Conservation Optimism presents an opportunity to watch the Good Natured Short Film Festival - inspiring and empowering stories from across the natural world 🌱🐋 More info: thenaturefestival.org @conservoptimism.bsky.social @morethanadodo.bsky.social @bbowt.bsky.social @biodivoxford.bsky.social

Marginalia | song to the river 📽️ This film explores a stretch of the river Thames and its wildlife in a time of increasing land pressure and climate change 🐛💧 Find out more at thenaturefestival.org @morethanadodo.bsky.social @bbowt.bsky.social @biodivoxford.bsky.social @ecioxford.bsky.social

We are home to specimens great and small. This is the holotype of Mesodryinus brittanicus, now called Dryinus niger. A holotype is the specimen from which a new species is named. This is a small parasitoid wasp from the Palaearctic region and is native to England.

Cobalt is mined from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is is named after kobolds, mischievous underground spirits blamed by German miners for sabotaging what they thought was silver ore. Nearly 30% of cobalt comes from unregulated artisanal and small scale mining operations.

New exhibition on critical raw materials opens to the public Check out this article from @ox.ac.uk about the new 34 Exhibition at OUMNH (@morethanadodo.bsky.social) - and then come and see it for yourself! www.ox.ac.uk/news/2026-06...

34: Critical Raw Materials opens today! This temporary exhibition is free! At a time of rising geopolitical tensions and growing competition over the resources needed for clean energy, modern technology and defence, there has never been a more timely moment to shine a spotlight on them.

A recording of our most recent talk is up on YouTube from our excellent speaker George Candelin, Keeper of the Swifts at Oxford University Natural History Museum, on 30 Years in the Tower recording swifts. youtu.be/2n7p4s3LUSI?...

Behold, the sea potato. This is a polymetallic nodule that forms in sediments in the deep sea, usually 3000-6000 metres down. These nodules contain different types of metals, but often manganese is extracted from them. Learn more at our new exhibition 34: Critical Raw Materials opens this week.

Our new exhibition '34' opens 17 June. 34 raw materials have officially designated as ‘critical’ to UK development by researchers and the Government. Including familiar materials such as iron, aluminium, titanium, and rare earth elements (pictured here), alongside less well-known substances.

Neo-Gothic architecture ✅ Historic taxidermy ✅ Exhibits on contemporary science ✅ Dinosaurs ✅ Café with a view ✅

We post a weekly diary on the swifts in the tower. This week have 43 occupied nest boxes, with 3 more showing signs of use. The swifts have started hatching! 23 young and 36 eggs were counted, but more were being sheltered from the weather by sitting parents. We may have 68 more eggs to hatch!

Relaxed Morning Opening at the @morethanadodo.bsky.social Oxford University Museum of Natural History and @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social Pitt Rivers Museum. Friday 21 August 9-10am www.oumnh.ox.ac.uk/event/relaxe... #autism #autisminmuseums

Tomorrow you can visit the Museum to learn all about volcanoes! We will have activities on in the main court from 10:30-1:00 with a special talk at 11 from volcanologists Professor Tamsin Mather and Professor David Pyle For ages 7-11 https://oumnh.ox.ac.uk/event/the-power-of-volcanoes-activities

Join us on the 27th June to find out all the amazing work being done across #Oxfordshire and beyond to conserve our biodiversity. Everyone is welcome. thenaturefestival.org

🐌 We are excited to be working with colleagues to make The Nature Festival a reality. We have so many great events lined up; there's something for everyone. See you there! 🌳 thenaturefestival.org @ecioxford.bsky.social @morethanadodo.bsky.social @bbowt.bsky.social @naturerecovery.bsky.social

NEW: Researchers from @ineosoxford.bsky.social have identified a new class of molecule that could help protect ‘last-resort’ antibiotics from bacterial resistance, and reduce the amount of antibiotics needed to treat infections by up to 32 times ⬇️ https://bit.ly/4x2wMEo

Join us all day on 27 June to celebrate nature as we host Oxford’s Nature Festival. With stalls, talks, walks, films, music and art and craft activities all day, discover how people and organisations are studying, supporting and gaining inspiration from nature! go.glam.ox.ac.uk/IPjvPUywt

Lithium. Cobalt. Helium. Rare earths. The materials shaping our future are also rich sources of stories. Our 2026 competition theme is inspired by @morethanadodo.bsky.social new exhibition 34: The Critical Raw Materials Shaping Our Future by Oxford EARTH. Find out: oxfordflashfictionprize.com

Our next exhibition 34: Critical Raw Materials opens 17 June. This vicuña is native to South America, where present day lithium extraction in Chile's Atacama Desert is changing landscapes, displacing communities and driving economic booms and busts.

We are HIRING an Events and Marketing Coordinator for the Museum! You will support the delivery and promotion of more than 160 events each year. Apply now: https://shorturl.at/9k6kO

34: Critical Raw Materials opens 17 June. If you're looking for free things to do out in Oxford, look no further than our free exhibition, 34, featuring interactive digital installations, and a hands-on section. https://oumnh.ox.ac.uk/34-critical-raw-materials-shaping-our-future

Applications for the Natural Science and Heritage Scheme are now open! This 3 week programme is open to 16-18 year-olds from Oxfordshire state schools and comes with a bursary award of £400. oumnh.web.ox.ac.uk/natural-scie...

Our next exhibition 34: Critical Raw Materials opens 17 June. 34 asks how we can meet rising demand for critical raw materials without further endangering the ecosystems and communities that call Earth home. https://oumnh.ox.ac.uk/34-critical-raw-materials-shaping-our-future

If you have an idea for a research project involving our wonderful collections at the Museum and are planning to apply for a @leverhulmetrust.bsky.social Early Career Fellowship in 2027, the deadline is 30 June 2026. https://glam.web.ox.ac.uk/postdoctoral-research-opportunities#widget-id-5750236

Get your tickets now for the screening of 'The Hunt: Into the Grey' at the Museum this Friday at 7pm. This film follows journalist Sarah Roberts on an unexpected journey into one of conservation’s most divisive debates: trophy hunting https://oumnh.ox.ac.uk/event/the-hunt-into-the-grey

Today is International Museum Day! If you want to support us to continue our mission for the next 166 years, please consider donating to us. https://www.campaign.ox.ac.uk/mag?id=6fb985c1-882d-41a2-8733-017277e6eeda

The Swifts have arrived at @morethanadodo.bsky.social Check out their Swiftcam to see them nesting oumnh.ox.ac.uk/swifts-diary...

Jean David Nkot was chosen as one of our finalists for the Open Art Call for 34 Critical Materials. While we could only choose one artist, there were five amazing artists who are working at the intersection of art and science who we still wanted to highlight.

Our next finalist from our art call out is Natacha Mankowski

We ran an open call to select an artist to commission for our next exhibition, 34: The Critical Raw Materials Shaping Our Future. While we could only choose one artist, there were five amazing artists who are working at the intersection of art and science who we still wanted to highlight.

Magical evening in Oxford @morethanadodo.bsky.social with the brilliant Bi-Curious George, @connorbutler.bsky.social, and @jazzywildheart.bsky.social. Such a joyful celebration of queer ecology! 🐌🏳️‍🌈🐝🏳️‍⚧️🦖 George's new show is *FABULOUS* - catch it if you can . . . #drag #lgbtq #queer #nature

Happy birthday David Attenborough! In 2022 researchers from the Museum named a fossil animal found in Charnwood Forest 'Auroralumina attenboroughii' for Sir David Attenborough. This 560myo specimen was, at the time of discovery, the oldest known example of an organism with a true skeleton.

Happy 100th Birthday to Sir David Attenborough! He has visited the Museum a few times, but here he is posing with Wallace’s Giant Bee, the largest bee ever discovered. This specimen was collected by Alfred Russel Wallace.

Bi-Curious George is back & with a new show! Starting with a panel on non-hetero normative zoology, we then invite you to explore the Museum, visit our bar & chat with our experts before a WIP of George’s new show. Saturday, 9 May 2026 https://www.oumnh.ox.ac.uk/event/bi-curious-george-snail-trail

Café on the balcony of @morethanadodo.bsky.social has to be in the running for best setting of any Oxford watering hole.

Museum researcher Dr Corentin Jouault and colleagues at Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology have uncovered how termites became the dominant decomposers of the tropics. This study has been published in Current Biology today.

In honour of journalist Dom Philips and indigenista Bruno Pereira, a gathering of Indigenous leaders, human rights and environmental defenders, researchers and practitioners came together on Earth Day to celebrate their lives and build hope for: How to Save the Amazon 🌎

We are thrilled to announce our collaboration with artist Katie Surridge. As part of our new exhibition, 34: The Critical Raw Materials Shaping Our Future, Surridge’s new works will connect copper’s critical origins in the Bronze Age to the large-scale copper extraction that powers our world today.

Although critical raw materials seem to appear in the news every day, few people truly understand how they are sourced, what they are used for, the impact they have on our society and environment, and how vital they are to the transition toward green technology.

We'll be announcing our next exhibition on Monday. Stay tuned to learn more...

This is not a drill! The first swifts of the season have been spotted flying about the tower!

Would you guess that we had a pair of shoes in our collection? John Westwood (1805-1893) was the curator of entomology at the Museum for 30 years and was the first Hope Professor of Zoology at the University. His shoes, glasses, magnifying glass, and insect collecting net live in our archives.

This Earth Day, themed 'Our Power, Our Planet', we wanted to highlight our work to inspire young people with a lasting love of nature and science. We hold over 165 family-friendly events each year which attract over 19,000 participants, and host more than 20,000 children coming on school visits.

In addition to our 7 million specimens, we also hold a library and archive, available to visit by appointment. Researching? An artist in need of inspiration? A philatelist who wants to see a large collection of dinosaur stamps? We have you covered.

Have you been in to check out our new displays recently? We are nearing the completion of the main court aisles with our ambitious Life, As We Know It project. Tell us what you think!

We first opened our doors in 1860, and the building was designed to be just as intriguing as the objects inside. You can find columns of different stones from across the UK, carved plants and animals, and metal worked plants in our iron and glass roof.

Last chance to see our exhibition Breaking Ground! Come and visit the first scientifically described dinosaur fossils, which were found right here in Oxfordshire! This is the last weekend to come and visit this free exhibit.

Family Friendly Sundays are back! Join us every Sunday afternoon for nature-themed activities, crafts, family-friendly trails, and more! All provided by Museum volunteers.

Fancy visiting the Museum at night? You can join us for a free evening at the Museum this Earth Day, 22 April, for our event How To Save the Amazon. https://oumnh.ox.ac.uk/event/how-to-save-the-amazon

The Artemis II crew is now beginning their journey home. Human's fascination with the moon has long woven its way into many aspects of our society, from religions, to art, and even pushing ourselves 252,756 miles away from our own planet to view the dark side of the moon.