Caring for Natural Science Collections: A one day conference exploring advances in conservation

Herbarium conservation at Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales.
(c) Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales
NatSCA event
Wednesday, October 17, 2018 -
09:15 to 17:00

Organised by

NatSCA

Oxford University Museum of Natural History

NatSCA is hosting a one-day conference dedicated to conservation and its role in advancing the care of specimens, objects and archives that form our natural science collections. Often considered to be a very specific subject area, in reality this field is highly diverse. Natural science conservation deals with a huge range of collections and materials, preserving the bio- and geo-diversity of our world, along with the associated archives, objects and stories linked to these collections. Join us for this great opportunity to explore recent projects, discuss developments in new methodologies and meet others whose jobs involve the care and conservation of collections.

Programme

Download the programme here

9.30 – 10.00Registration
10.00 – 10.10Introduction & Housekeeping
10.10 – 10.25Natural History Conservation: Conserving an Endangered Profession. Looking to the future
Welcome from NatSCA Conservation Representative Lucie Mascord
First Session
10.25 – 10.45Curation of the Historic England Zooarchaeology Reference Collection: developing strategies for controlling pests and moulds in a large skeletal collection
Eva Fairnell, Claire Tsang, Fay Worley, Polydora Baker and Sophie Burgham; Historic England
10.45 – 11.05Storage and conservation of geological collections
Kathryn Royce, University College London and Dr Christian Baars, National Museum Wales
11.05 – 11.25Digital conservation: DNA and Diagnostic imaging of entomological collections
Lyndall Pereira-da-Conceicoa, National Museums Scotland and Benjamin Price, Natural History Museum London
11.25 – 11.35Questions
11.35 – 12.00Coffee Break and Posters
Second Session
12.00 – 12.20Views on the pathology of petrified forests: a multidisciplinary technological approach
Evangelia Kyriazi and Nikolaos Zacharias, University of the Peloponnese
12.20 – 12.40Four 18th century bound herbaria conserved by a botanical conservator: perhaps a different conservation approach and outcome
Dr Victoria Purewal, Pure Conservation
12.40 – 13.00A Field Journal to the Conservation of Book and Paper within Natural Science Collections
Samuel Suarez Ferreira, Cambridge University Museum of Zoology
13.00 – 13.10Questions
13.10 – 14.00Lunch and Posters
Third Session
14.00 – 14.20Crafting three-dimensional fills for areas of loss on taxidermy: an examination of the needle-felting process and its use in conservation
Natalie Jones Cambridge University Museum of Zoology
14.20 – 14.40Experiments in textured taxidermy fills using Japanese tissues
Erica Read
14.40 – 15.00Blaschka Models: Four Worrying W’s
Paolo Viscardi, National Museum of Ireland and Emmanuel Reynaud, University College Dublin
15.00 – 15.10Questions
15.10 – 15.35Coffee Break and Posters
Fourth Session
15.35 – 15.55The conservation and restoration of an extinct giant amphibian Eryops megacephalus at the University Museum of Zoology Cambridge
Beth Hamilton Cambridge University Museum of Zoology
15.55 – 16.15Bringing taxidermy back to life: an examination of the methodology and techniques used in the conservation of an Aldabra giant tortoise
Anastasia van Gaver, Cambridge University Museum of Zoology
16.15 – 16.25Questions
Lightning Session
16.30 – 16.35Conservation in the redevelopment of The University of Bergen’s Natural History Museum
Signe Bonnichsen, Ruth Murgatroyd, Christina Holmefjord. University Museum of Bergen
16.35 – 16.40Digital surrogates: reducing unproductive physical access - and consequent damage – to collections
Dr Mike Howe, National Geological Repository, British Geological Survey
16.40 – 16.45Skin deep: the use of cyclomethicones in the conservation of taxidermy
Lu Allington-Jones, Natural History Museum London
16.45 – 16.50SWANS - Cascading expertise
Roz Bonnet and Helena Jaeschke, South West Museum Development
16.50 – 16.55Conservation, moulding, casting, photogrammetry, 3D printing, blacksmithing, welding and heaps of horse manure: essential ingredients to successfully display a recently deceased fin whale skeleton
Nigel Larkin, Natural History Conservation and Simon Jackson, Tullie House Museum
16.55 – 17.05Questions
17.05 – 17.15Summary and Thanks

Registration is now open. Book your tickets via Eventbrite. If your institution is unable to pay this way or you would rather pay by cheque please download the paper booking form. Special arrangements can be made if you are struggling with payment from abroad - please contact treasurer@natsca.org

Tickets are £55 members / £75 non-members

Members: please contact membership@natsca.org to claim your discount code. Institutional Members can claim discount for two of their volunteers or staff to attend. Not a member? Not to worry, you can still save money on tickets by becoming a member. Annual membership: students & unwaged £15, personal £20, institutional £40. Insert your code into the promotional code box before selecting tickets.

Refunds: Please email treasurer@natsca.org for refund enquiries (don't use Eventbrite's refund system)

Please be advised that this event will be filmed on behalf of NatSCA and footage may be used by the organisation for educational and promotional purposes. Attendees may appear in background shots. If you do not want to appear on footage, please advise the organising group at the registration desk on the day.

Bursaries: NatSCA would like to offer 2 bursaries for members towards the cost of the Caring for Natural Science Collections one-day conference. Two bursaries of up to £150 each are available. To apply please complete the form (click here) and return to bursaries@natsca.org. Details of the conditions are in the form. Deadline for application is Friday 31st August 2018.

#NatSCAConservation

Eventbrite - Caring for Natural Sciences Collections