Over the summer, a strange coalition of minor celebrities - a retired sporting great, a news anchor and the daughter of a former prime minister - came together to support a single cause.
Aside from the desire to boost their own careers, the gathered a- and b-listers were united in the more noble campaign to save the planet. So Will Young got cosy with gorillas, Phil Tufnell went on safari with Indian rhinos, Fiona Bruce tracked tigers and Carol Thatcher went in search of the albatross.
Timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the BBC's Natural History Unit, Saving Planet Earth was a season of shows dedicated to raising awareness of endangered species and the impact of humans on the planet. Its live fundraising finale netted nearly £1.5m for conservation charities across the world.
Nothing perhaps so surprising about that; after all, wildlife programmes are perennially popular and saving the planet is in all our best interests. The question is, where do the institutions that hold the most comprehensive and detailed data about our natural world fit in?
The heightened interest in the natural world should mean that now is a great time to be working with a natural history collection. Just think of the opportunities those collections hold to explore contemporary issues such as biodiversity, climate change and conservation.
There are, of course, high-profile museums and collections - the Natural History Museum (NHM) in London, the World Museum Liverpool, Kelvingrove in Glasgow and Weston Park in Sheffield - to name a few - where thinking about display and interpretation has kept pace with the general public's desire to learn more about, and connect with, the natural environment.
But talk to a natural history curator or conservator outside of these museums and the conversation very quickly becomes one about demoralisation, skills shortages, "orphan collections" (abandoned by the museum or owner) neglect and underfunding.
One of the biggest complaints is the perceived lack of status that natural history collections have, not just with the public, but also within the profession. Simon Moore, a conservator of natural sciences at Hampshire County Council Museums and Archives Service, has worked as a consultant with natural science collections around the UK.
He says there are still a few museums that regard natural sciences as "the lowest of the low". "Some flourish and some are struggling," he says. "You hear of collections that have been orphaned - and it's demoralising."
Where collections have been retained, often the expertise to look after them has not. Christine Taylor, the keeper of biology and registrar of natural sciences and archaeology for Hampshire, says often the person responsible for the natural sciences collection is the education officer. "They need collections advice and practical assistance, but natural sciences collections cover such a wide range that it is sometimes difficult to get the expert advice," she says.
Dedicated posts do exist, but there has been an all-too-familiar pattern of freezing vacancies and not replacing curators who leave or retire. "There has certainly been a decline over the past 10 years," says Mark Simmons, the principal officer for natural sciences at Perth Museum and Art Gallery. "There was more of a community of curators 15 years ago. Now, it's a patchy picture."
The loss of posts has slowed down recently as museums have begun to realise the value of their natural history collections. "The positive side is that over the past couple of years, museums have recognised the need for natural science conservators," says Moore. But that in itself has led to problems filling the posts that are available. Several museums have reported advertising natural history or natural sciences posts, but failing to appoint.
"In the past five years there has been recognition of the fact that we need to encourage this specialism again," says Simon Knell, the head of the department of museum studies at Leicester University. "It is not that the training isn't there, and it's not that the people aren't there who would enjoy a career in museums - it's connecting the two."
Nick Gordon, the managing curator at New Walk Museum in Leicester, says the museum advertised twice recently without finding a suitable candidate for a natural sciences post. His solution was to create a curatorial traineeship that will be open to candidates with a science degree or equivalent experience.
Nature behind glass
But Victoria Papworth, the chairwoman of the Natural Sciences Collections Association (Natsca), says she is optimistic about the future. "It can seem like you're on your own in a smaller museum, but one of the bonuses of organisations such as Natsca, the NHM and the hubs is that they can make connections," she says.
This is exactly what Natsca has been trying to do. In 2006, it was awarded a grant by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council to explore setting up a Subject Specialist Network (SSN), and last year it helped organise regional meetings to discuss the need for a network. The jury is still out on this: many thought Natsca was already acting as a network and didn't want duplication.
Papworth says the association hasn't ruled out applying for SSN status, but that effort is now going into a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund that will be audience focused.
"British people love natural history", she says. "There are so many nature programmes on TV, it would be good to get some of that interest into our natural history collections." She says Natsca's role should be as an advocate for such collections: "We want to inspire people. We have to foster that wonder not just in the public, but with funders and stakeholders, too."
Whether or not a network is established, there is clearly a thirst for debate about the future of natural sciences collections. Sam Alberti, a lecturer in museology and a research fellow at Manchester Museum, organised a three-day conference held last month to address the academic and curatorial issues that natural sciences face.
"There has been a lot of interesting reflexive work done around anthropological collections; people have thought hard about provenance and different approaches to display, and that's happening now with natural history collections," says Alberti.
He hopes that the Nature Behind Glass conference will result in more debate and collaboration. "I would like to see natural history curators thinking about the history of their collections and talking to the cultural historians who are researching their collections and vice versa," he says.
Gordon at Leicester agrees that there needs to be change. "A deathly pallor hangs over some natural sciences galleries," he says. "There is nothing worse than bad taxidermy badly displayed."
The natural history displays at the New Walk Museum were refurbished in 2002. They have dioramas but the museum opted for an immersive environment with different "biomes" looking at major habitats from around the world.
"The problem with natural history specimens is that they are generally very fragile. The question we faced was how to break down the barrier between visitor and object," says Gordon. "Where possible we had specimens out, especially the common ones that can be easily replaced."
This approach to natural history display is not without its critics, and there have been complaints that the gallery is a "kids' playground". But Gordon says the scientific content is high. "We need to look at how we engage people with what are, essentially, a load of dead animals," he says.
New contexts
It is a challenge even for the NHM to make its research and collections more accessible. "I don't think natural history collections have been particularly good at linking the research behind the scenes to what happens front-of-house, and the relevance of that to people's lives," says its director Mike Dixon.
The museum aims to do this through the Darwin Centre, webcasts and gallery events that bring the scientists to the public. Dixon says they are also beginning to think about how they interpret the collections from different points of view.
"We will be looking at how we can interpret our collections in a multi-layered way so that we can bring out their social, historical and scientific context," says Dixon. And he recognises that the museum has a national role. "We want to encourage other natural history collections around the UK, and lend them expertise where we can, so that those collections can be displayed and interpreted to the public."
Some museums are already making that connection to the public. At the World Museum Liverpool a record 28,000 people visited the Clore Natural History Centre in July this year. Steve Judd, the deputy keeper of the museum, says you need to get people through the door and engage them with the collections first before bigger messages can be relayed.
"There has to be an emotional tug. Get them thinking about wildlife and from there you can get across messages about extinction, habitat loss and conservation."
Henry McGhie, the head of natural sciences at Manchester Museum, agrees. "Museums can play a role in convincing people that conservation is not just something that happens hundreds of miles away in a remote rainforest. It can happen around the corner - and you can find out about it at your local museum."
Aside from the desire to boost their own careers, the gathered a- and b-listers were united in the more noble campaign to save the planet. So Will Young got cosy with gorillas, Phil Tufnell went on safari with Indian rhinos, Fiona Bruce tracked tigers and Carol Thatcher went in search of the albatross.
Timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the BBC's Natural History Unit, Saving Planet Earth was a season of shows dedicated to raising awareness of endangered species and the impact of humans on the planet. Its live fundraising finale netted nearly £1.5m for conservation charities across the world.
Nothing perhaps so surprising about that; after all, wildlife programmes are perennially popular and saving the planet is in all our best interests. The question is, where do the institutions that hold the most comprehensive and detailed data about our natural world fit in?
The heightened interest in the natural world should mean that now is a great time to be working with a natural history collection. Just think of the opportunities those collections hold to explore contemporary issues such as biodiversity, climate change and conservation.
There are, of course, high-profile museums and collections - the Natural History Museum (NHM) in London, the World Museum Liverpool, Kelvingrove in Glasgow and Weston Park in Sheffield - to name a few - where thinking about display and interpretation has kept pace with the general public's desire to learn more about, and connect with, the natural environment.
But talk to a natural history curator or conservator outside of these museums and the conversation very quickly becomes one about demoralisation, skills shortages, "orphan collections" (abandoned by the museum or owner) neglect and underfunding.
One of the biggest complaints is the perceived lack of status that natural history collections have, not just with the public, but also within the profession. Simon Moore, a conservator of natural sciences at Hampshire County Council Museums and Archives Service, has worked as a consultant with natural science collections around the UK.
He says there are still a few museums that regard natural sciences as "the lowest of the low". "Some flourish and some are struggling," he says. "You hear of collections that have been orphaned - and it's demoralising."
Where collections have been retained, often the expertise to look after them has not. Christine Taylor, the keeper of biology and registrar of natural sciences and archaeology for Hampshire, says often the person responsible for the natural sciences collection is the education officer. "They need collections advice and practical assistance, but natural sciences collections cover such a wide range that it is sometimes difficult to get the expert advice," she says.
Dedicated posts do exist, but there has been an all-too-familiar pattern of freezing vacancies and not replacing curators who leave or retire. "There has certainly been a decline over the past 10 years," says Mark Simmons, the principal officer for natural sciences at Perth Museum and Art Gallery. "There was more of a community of curators 15 years ago. Now, it's a patchy picture."
The loss of posts has slowed down recently as museums have begun to realise the value of their natural history collections. "The positive side is that over the past couple of years, museums have recognised the need for natural science conservators," says Moore. But that in itself has led to problems filling the posts that are available. Several museums have reported advertising natural history or natural sciences posts, but failing to appoint.
"In the past five years there has been recognition of the fact that we need to encourage this specialism again," says Simon Knell, the head of the department of museum studies at Leicester University. "It is not that the training isn't there, and it's not that the people aren't there who would enjoy a career in museums - it's connecting the two."
Nick Gordon, the managing curator at New Walk Museum in Leicester, says the museum advertised twice recently without finding a suitable candidate for a natural sciences post. His solution was to create a curatorial traineeship that will be open to candidates with a science degree or equivalent experience.
Nature behind glass
But Victoria Papworth, the chairwoman of the Natural Sciences Collections Association (Natsca), says she is optimistic about the future. "It can seem like you're on your own in a smaller museum, but one of the bonuses of organisations such as Natsca, the NHM and the hubs is that they can make connections," she says.
This is exactly what Natsca has been trying to do. In 2006, it was awarded a grant by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council to explore setting up a Subject Specialist Network (SSN), and last year it helped organise regional meetings to discuss the need for a network. The jury is still out on this: many thought Natsca was already acting as a network and didn't want duplication.
Papworth says the association hasn't ruled out applying for SSN status, but that effort is now going into a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund that will be audience focused.
"British people love natural history", she says. "There are so many nature programmes on TV, it would be good to get some of that interest into our natural history collections." She says Natsca's role should be as an advocate for such collections: "We want to inspire people. We have to foster that wonder not just in the public, but with funders and stakeholders, too."
Whether or not a network is established, there is clearly a thirst for debate about the future of natural sciences collections. Sam Alberti, a lecturer in museology and a research fellow at Manchester Museum, organised a three-day conference held last month to address the academic and curatorial issues that natural sciences face.
"There has been a lot of interesting reflexive work done around anthropological collections; people have thought hard about provenance and different approaches to display, and that's happening now with natural history collections," says Alberti.
He hopes that the Nature Behind Glass conference will result in more debate and collaboration. "I would like to see natural history curators thinking about the history of their collections and talking to the cultural historians who are researching their collections and vice versa," he says.
Gordon at Leicester agrees that there needs to be change. "A deathly pallor hangs over some natural sciences galleries," he says. "There is nothing worse than bad taxidermy badly displayed."
The natural history displays at the New Walk Museum were refurbished in 2002. They have dioramas but the museum opted for an immersive environment with different "biomes" looking at major habitats from around the world.
"The problem with natural history specimens is that they are generally very fragile. The question we faced was how to break down the barrier between visitor and object," says Gordon. "Where possible we had specimens out, especially the common ones that can be easily replaced."
This approach to natural history display is not without its critics, and there have been complaints that the gallery is a "kids' playground". But Gordon says the scientific content is high. "We need to look at how we engage people with what are, essentially, a load of dead animals," he says.
New contexts
It is a challenge even for the NHM to make its research and collections more accessible. "I don't think natural history collections have been particularly good at linking the research behind the scenes to what happens front-of-house, and the relevance of that to people's lives," says its director Mike Dixon.
The museum aims to do this through the Darwin Centre, webcasts and gallery events that bring the scientists to the public. Dixon says they are also beginning to think about how they interpret the collections from different points of view.
"We will be looking at how we can interpret our collections in a multi-layered way so that we can bring out their social, historical and scientific context," says Dixon. And he recognises that the museum has a national role. "We want to encourage other natural history collections around the UK, and lend them expertise where we can, so that those collections can be displayed and interpreted to the public."
Some museums are already making that connection to the public. At the World Museum Liverpool a record 28,000 people visited the Clore Natural History Centre in July this year. Steve Judd, the deputy keeper of the museum, says you need to get people through the door and engage them with the collections first before bigger messages can be relayed.
"There has to be an emotional tug. Get them thinking about wildlife and from there you can get across messages about extinction, habitat loss and conservation."
Henry McGhie, the head of natural sciences at Manchester Museum, agrees. "Museums can play a role in convincing people that conservation is not just something that happens hundreds of miles away in a remote rainforest. It can happen around the corner - and you can find out about it at your local museum."