Nordic Natural History Museums deepen collaboration

Natural history museums play a significant role in addressing global environmental challenges.

The directors of the five Nordic natural history museums gathered in Stockholm on October 23 and 24 to discuss collaboration between the museums and common challenges, such as climate change and biodiversity loss.

The history of Nordic natural history museums dates back over 300 years. The Nordic museums also have a long tradition of data collection and analysis: long-term data series and unique species diversity highlight the collections as vital knowledge reservoirs. The collections help us understand events of the past, gain insights into the current environment and anticipate future changes. The role of museums in addressing the global biodiversity crisis is therefore significant.

In recent years, interest in natural history museums has grown and visitor numbers have increased. Although Nordic collections are exceptionally valuable, they also face significant challenges related to digitization and resources.

Participants in the Nordic Directors Forum of Natural History Museums included Britt-Lisa Skjelkvale (Natural History Museum in Oslo), Paula Kankaanpää (Finnish Museum of Natural History), Nina Rønsted (Danish Natural History Museum), Hilmar J. Malmquist (Icelandic Museum of Natural History) and Lisa Månsson (Swedish Museum of Natural History) who served as the chair of the meeting.

Read more: Nordic Directors Forum of Natural History Museums