Natural History Museum

Capybaras are semi-aquatic, highly social, and the largest rodents in the world! 🌊 They’re also known as Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris - try saying that three times in a row!

We recently attended #NewYorkClimateWeek as part of our ongoing work as a global leader in Science. 🔬   This year’s event created space to explore collaboration opportunities, advance institutional partnerships, and engage with emerging communities working with nature, data and finance. With around 1,000 events, it was the biggest NYCW to date, a signal that, despite ongoing geopolitical turbulence, momentum behind the movement remains strong, which was great to see.   Attending events like these are important to position the Museum as a trusted, science-led partner at the heart of nature-positive innovation, finance, and policy. We used the opportunity to contribute to conversations on nature-based solutions, data governance, and biodiversity metrics. It was also great to have the platform to explore new strategic partnerships, test messaging and lay groundwork for follow-up collaborations heading into #COP30 in November.🌎

We’re looking for the next Wildlife Photographer of the Year! 📸 From animal portraits to photojournalism, Wildlife Photographer of the Year is the world’s most prestigious photography competition. We’re looking for photographs that capture the beauty and diversity of life on Earth and tell unique stories about our planet. Find out more information and apply before 11.30 on 4 December 2025:

Have you ever played a game of conkers? 🌰🧵 The game of conkers has been a playground favourite for generations in the UK - but these non-edible seeds also have a special spot in the Natural History Museum! Their spiky green shells feature in one of the intricate botanical panels that make up the ceiling of Hintze Hall. In this illustration, you can see the spiked shells that encase conkers hanging on a horse chestnut tree. Conkers on the ground are a sure sign that Autumn has arrived. Have you seen any yet? Let us know! 🍂

Today is an exciting day at the Museum as we open the doors to the 61st Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition! 📸🎉 The exhibition features 100 inspiring and powerful images of our natural world, selected from a record-breaking 60,636 entries! As the world’s most prestigious wildlife photography exhibition, it celebrates the extraordinary variety of life on our planet and raises awareness of the many threats facing species worldwide. The exhibition is supported by Lead Corporate Sponsor, Nuveen, a TIAA company.

Congratulations to our Wildlife Photographer of the Year winners! 🎉    Selected from a record-breaking 60,636 entries from 113 countries and territories, we’re thrilled to share this year’s overall Grand Title winners.     🏆 Wim van den Heever is our Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2025, awarded for his mesmerising image, ‘Ghost Town Visitor’. Capturing a rare brown hyena visiting the remains of an abandoned diamond mining town in Kolmanskop, Namibia, his image shows how nature interacts with urban spaces in unusual ways.     🥇 This year’s Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year is Andrea Dominizi. Andrea’s powerful ‘After the Destruction’ brings attention to the threats faced by longhorn beetles if their habitats are destroyed and lost. 

Sea cucumbers: marine invertebrates, nature’s recyclers, and definitely not a fruit or vegetable. 🌊🥒 For millions of years, these ancient creatures have been moving slowly across the sea floor, recycling ocean waste. ♻️ But do you know the name for a group of sea cucumbers? 🤔

Yesterday evening we welcomed His Majesty, The King, and His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales, to the Museum for a Countdown to #COP30 event. 🌍 Through bringing together climate and nature leaders and ambassadors from across the globe, it was great to see important discussions about how we can tackle these issues together. Bringing people together to tackle biodiversity loss and climate change is more important now than ever. 🌿

Climate change and biodiversity loss are inextricably linked. We need to tackle both together if we are to address the planetary emergency. 🌳 We’ve published our latest policy brief, which uses analysis from our Museum scientists to show the importance of joined up action to address biodiversity loss and climate change. This includes new analysis on ecosystems in Brazil – the host of climate #COP30 next month. Specifically, we’ve taken learnings from early implementation of conserving 30% of land by 2030 (or ‘30by30’)  to show the role that nature must play in climate mitigation and adaptation. Want to learn more? Read our new policy brief here 👇 https://lnkd.in/e7HGi-hZ.   

Seen as symbols of wisdom in ancient Greek and Roman mythology, owls have been the subjects of many myths and legends through the centuries! There’s still a lot we get wrong about these fascinating birds. Can you guess which of the following facts about owls isn’t true?