The Natural History Museum’s Urban Nature Project

A life-size bronze cast of a dinosaur skeleton in the new gardens surrounding the building
Fern the Diplodocus © The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London.

National Lottery Grants for Heritage – £250,000 to £5million

Date awarded
Location
Brompton & Hans Town
Local Authority
Kensington and Chelsea
Applicant
Natural History Museum
Award Given
£4942800
The iconic London institution has reimagined five acres of gardens that surround the building into an accessible, biologically-diverse green space.

In its 140-year history, it is the first time the gardens have been completely transformed.

Through two new outdoor galleries – with two new resident dinosaurs – visitors can explore the story of Earth from more than 2.7billion years ago and learn about the wildlife in our neighbourhoods today.

The new space will be one of the most intensively studied urban nature sites in the world. Scientists and volunteers will develop best practices to support urban nature recovery in response to increasing pressures of urbanisation, climate change and biodiversity loss.

The Urban Nature Project is also working to:

  • pilot a range of technologies for monitoring change in urban environments
  • champion urban nature identification and field study skills
  • give people across the UK the support and tools needed to safeguard nature in towns and cities
  • share urban nature data and tools with organisations and communities across the UK
A person looks at nature monitoring device
An ecologist at work © The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London.

Dr Doug Gurr, Director of the Natural History Museum, said: “We know that for people and planet to thrive, we must act to support urban nature recovery. As well as a new way for visitors to engage with the museum, our reimagined gardens will play a vital role in understanding how nature in our towns and cities is responding to a changing planet, and how we can better safeguard it.”

Find out more about the Urban Nature Project.

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