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Hello- I’m looking for your help. I’m running a project, with funding from the British Ecological Society, that aims to identify how UK museum natural sciences collections support the conservation of global biodiversity. It asks museum curators, collections managers, funders and managers (this is you) to complete a short survey on which of 12 topics they think museum  collections do support, or could support. Separately, it asks researchers, research funders, and research users to do the same. This helps develop a shared understanding of current and unrealised potential, and what needs to be put in place to remove blockages. I’ve had a fantastic response for the latter survey, including JNCC and other UK agencies, Kew, lots of researchers, and lots of national (UK and wider) focal points for the Convention on Biological Diversity (as UK collections are global, and used as a global infrastructure it is really important that responses for the latter part are global).

So, here is where you can help. 

If you are involved in curation, management or policy on UK natural history/sciences collections, please complete this short survey here (I am looking to get responses from everyone who works in this area):

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/N3N8QG8

If your work is primarily engaged in research, policy, site or species management, or biological recording/monitoring, on ecology/environment/wildlife, please complete this survey here:

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/552RG3V

This takes about 10-20 minutes.

The project will be written up, and findings will help promote better training and development of both museum workers and researchers. This is all about ensuring that collections and museums are not just storehouses, but to help them make strategic  decisions to address biodiversity research and conservation locally and globally. 

Please pass this email on to any contacts who could be relevant.