The Natural Sciences Collections Association (NatSCA) is a United Kingdom based membership organisation and charitable organization run by volunteers from the membership. NatSCA's mission is "to promote and support natural science collections, the institutions that house them and the people that work with them, in order to improve collections care, understanding, accessibility and enjoyment for all.". The subject specialist network promotes research and exchange of ideas, advances in technical and ethical standards, and raises the public profile of the conservation and preservation of natural science collections and objects in the United Kingdom.
Contents
The organisation describes their focus as:
History
The Natural Sciences Collections Association was founded in April 2003 from the merger of Natural Sciences Conservation Group (NCSG) and Biological Curator's Group (BCG) at a meeting in the Manchester Museum on 7 April 2003.
Paolo Viscardi of the Horniman Museum and Gardens was announced as the new chair in June 2014.
Patrons
In 2013, the charity announced Alice Roberts, Iain Stewart and Ben Garrod as patrons.
Publications
The Natural Sciences Collections Association publishes an annual peer-reviewed academic journal, the Journal of Natural Science Collections as well as a blog. Previous publications include NatSCA News.