zoology curator and museum manager for nearly 20 years (although I’ve worked with natural history collections for more than 30 years). Curating Tomorrow works with a goals-based and rights-based approach to biodiversity. What does this mean? It means that biodiversity relates to many human rights, and many human rights can help protect and conserve biodiversity. When we connect the two together, we create stronger, better outcomes for people and biodiversity.

Mainstreaming biodiversity in museums means getting biodiversity considerations into all museum activities: collections development, education, research, operations, partnerships and more.

While biodiversity is often thought of in terms of nature conservation, a rounded understanding acknowledges that it involves:

Nature conservation and restoration
Promoting sustainable use of nature, including traditions and other intangible cultural heritage
Sharing the benefits of use of biodiversity fairly

These are taken from the Convention on Biological Diversity, and museums can support all three goals, and use them to set goals, make and deliver plans, access resources, and evaluate and communicate their actions to ensure their contributions are recognised.

Museum Collections and Biodiversity Conservation (2019) is a publication based on an extensive survey of biodiversity workers (scientists, biodiversity managers) and museum curators, to identify strengths, gaps and priorities, to help collections be effective for biodiversity conservation. It highlights where the biggest collections are, which biodiversity-related questions they may address, and how they need to be developed.

Mainstreaming Biodiversity in Museums (2023) was written to help museums and those who may make use of them, to understand and contribute to the Global Biodiversity Framework (2022-30) and the Convention on Biological Diversity. This aligns with a framework I set out in Museums and the Sustainable Development Goals. It gives a simple ‘roadmap’ to mainstream biodiversity across museum activities, including effective collections (including tangible and intangible cultural heritage), education for biodiversity outcomes, participation in biodiversity-related decision and more.

Both of these open-access guides were developed with funding support from the British Ecological Society.

I have outlined ideas on how museum exhibition and events can contribute to biodiversity goals, developed advocacy campaigns and training programmes for networks of museum workers.

What this means for you:

These two Curating Tomorrow resources are written to help you to understand how museums can contribute to biodiversity-related research, conservation and other activities. They are practical, to help you set ambitious goals, make plans drawing on resources mentioned, and to monitor and communicate your work.

How Curating Tomorrow can support you:

Curating Tomorrow can help you understand and apply these resources, for your organisation, place or network, through:

Reviewing natural history collections to understand their significance and potential for use
Identifying natural history specimens (especially bird collections)
Speaking at conferences
Online and/or in-person workshops for staff or groups of staff
Advice
Strategy, policy and plan development
Contributing to public-facing activities (exhibitions, events, consultations) on biodiversity conservation and research