Natural Sciences Collections Association

CARING FOR ENTOMOLOGY COLLECTIONS

A NatSCA seminar to explore basic entomology collections management, curation and conservation techniques.  

Where: The Dorothea Bate Room,  Natural   History   Museum , South Kensington,   London  .

When: Friday 18^th November 2011; 9.30 for 10

Contact:  Paul Brown  [p.brown@nhm.ac.uk]

This course will cover all basic aspects of collections management for entomological collections, including storage and handling of specimens, loans and legislation, and specimen preparation. 

Morning sessions:-

• Entomology Storage tour
• Integrated Pest Management
• Digitisation (Sackler Biodiversity Imaging Laboratory) Replaces Documentation session
• Data-basing

Lunch

Afternoon sessions:-

• Specimen Pinning
• basic slide preparation
• Verdigris conservation
• Spirit Curation

The course will be both theory and practical supported by a booklet covering both aspects.

To book a place on this course please contact Tony Irwin: tony.irwin@btinternet.com . Course numbers are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment.

Leeds Museum Discovery Centre

2^nd November 2010

9.30am – 4.30pm

£35 members/£50 non-members

Dr. Sonia O’Connor of the University of Bradford will be running a one-day workshop on how to identify materials such as ivory, bone, antler, horn, baleen, tortoiseshell and imitations thereof. Structure, properties and appropriate care will be discussed as well as a practical session using objects from the collections at Leeds. You are welcome to bring your own objects for use in this session.

For further information contact: clare.brown@leeds.gov.uk 0113 2141563

NatSCA is co-sponsoring the Public Understanding of Science lecture at the GCG Seminar: 200 years of West Country Sea Dragons. The lecture will be delivered by the renowned historian Professor Hugh Torrens of Keele University and is entitled 'The Start of Dino Mania, The work of fossil monster hunters Mary Anning of Lyme Regis and Thomas Hawkins of Street'.

Strode Theatre, Street, Somerset.

Thursday 22nd July 2010 at 7:30 pm. All welcome.

The next NatSCA conference and AGM will be in Newcastle in March 2011. The conference will be split into two topics: “Coping with cuts” on the Thursday and “Coping with collections deterioration” on the Friday.

Coping with cuts - Thursday 3^rd March

A day looking at case studies, advice and suggestions in relation to managing budget cuts. This session will provide practical advice and ideas for coping with cuts to staff and funding for natural science collections. From how to apply for grants effectively to innovative money-saving ideas.

Coping with collections
deterioration - Friday 4^th March

Practical and hands-on sessions covering natural science conservation techniques. Topics proposed include how to deal with Bynes disease, fluid preservation problems, mould, verdigris and pyrite decay.

AGM - Thursday 3^rd March

We are looking for some dynamic new committee members in 2011. No experience necessary – just an enthusiasm for natural science collections. If you would like to stand on the NatSCA committee please email clare.brown@leeds.gov.uk for more details.

Call for speakers

If you would like to give a talk at the 2011 conference on either of the above days, please contact Nicola Newton (nicolajnewton@hotmail.com).

Bursaries

NatSCA are offering 5 bursaries of up to £200 to help members cover the costs of the conference. If you would like to apply for a bursary, please contact Jan Freedman (jan.freedman@plymouth.gov.uk).

The NatSCA conference and AGM is slightly earlier in 2011. To accommodate this change the NatSCA committee have promised to, in the future, give members a year’s notice of AGM dates and locations. We hope that this change will not be too inconvenient and hopefully will be helpful in allowing people to plan their expenditure and commitments more efficiently.