Natural History Museum

Today we’re going to be talking in millions! 🫰🏻 No, this isn’t about new funding - we just want to test how well you know your timelines! 🗓️ See if you can get this right, then head to the comments to check your answer! ✅

Have you heard of the adventurous entomologist Lucy Evelyn Cheesman? 🐛🐞 As we continue to celebrate Women’s History Month, we’re taking a closer look at Cheesman’s fascinating life! 🧵 🐶 She had her mind set on becoming a veterinary surgeon but the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons wasn't yet admitting women. Instead, she trained as a canine nurse! 🦋 She was London Zoo's first female Insect House Curator. She added many specimens to the collection and the Insect House thrived under her care! 🪲 On her numerous expeditions across the South West Pacific, she collected 70,000 specimens for the Museum, from plants to insects, many of which were new to Western Science. More than 40 years after her death, scientists are still identifying new species and making discoveries among the specimens she collected!

We’ve got some exciting news to share! 🚀🌌 Our upcoming exhibition, Space: Could life Exist Beyond Earth? is opening 16 May 2025! This exhibition will dive deep into the latest cutting-edge scientific research and advancements shedding light on the possibility of life beyond Earth. 🪐 Among the extraordinary objects on display, you'll have the rare opportunity to view the Allende meteorite, which is older than Earth. Join us on this journey as we uncover compelling evidence that life could exist elsewhere in the universe – and get to touch a piece of the Moon and Mars along the way! Space: Could Life Exist Beyond Earth? is supported by Lead Funder, The Huo Family Foundation and Lead Corporate Sponsor, Jupiter Asset Management. Book your tickets today: https://brnw.ch/21wRoVH

Have you noticed how nature is starting to change? 🌷🍃 There’s a buzz in the air, flowers are starting to bloom, and birds are making their return: spring is almost here! Here are four signs that mark the beginning of the new season! 👇 🐦 Migrant birds are returning to the UK after winter. See if you can spot a blackcap or wheatear on a walk! 🌼 The familiar bright yellow heads of daffodils bobbing in the breeze mark the start of the season. 💦 If you look in your local pond or in our Museum gardens, you might spot a newt emerging after winter! 🐝 The happy hum of the queen bumblebee is a telltale sign that spring is here! Which natural change have you noticed? Let us know in the comments.

We're working on making the Museum as accessible and inclusive as possible, including in our behind the scenes events. We now have dates available for our British Sign Language deaf-led tour around the Museum's fascinating spirit collection. 😍 You'll see Archie, the 8.62-metre-long giant squid, view specimens collected by Charles Darwin and learn more about how the collections are used for our scientific research. Tag someone in the comments who might be interested in this 👇

The tea heiress turned illustrator and philanthropist. 🌷🖼️ To celebrate Women’s History Month, we’re highlighting the extraordinary women who have had an impact on the way we perceive the natural world. Today we’re shining light on the accomplishments of the botanist and illustrator Elizabeth Twining! 🫖 Born into a tea-merchant family, she developed a keen interest in nature from a young age! 💐 She was a gifted botanist and illustrator. With her acute observation skills and talent, she beautifully rendered flowers from poppies or roses in two illustrated books. 🌷As well as a talented illustrator, she was a champion for social reform! She advocated for botany as an important topic in the education of all women and promoted plant window boxes in institutions such as workhouses to benefit staff and inmates. 135 years after her death, her books are still regarded as some of the finest flower books of the 19th century! Join us next week to discover the life of another trailblazing figure. 🗺️🔍

Environments all over the world depend on beetles to maintain ecosystems, and we've got a vast collection at the Museum! 😍 Can you answer this question correctly? 👇

You probably haven't heard her name before, but this is the work of Maud Horman-Fisher. Maud worked for the Natural History Museum in the late 19th century as a scientific illustrator and lithographer. She went on to create hundreds of beautiful and anatomically identifiable images - an important skill before it was feasible to print photos. Maud’s contributions go further than just science - they were also vital at home. In this 1879 letter from our archives Maud writes “Our means being very small, myself and my sisters are trying to help our mother...we have been looking forward to the colouring as a means of subsistence.” Maud’s contributions to scientific advancement, as well as supporting her family and leaving behind a wealth of beautiful and accurate entomological pictures, are a fantastic legacy that have slipped into obscurity. Please join us this #InternationalWomensDay in in celebrating Maud Horman-Fisher 🎨🪲🦋

We're celebrating Women's History Month! 👏 Have you heard the inspiring story of Dorothea Bate? 👩🔬 🗺️ This March, we’re exploring the extraordinary lives and careers of women who have transformed our perception of the natural world. In 1898, Dorothea Bate became one of the first female scientists working at the Museum. As many other women working at the Museum at the time, she wasn't officially employed and was only paid for piecework, meaning by the number of specimens she prepared. From there, she made incredible discoveries. 👇 🐦 In the caves of the cliffs above the River Wye, she uncovered 15 species of mammals and birds dating back around 10,000 years ago! 🦴 On the islands of Cyprus and Crete, she discovered fossils of extinct species, such as squirrel-sized dormice, a tiny elephant and a goat-antelope. 🦋 On her travels in the Mediterranean, she collected more than 200 specimens of living bird, mammal and insect species, which she sent to the Museum! Join us next week to explore the life of another pioneering figure!

People tend to favour some animals over others! Dogs are called man’s best friend, but some animals are seen as not worthy of our affection. We love an underdog, so let’s look at the animals that we think deserve a lot more appreciation! 💓 🦇 Bats are some of the most overlooked animals on Earth! Despite their reputation, bats are very important. Some species eat a lot of insects, helping to keep populations under control. 🦅 Popular culture has spread the idea that vultures are lazy and vicious animals! This is factually wrong, and vultures are essential. By removing carrion, they help reduce the spread of diseases. 🦈 If you’ve seen movies like Jaws, you might see sharks as blood-thirsty creatures who prey on humans. Not only does this rarely happen, but as predators they’re critical to the stability and health of ecosystems. Are there other animals you think suffer from an unjustified bad reputation? Let us know below! ⬇️