In 2013, The Clothworkers Foundation funded a project to establish standards in the care of Natural History Collections and to develop training for staff who are responsible for these collections across the UK. The capacity building project has focused initially on Botanical, Wet and Skins and Taxidermy collections with the aim of establishing a benchmark for collections care and then a training structure for those staff responsible for collections that were outside their area of expertise. To date the project has brought together a range of experts from Europe and the UK and produced a series of provisional standards and syllabus that the group will be building to develop training and knowledge sharing databases. Meeting at the SPNHC meeting in Cardiff, 2014, the project has currently engaged over 120 individuals from the UK, Europe and further abroad. The project has currently established 3 living documents on standards in the care of wet, botanical and skins and taxidermy collections. These documents are now online and open to development by those engaged in the project. The project is also delivering skills training in conservation to improve knowledge ad understanding in the care of Botanical, wet and Skins and Taxidermy collections. The project has engaged those people already involved in training in the UK in Botanical and Wet collections conservation. Through the development of agreed syllabus the project is expanding the number of individuals engaged in teaching and the knowledge base of those involved in the care of these collections. The group will continue to develop this work on training and the best practice standards.
