Research-based knowledge is used to curb biodiversity loss and revitalise the diversity of nature. People recognise the value of nature and wish to protect it.
The Finnish Museum of Natural History is an international and dynamic research institute, a research infrastructure and a hub of societally impactful knowledge.
The core mission of the Finnish Museum of Natural History is to preserve, acquire and display national natural history collections, carry out associated research and teaching as well as provide environmental education and carry out academic outreach.
The national natural history collections constitute an archive of natural history and a foundation for research on the origins of Earth, the evolution of species as well as biodiversity and related changes. The living plant collections also serve as a gene bank for species threatened by global change.
The Finnish Museum of Natural History is a multidisciplinary independent institute under the auspices of the University of Helsinki, whose operations support the University’s core duties. The Finnish Museum of Natural History is one of Finland’s three national museums. The Finnish Museum of Natural History is the expert authority on conservation responsible for the observation and monitoring of species as well as the maintenance of the Finnish Biodiversity Information Facility.
The national collections in natural history constitute an archive of natural history and a foundation for research on biodiversity and environmental changes as well as related scientific scenarios. The national natural history collections include zoological, botanical, mycological, palaeontological as well as growth ring and geological collections.
Finland’s valuable natural history collections are part of the scholarly, natural and cultural heritage of our society. Solutions to global problems are sought through research by exploiting unique time series in the collections. While the collections of the Finnish Museum of Natural History are among the 30 largest collections in the world, its lichen collections rank at the global top. The collections encompass the globe and are accumulated with a focus on northern resources. The goals are that the collections are easily available for research, retain their significant status and, by 2030, half of all specimens will have been digitised so that the data are openly available through the Finnish Biodiversity Information Facility and international data pools.
The Finnish Biodiversity Information Facility, maintained by the Finnish Museum of Natural History, makes available all biodiversity information in Finland relevant to biodiversity conservation and research. It provides methods, software and effective digital user-friendly services for researchers, public authorities, citizens and the private sector. The Finnish Museum of Natural History is an international leader in open and digital natural history resources, digitisation techniques and services.
Researchers at the Finnish Museum of Natural History conduct high-quality and diverse research on topics related to biodiversity, physical geography, conservation biology, the history of Earth and life, biodiversity loss and climate change, taxonomy, systematics and evolution.
The Finnish Museum of Natural History attracts into its sphere of operations international research groups and carries out nationally and internationally funded high-quality research projects. The research represents the international cutting edge in its field. The Finnish Museum of Natural History invests in its expertise in the northern and Arctic regions as well as Africa and collaborates globally.
The accredited Laboratory of Chronology and the DNA Laboratory jointly develop techniques, such as museomics and compound-level assays, as well as maintain measuring equipment unique in Finland and operate in a multidisciplinary environment, collaborating with research institutes and businesses.
The Finnish Museum of Natural History offers the University’s faculties both teaching in its field and its infrastructure. The Pinkka online learning environment is available to all Finnish universities providing training in species identification, with the necessary resources collaboratively allocated.
The Finnish Museum of Natural History supports the public and private sectors by carrying out species monitoring, serving as an expert institution and developing online learning services.
The citizen science efforts of the Finnish Museum of Natural History strengthen Finns’ knowledge and understanding of nature, outdoor hobbies, participation and active citizenship.
The Natural History Museum and the botanic gardens, the public attractions of the Finnish Museum of Natural History, describe new research findings and represent the top of their field thanks to their high-quality and attractive content as well as professional and service-oriented staff. These interactive and multisensory attractions utilise modern technical solutions, and they are developed by acknowledging the prestigious background of the Finnish Museum of Natural History.