2013 | Natural History Museum

2013 | Natural History Museum

FROM THE WEBSITE: The Natural History Museum is a world-class visitor attraction and leading science research centre. They use their unique collections and unrivaled expertise to tackle the biggest challenges facing the world today. The Natural History Museum cares for more than 80 million specimens spanning billions of years and welcome more than five million visitors annually.

With its vast collections and pioneering research programme, the Museum is powerfully placed to engage audiences with the science they need to know and the decisions we need to make about our future.

The Museum’s purpose is to challenge the way people think about the natural world – its past, present and future. They aim to stimulate public debate about humanity’s future and equip their audiences at every level with an understanding of science. The museum focuses on three themes: origins and evolution, diversity of life, and sustainable futures.

The Museum is currently in the middle of a decade of transformation. They are undertaking redevelopments to make better use of their available space, and re displaying collections to challenge the way visitors think about humanity’s relationship with the natural world.

INFORMATION:

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge became Patron in April 2013.

EFFORTS:

September 15, 2012 – Diamond Jubilee Tour – Day 5 – Set 1 – On Day 5 of the Diamond Jubilee Tour The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge traveled by helicopter to Danum Valley Conservation Area in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. The couple met with Museum scientists researching rain forest biodiversity at the Borneo Rainforest Research Center and were hoisted 147 ft into a tree where they enjoyed the view of the rain forest canopy and went on a walk through the forest. The Duke and Duchess met Andy Polaszek and Paul Eggleton who were among the scientists asked to present their Borneo-based research. They were particularly interested in the educational and public outreach of the project.

November 27, 2012 – Opening The Natural History Museum’s Treasures Gallery – The Treasures Gallery at the Natural History Museum in London was officially opened by Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. The gallery features exhibits selected for their scientific, historical, and cultural significance. Among the exhibits are a meteorite and a moon rock, a dodo, Darwin’s pigeons, and the intricate Blaschka glass models. In her opening remarks, the Duchess expressed her passion for the museum’s mission, saying, “I care deeply about what this museum represents. Being here tonight and seeing some of nature’s most precious treasures reminds me of just how valuable and awe-inspiring the natural world is.” You can read the rest of her remarks here.

December 11, 2013 – Screening of David Attenborough’s Natural History Museum Alive 3D – Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Pince William, Duke of Cambridge viewed a screening of David Attenborough’s Natural History Museum Alive 3D at the Natural History Museum in London, England. The couple will meet Sir David Attenborough and other attendees before watching the film. Attenborough brings to life his favorite extinct creatures through 3D technology. The event will raised funds for the three national charities of the National Armed Forces: ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, The Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity and The Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund.

October 21, 2014 – The Duchess Of Cambridge Attends The Wildlife Photographer of The Year Awards> – Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge presents the Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year award to Carlos Perez Naval at the Natural History Museum as she attends the Wildlife Photographer of The Year 2014 Awards Ceremony on October 21, 2014 in London, England.

July 06, 2016 – Presenting The Art Fund Museum Of The Year Prize – The Duchess of Cambridge awarded the Victoria & Albert Museum the Art Fund Museum of the Year Award at the Natural History Museum in London. The prestigious award comes with a cash prize of £100,000 ($130,000) to help fund acquisitions and recognizes exceptional imagination, innovation, and achievement over the previous 12 months. The ceremony was attended by various dignitaries from the art world, including artists Antony Gormley, Cornelia Parker, and Yinka Shonibare, Tate director Nicholas Serota, and the UK’s Minister of State for Culture Ed Vaizey. The V&A was praised for its recent exhibitions, including Alexander McQueen and ‘The Fabric of India,’ and the opening of its new Europe 1600–1815 galleries. The Art Fund Museum of the Year Award is the world’s most significant museum award and the largest prize in the UK.

November 22, 2016 – Tea Party In Honour Of ‘Dippy’ The Dinosaur At The Natural History Museum – The Duchess of Cambridge spent time with 20 children from Oakington Manor Primary School in London. The kids were brought to the Natural History Museum by Place2Be, a charity dedicated to improving children’s mental health and emotional well-being in the UK, of which the Duchess is a Patron. During the visit, the Duchess participated in dinosaur-inspired craft activities and joined the children in a mini fossil dig from the Museum’s Dino Scene Investigation activity for schools. As The Duchess cut the cake, Sir Michael Dixon, Director of the Natural History Museum, said: “Since arriving in 1905, Dippy has been a must-see at the Museum and it is a pleasure to have The Duchess and our young special guests with us today to celebrate his time at the helm. This cake-cutting marks the start of his journey, which will take him around the UK from early 2018 to late 2020, inspiring five million natural history adventures.”

July 13, 2017 – Attending Hintze Hall Launch Event – The Duchess of Cambridge attended the unveiling of the new whale skeleton alongside Sir David Attenborough and spoke publicly about her interest in marine conservation for the first time. The Duchess toured the new Hintze Hall,’ Bay of Wonders’ exhibitions, which contains a beautiful star display and a skeleton of Earth’s largest known animal, the blue whale – replacing Dippy, the 21.3m resin cast of a diplodocus dinosaur skeleton, which is on tour around the UK. The Blue Whale skeleton, which curators and scientists lovingly prepared for months, has been named Hope – to remind visitors of the fragility of the ocean and our shared responsibility to look after it. During a speech, Catherine said, “As someone who has been fortunate to experience scuba diving, something I love doing, and seeing the incredible marine life, I have come to care deeply about life under our waters and the conservation of our oceans.” You can read her full speech here.

October 09, 2019 – Visiting The Angela Marmont Centre For UK Biodiversity The Duchess of Cambridge visited the Angela Marmont Centre for UK Nature (AMC), a scientific center that studies UK wildlife. During her visit, she met with the Museum’s Director, Sir Michael Dixon, Dr John Tweddle, the head of the AMC, and Beth Stone, the Head of Learning and Audiences. The Duchess was shown some of the UK’s insect and plant species from the Museum’s collection and learned about the Museum’s efforts to empower people to act for nature. The latest State of Nature report highlighted the alarming situation of the UK’s wildlife. Children in the UK are now half as likely to visit green spaces as they were only a generation ago, which makes it more critical than ever to instill a love for nature in young people. The AMC is working hard to increase public knowledge of UK wildlife and engage young people with nature in their local surroundings. The Museum has also been working with partners across the UK to encourage schoolchildren, families, and communities to protect wildlife in urban areas. The AMC is open to the public and serves as a place for visitors to identify any plants, animals, or fossils they may have found and brought in. It also provides training in wildlife identification so that people can begin documenting UK species and participate in citizen science projects. The AMC is a hub for individuals and wildlife organizations from around the country to investigate the state of the UK’s animals and plants. The center uses traditional identification methods and more modern techniques, such as sequencing environmental DNA left behind as organisms move through the environment, to understand how and why the UK’s wildlife is changing.

October 13, 2020 – Virtual Wildlife Photographer Of The Year Awards – Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge, announced the winner of the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year award at the competition’s first virtual awards ceremony, livestreamed from the heart of the Museum due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Her Royal Highness visited the Natural History Museum ahead of the online awards ceremony to prerecord the top-secret announcement in the iconic Hintze Hall. The Duchess of Cambridge praised Wildlife Photographer of the Year’s ability to connect people with the natural world through wonder and curiosity. Her Royal Highness says, “The skill and creativity of this year’s images provide a moving and fascinating insight into the beauty and vulnerability of life on our planet.” The new virtual format shared the stories behind the award-winning images, spotlighted fascinating species and surprising animal behavior and underlined the connections between the important work of the photographers and the Museum’s 300 scientists in tackling the planetary emergency.

June 22, 2021 – Visiting The Natural History Museum – The Duchess of Cambridge visited the Museum’s Wildlife Garden and the Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity (AMC), where she met with local school children and learned about the Urban Nature Project. This project aims to redevelop the Museum’s Wildlife Garden and work alongside organizations across the UK to inspire the next generation to care for the nature surrounding them. Her Royal Highness also met with the Museum’s director, other representatives, and local school children. During the visit, the Duchess participated in family activities as part of a program to engage young children and families in outdoor learning. She even helped set up a new remote monitoring device in the Wildlife Garden, which will be used to monitor wildlife while finding out more about the AMC’s vital scientific work in monitoring the biodiversity of urban spaces. The Wildlife Garden, located on the western grounds of the Museum, is home to thousands of species of plants and animals, including an incredible diversity of insects, flowers, birds, and trees. A family of foxes also raises their cubs within its confines. The project will engage with communities around the UK to develop new ways to increase access to nature for all. The AMC, open to the public and located in the Museum’s Orange Zone, helps visitors identify plants, animals, and fossils they may have found and brought in. It also provides training in wildlife identification so that people can start documenting UK species and participate in citizen science projects.