Strategy for natural history collections in Switzerland 2025–2035

Strategy for natural history collections in Switzerland 2025-2035 swiss-academies.ch Vol. 20, No. 8, 2025 ABOUT THIS PUBLICATION PUBLISHER AND CONTACT Swiss Academy of Sciences (SCNAT) Swiss Natural History Collections Network (SwissCollNet) House of Academies • Laupenstrasse 7 • P.O. Box • 3001 Bern • Switzerland +41 31 306 93 39 • [email protected] • swisscollnet.scnat.ch • SCNAT RECOMMENDED FORM OF CITATION Price M, Cibois A, Wandeler P, Scheidegger C, Stieger P (2025) Strategy for natural history collections in Switzerland 2025–2035. Swiss Academies Communications 20 (8) AUTHORS Price Michelle, Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de Genève • Cibois Alice, Muséum d’histoire naturelle de Genève • Wandeler Peter, Musée d’histoire naturelle de Fribourg • Scheidegger Christoph, Eidg. Forschungsanstalt WSL • Stieger Pia, Akademie der Naturwissenschaften Schweiz CONTRIBUTORS Alvarez Nadir, Naturéum – Muséum cantonal des sciences naturelles, Lausanne • Beer Christoph, Naturhistorisches Museum Bern • Bolliger Thomas, KULTURAMA – Museum des Menschen • Boehi Melanie, Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de Genève • Briner Thomas, Naturmuseum Solothurn • Bueno Celia, Muséum d’histoire naturelle de Neuchâtel • de Vos Jurriaan, Botanischer Garten, Universität Basel • Felber François (retired), Naturéum – Muséum cantonal des sciences naturelles, Lausanne • Geisser Hannes, Naturmuseum Thurgau • Greeff Michael, ETH Zürich • Gutbrodt Bettina, Stiftung Wildnispark Zürich • Hotz Benedict, Museum Luzern • Keller Lukas, Naturhistorisches Museum der Universität Zürich • Kocyan Alexander, Naturhistorisches Museum der Universität Zürich • Limat Marc, Museum.BL • Litman Jessica, Muséum d’histoire naturelle de Neuchâtel • Loizeau PierreAndré (retired), Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de Genève • Marchant Robin, Naturéum – Muséum cantonal des sciences naturelles, Lausanne • Maridet Olivier, JURASSICA Museum et Jardin botanique • Meier Matthias, Naturmuseum St.Gallen • Rampazzi Filippo, Museo cantonale di storia naturale Lugano • Rehsteiner Ueli, Bündner Naturmuseum • Rembold Katja, Botanischer Garten, Universität Bern • Richner Barbara, Naturmuseum Thurgau • Sartori Michel (retired), Naturéum – Muséum cantonal des sciences naturelles, Lausanne • Schenkel Martina, formerly Museum.BL, now Naturhistorisches Museum der Universität Zürich • Schönenberger Nicola, Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de Genève • Thüring Basil, Naturhistorisches Museum Basel • Vallan Denis, Naturama Aargau • Weibel Urs, Museum zu Allerheiligen COORDINATION Jessica Joaquim, SCNAT • Gil Oliveira, SCNAT COPYEDITING Jessica Litman, Muséum d’histoire naturelle de Neuchâtel LAYOUT Olivia Zwygart, SCNAT COVER PHOTO Christian Felsner, Entomologische Sammlung der ETH Zürich PHOTOS P. 3, 22: Chris Mansfield, Naturmuseum St. Gallen • P. 5, 7: REC production SA • P. 9, 16, 18, 26: Philippe Wagneur, Muséum d’histoire naturelle de Genève • P. 10, 11, 24: Lisa Schäublin, Naturhistorisches Museum Bern • P. 12: Alexandre de Torrenté, Musées cantonaux du Valais • P. 14: Stefan Ansermet, Naturéum – Muséum cantonal des sciences naturelles, Lausanne • P. 20: Michelle Price, Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de Genève This report includes inputs from the people listed as contributors based on their returns on a survey of strategic issues that are important for Swiss natural history institutions and during a subsequent consultation period. Participants in workshops on the strategy for natural history collections in Switzerland held at the SwissCollNet Workshop on the 20th of January 2023 (Bern) and musnatcoll.ch Annual Meeting on the 6th of June 2023 (Geneva) are listed in Annex 1. 1st edition, 2025 This brochure can be obtained from SwissCollNet (SCNAT) free of charge or downloaded from scnat.ch/en/id/7PDd8. ISSN 2297–8275 (Print) ISSN 2297–184X (Online) DOI: doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17300867 With this report, the Swiss Academy of Sciences contributes t o the SDGs 14 and 15. > sustainabledevelopment.un.org > agenda-2030.eda.admin.ch/de Strategy for natural history collections in Switzerland 2025-2035 Content Summary ............................................................................................................................................... 3 Zusammenfassung ................................................................................................................................4 Résumé..................................................................................................................................................5 Sintesi ....................................................................................................................................................6 Preamble · Vision · Mission ...................................................................................................................7 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 8 Strategic framework for natural history collections in Switzerland ................................................... 11 Strategic pillar 1: Standardising and implementing management practices ......................................13 Strategic pillar 2: Databasing, digitising and managing digital data ................................................15 Strategic pillar 3: Enhancing natural history collections and their scientific use ...............................17 Strategic pillar 4: Developing training, education and outreach opportunities.................................19 Strategic pillar 5: Facilitating collaboration, exchange and networking ............................................21 Strategic pillar 6: Consolidating and managing the network, including funding and shared resources ...................................................................................23 Implementation and expectations .....................................................................................................25 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................... 25 References ...........................................................................................................................................27 Annex 1 ................................................................................................................................................28 Signatories ..........................................................................................................................................30 2Strategy for natural history collections in Switzerland 2025–2035. Summary Twenty-five natural history institutions from sixteen cantons in Switzerland co-developed a natural history collection strategy based on the six strategic pillars of 1. Standardising and implementing management practices, 2. Databasing, digitising and managing digital data, 3. Enhancing natural history collections and their scientific use, 4. Developing training, education and outreach opportunities, 5. Facilitating collaboration, exchange and networking, and 6. Consolidating and managing the network, including funding and shared resources. For each of the strategic pillars, the directors, curators, collections managers, and scientists of the contributing institutions identified a set of 52 key activities. Under each pillar the proposed activities were divided into joint actions to be undertaken collaboratively within the community or with strategic partners, and institutional actions to be undertaken by the institutions themselves, based on their available resources. This nationwide approach to supporting, maintaining, enhancing and using natural history collections, the first of its kind in Switzerland, represents a key step for both science and society. It reflects the general recognition of the importance of a coordinated and co-operative approach to natural history collections at a national level to: – guarantee the long-term patrimonial preservation of Swiss natural history collections through the implementation of adequate management practices and standards; – strive to digitise specimens and continue to provide physical and digital access to collections; – maintain the infrastructure for the aggregation of and open access to data derived from natural history collections; – promote the exchange of expertise as well as the sharing of resources and skills associated with the management, curation and digitisation of specimens; – facilitate and undertake scientific research using natural history collections; – enhance and develop collections through fieldwork and the exchange or acquisition of specimens, in compliance with national and international legislation or regulations; – ensure the use of collections as educational, training and cultural resources. 3 Swiss Academies Communications, Vol. 20, No. 8, 2025 Zusammenfassung Fünfundzwanzig naturhistorische Institutionen aus sechzehn Kantonen der Schweiz haben gemeinsam eine nationale Strategie zur nachhaltigen Entwicklung von naturwissenschaftlichen Sammlungen erarbeitet. Diese basiert auf sechs strategischen Säulen: 1. Einführung und Entwicklung einheitlicher Methoden für Pflege und Verwaltung der Sammlungen, 2. Systematische Datenerfassung, Digitalisierung und Verwaltung digitaler Daten, 3. Aufwertung und wissenschaftliche Nutzung der Sammlungen, 4. Bildungs-, Schulungsund Öffentlichkeitsarbeit, 5. Ausbau der Zusammenarbeit, des Austauschs und der Vernetzung und 6. Konsolidierung und Verwaltung des Netzwerks, einschliesslich der Finanzierung und der gemeinsamen Ressourcen. Für jede der strategischen Säulen haben die Direktorinnen und Direktoren, Kuratorinnen und Kuratoren, Verwalterinnen und Verwalter der Sammlungen sowie Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler der beteiligten Institutionen eine Liste von 52 Schlüsselaktivitäten festgelegt. Für jede strategische Säule wurden die vorgeschlagenen Aktivitäten unterteilt in netzwerkweite Initiativen, die innerhalb der Gemeinschaft und teilweise mit strategischen Partnern durchzuführen sind; und in institutionelle Massnahmen, welche die Institutionen individuell auf Grundlage ihrer verfügbaren Ressourcen ausführen. Dieser landesweite und für die Schweiz neue Ansatz zur Sicherung, Weiterentwicklung und Nutzung naturwissenschaftlicher Sammlungen stellt einen wichtigen Schritt für Wissenschaft und Gesellschaft dar. Er spiegelt die allgemeine Anerkennung der Bedeutung einer koordinierten und kooperativen Vorgehensweise auf nationaler Ebene wider, um: – die langfristige Erhaltung der naturwissenschaftlichen Sammlungen in der Schweiz durch die Umsetzung angemessener Verwaltungspraktiken und -standards zu gewährleisten; – die Digitalisierung der Sammlungsobjekte voranzutreiben und den physischen und digitalen Zugang zu den Sammlungen weiterhin zu gewährleisten; – die Infrastruktur für die Zusammenführung von und den freien Zugang zu Daten aus naturwissenschaftlichen Sammlungen zu unterhalten; – den Austausch von Fachwissen sowie die gemeinsame Nutzung von Ressourcen und Fähigkeiten im Zusammenhang mit der Verwaltung, Kuratierung und Digitalisierung von Exemplaren zu fördern; – die wissenschaftliche Forschung mithilfe naturwissenschaftlicher Sammlungen zu erleichtern; – Sammlungen unter Einhaltung nationaler und internationaler Vorschriften durch Objekte aus Feldforschung, Austausch und Erwerb zu erweitern und auszubauen; – die Nutzung der Sammlungen als Bildungs-, Ausbildungsund Kulturressourcen sicherzustellen. 4Strategy for natural history collections in Switzerland 2025–2035. Résumé Vingt-cinq institutions d’histoire naturelle de seize cantons suisses ont développé conjointement une stratégie pour les collections d’histoire naturelle basée sur les six piliers stratégiques suivants : 1. normalisation et mise en œuvre des pratiques de gestion, 2. enregistrement, numérisation et gestion des données numériques, 3. valorisation des collections d’histoire naturelle et de leur utilisation scientifique, 4. développement des opportunités de formation, d’éducation et de sensibilisation, 5. facilitation de la collaboration, de l’échange et du réseautage, et 6. consolidation et gestion du réseau, y compris le financement et les ressources partagées. Pour chacun de ces piliers stratégiques, les directrices et directeurs, conservatrices et conservateurs, responsables de collections et scientifiques des institutions participantes ont défini un ensemble de 52 activités clés. Pour chaque pilier, les activités proposées ont été réparties entre des actions conjointes, à entreprendre en collaboration au sein de la communauté ou avec des partenaires stratégiques, et des actions institutionnelles, à entreprendre par les institutions elles-mêmes en fonction de leurs ressources disponibles. Cette approche nationale en matière de soutien, de préservation, d’amélioration et d’utilisation des collections d’histoire naturelle, la première du genre en Suisse, constitue une avancée majeure tant pour la science que pour la société. Elle reflète la reconnaissance générale de l’importance d’une approche coordonnée et coopérative des collections d’histoire naturelle à l’échelle nationale pour : – assurer la conservation à long terme des collections de sciences naturelles en Suisse par la mise en œuvre de pratiques et de normes de gestion appropriées ; – faire progresser la numérisation des spécimens et continuer à garantir l’accès physique et numérique aux collections ; – maintenir l’infrastructure pour la mise en commun et le libre accès aux données des collections de sciences naturelles ; – encourager l’échange d’expertise et le partage des ressources et des compétences liées à la gestion et à la numérisation des spécimens ; – faciliter et entreprendre des recherches scientifiques fondées sur les collections d’histoire naturelle ; – élargir et développer les collections par des activités de terrain et par l’échange ou l’acquisition de spécimens, conformément aux lois et aux réglementations nationales et internationales ; – garantir l’utilisation des collections comme ressources éducatives, de formation et culturelles. 5 Swiss Academies Communications, Vol. 20, No. 8, 2025 Venticinque istituzioni di storia naturale di sedici cantoni svizzeri hanno sviluppato congiuntamente una strategia per le collezioni di storia naturale basata su sei pilastri strategici: 1. standardizzazione e implementazione delle pratiche di gestione; 2. database, digitalizzazione e gestione dei dati digitali; 3. valorizzazione delle collezioni di storia naturale e del loro uso scientifico; 4. sviluppo di opportunità di formazione, educazione e divulgazione; 5. facilitazione della collaborazione, dello scambio e della creazione di reti; 6. consolidamento e gestione della rete, compresi i finanziamenti e le risorse condivise. Per ciascuno dei pilastri strategici, le direttrici e i direttori, le conservatrici e i conservatori, i e le responsabili delle collezioni e il personale scientifico delle istituzioni partecipanti hanno individuato una serie di 52 attività chiave. Nell’ambito di ciascun pilastro, le attività proposte sono state suddivise in azioni comuni da intraprendere in collaborazione all’interno della comunità o con partner strategici, e in azioni istituzionali da intraprendere dalle istituzioni stesse, in base alle risorse disponibili. Questo approccio nazionale al sostegno, alla manutenzione, alla valorizzazione e all’utilizzo delle collezioni di storia naturale, il primo del suo genere in Svizzera, rappresenta un passo fondamentale sia per la scienza sia per la società. Riflette il riconoscimento generale dell’importanza di un approccio coordinato e collaborativo alle collezioni di storia naturale a livello nazionale per: – garantire la conservazione patrimoniale a lungo termine delle collezioni svizzere di storia naturale attraverso l’attuazione di pratiche e standard di gestione adeguati; – progredire nella digitalizzazione degli esemplari e continuare a fornire l’accesso fisico e digitale alle collezioni; – mantenere l’infrastruttura per l’aggregazione e l’accesso aperto ai dati derivati dalle collezioni di storia naturale; – promuovere lo scambio di competenze e la condivisione di risorse e abilità associate alla gestione, alla cura e alla digitalizzazione degli esemplari; – facilitare e intraprendere la ricerca scientifica utilizzando le collezioni di storia naturale; – valorizzare e sviluppare le collezioni attraverso il lavoro sul campo e lo scambio o l’acquisizione di esemplari, in conformità con la legislazione o le normative nazionali e internazionali; – garantire l’uso delle collezioni come risorse educative, formative e culturali. 6Strategy for natural history collections in Switzerland 2025–2035. Sintesi Preamble This Strategy for natural history collections in Switzerland is intended to facilitate the management, curation, enhancement, digitisation and use of the natural history collections housed in Swiss institutions that form a collaborative and coordinated distributed network. This community-developed strategic framework outlines national priorities, common objectives and targeted actions to be undertaken as well as the necessary mechanisms of political and financial support that are needed by national history institutions over the short, medium and longterm. Implementation of a strategic plan at the national level will further strengthen the distributed network of natural history collections in Switzerland, united under the Association of Natural Science Museums and Collections in Switzerland and Liechtenstein/Verband der naturwissenschaftlichen Museen und Sammlungen der Schweiz und Liechtenstein/Association des musées et collections de sciences naturelles de Suisse et du Liechtenstein/Associazione dei musei e delle collezioni di scienze naturali della Svizzera e del Liechtenstein, known in all languages as ‘musnatcoll.ch’. Vision Swiss institutions that house natural history collections unite their strengths and expertise to manage, maintain, enhance and develop the use of the natural history specimens in their charge, promoting common standards, data accessibility and interoperability, exchange between institutions, visibility for natural history collections and unified physical and virtual access to them by Swiss and international researchers, thus contributing to scientific research and scientific excellence. Mission To ensure the long-term maintenance, enhancement, and accessibility of natural history collections across Switzerland and support their scientific use for research, education and societal needs. 7 Swiss Academies Communications, Vol. 20, No. 8, 2025 14 Strategy for natural history collections in Switzerland 2025–2025. Strategic pillar 2: Databasing, digitising and managing digital data Databasing and imaging natural history collections require access to suitable databasing software, digitisation infrastructure, and trained personnel capable of recording specimen data, capturing scans or images, and managing digital information. To ensure that digital data from Swiss collections is of high quality, fit for use, and accessible for scientific research, it is essential to provide nationwide access to databasing tools, digitisation technologies, and reliable data storage infrastructure. These efforts should follow the FAIR Guiding Principles for scientific data management and stewardship – Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability (Wilkinson et al., 2016). The agreement of common goals and priorities, exchange and sharing of know-how or equipment, and the implementation of internationally compatible data standards will facilitate databasing and digitisation processes across Switzerland as well as open access to data derived from specimens in Swiss institutions. Investment is needed for coordination between the physical collections and their digital counterparts’ as well as for increasing data storage and retrieval capacities. Objective Scale-up databasing capacities to facilitate natural history specimen digitisation while ensuring the storage of and accessibility to digital data on a nationwide scale. Joint actions – Recommend internationally compatible data standards and best practices; – facilitate the use of digital data on specimens for outreach to the public; – ensure that institutions have access to relevant Collections Management Systems (CMS) and training on their use; – encourage the development and maintenance, or inter-institutional sharing, of in-house digitisation infrastructures. Institutional actions – Supply data to the common natural history digital specimen portal SwissNatColl to provide open access to data on specimens in Swiss institutions; – implement internationally compatible data standards and best practices (databasing, digitisation, data storage, retrieval and curation); – establish digitisation priorities (e.g. type specimens, historically or geographically significant collections, endangered or extinct species); – ensure the ongoing digitisation of specimens; – ensure regular institution-level updates on the Global Registry of Scientific Collections (GRSciColl). 15 Swiss Academies Communications, Vol. 20, No. 8, 2025 Strategic pillar 3: Enhancing natural history collections and their scientific use To ensure that Swiss collections remain scientifically relevant, they should be continually curated, used and enhanced through collecting activities, donations and acquisitions. The inclusion of specimen collection strategies in research plans submitted to funding agencies to ensure specimen vouchering and tissue bank accessioning according to community established guidelines should be encouraged. Curated collections that are physically accessible and digitally available can be used for morphological, anatomical, structural, chemical, ecological or genetic analyses as well as for time-series comparisons, geographic or distribution studies and biodiversity restoration initiatives, amongst many others. Specimen derived data can contribute key information for addressing issues such as sustainable development, biodiversity conservation, ecological restoration, invasive species, emerging disease forecasting, and climate change modelling. Open access to ever increasing amounts of digital data from natural history specimens combined with increased technological capabilities provides unprecedented opportunities to understand biological and geological diversity at different scales. The development of research priorities for natural history collections, in link with the development of a research agenda and an associated research programme, facilitates scientific collaboration, training and mobility. Objective Ensure the continual curation and enhancement of collections, and promote research based on natural history specimens. Joint actions – Develop a research agenda for natural history collections to reinforce their significance as a key national research infrastructure and distributed centre of excellence for biodiversity and geodiversity knowledge; – facilitate scientific collaborations among Swiss natural history institutions, between natural history institutions and Swiss universities or international partners; – enhance collaborations with professional organisations such as Swiss universities, Swiss universities of applied sciences, national data centres and scientific societies; – support the inclusion of specimen collection strategies in research plans submitted to funding agencies to ensure specimen vouchering and tissue bank accessioning, according to community established guidelines; – undertake lobbying in support of natural history collections and their scientific importance; – maintain a national registry of taxonomic expertise. Institutional actions – Ensure the continual enrichment of collections through targeted fieldwork campaigns, general collecting activities or by specimen exchanges or acquisitions; – support scientific visits to collections; – engage in scientific exchanges between Swiss institutions and with international partners; – promote the taxonomic verification of collections; – engage in the transmission of scientific expertise through university teaching and training; – assure the tooling-up of staff to improve collecting and research capacities. 17 Swiss Academies Communications, Vol. 20, No. 8, 2025 18 Strategy for natural history collections in Switzerland 2025–2025. Strategic pillar 4: Developing training, education and outreach opportunities The maintenance, curation and use of natural history collections require specialised skill sets related to the preparation of specimens, the care and management of specimens as well as the scientific use of them. To guarantee the preservation of collections over the long-term, the coordination of training initiatives, skill transfer and knowledge exchange is important to ensure that there are appropriately trained personnel to prepare specimens and work in the collections. Natural history collections are a key resource to inform and educate on the natural world as well as on the importance of biodiversity and geodiversity knowledge in understanding Earth and life on it. Exhibitions form an integral part of the mandates of natural history institutions, where they are used to highlight the natural world as well as to educate their visitors on biodiversity and the biodiversity crisis or to stimulate understanding of the environmental and sustainability challenges of the 21st century. Objective Ensure the use of natural history collections for outreach, education and training purposes while promoting the importance of scientific collections in understanding geological and biological diversity. Joint actions – Enhance collaborations between natural history institutions and education providers, such as Swiss universities, Swiss universities of applied sciences, training colleges and schools; – support the development of a nationwide programme for organism-based courses and field or taxonomy training; – enhance training, skills and career recognition for jobs related to natural history collections (technicians, taxidermists, collections managers, curators etc.); – develop opportunities for skill transfer and training in collections management and curation. Institutional actions – Increase awareness of the scientific importance and value of natural history collections via outreach activities, exhibitions and active communications; – use collections to inform the public about nature; – participate and promote citizen science activities; – engage in academic teaching and scientific training. 19 Swiss Academies Communications, Vol. 20, No. 8, 2025 Strategic pillar 5: Facilitating collaboration, exchange and networking The majority of cantons in Switzerland have natural history institutions that hold collections of diverse sizes, compositions, staffing levels, exhibition capacities and infrastructures. Communication, collaboration and cooperation, mediated through musnatcoll.ch, strengthens the distributed network of collections across Switzerland by providing opportunities to exchange, develop collaborations or decide on common initiatives and political actions on behalf of the community. Knowledge and skill transfer between institutions within the network ensures the unity of Swiss collections. The pooling of resources and skills from within the community permits designated groups to focus on key topics for natural history collections and the identification of emerging issues. The maintenance of a strong network ensures a collective identity for natural history collections and their representation in political spheres. Objective Encourage, develop and maintain opportunities for networking and exchange. Joint actions – Sustain a communication and exchange platform, supported by a curated website; – organise workshops, scientific meetings and conferences; – maintain a repository of collection management best practices, collection digitisation protocols, digital data standards and data storage/retrieval recommendations; – facilitate discussion and community action on key topics for natural history collections; – exchange on the handling of sensitive specimens and objects acquired in a colonial context as well as any relevant collaborations and case studies; – respond with one voice to emerging political or strategic issues. Institutional actions – Develop and exchange on curatorial experiences, know-how and best practices on a regular basis; – contribute actively to the exchange platform and skill-transfer activities; – engage in joint strategic activities proposed for the community. 21 Swiss Academies Communications, Vol. 20, No. 8, 2025 Strategic pillar 6: Consolidating and managing the network, including funding and shared resources Implementation of a strategic framework for Swiss natural history collections takes place in two specific spheres, at the institutional level and at the level of the distributed network itself. To successfully realise the objective and actions under this pillar, a mechanism for coordination, discussion, evaluation and support is needed, with the professionalisation of musnatcoll.ch foreseen, which may fulfil this role. Important considerations are ensuring the continuation of the activities and momentum fostered under the SwissCollNet initiative and securing funding to support both the ongoing activities and the development of the network. The professionalisation of musnatcoll.ch, via the creation of a supported secretariat, provides an unprecedented opportunity to strategically develop the Swiss network of natural history collections, sustain successful community initiatives and undertake representation in a more concentrated and coherent way. Efforts are needed to coordinate and focus lobbying efforts to gain political support at different levels across Switzerland. Strong leadership is needed to drive the distributed network forward under a common vision for collection holding institutions. Objective Strengthen the national network of natural history collections and support its capacity to exploit strategic and financial opportunities. Joint actions – Establish a suitable and sustained structure for the coordination of the network and its activities; – support the continuation of the objectives, goals and targets of the SwissCollNet initiative; – ensure the participation of Switzerland and Swiss institutions in international initiatives focused on collections, collections digitisation and research based on collections; – secure financing to support natural history collections nationwide; – undertake representation and lobbying activities on behalf of the community. Institutional actions – Participate in the upkeep of common services, infrastructures and tools; – provide in-kind contributions, to the extent of available resources, to support joint actions and other relevant activities. – foster local political relations and undertake lobbying activities. 23 Swiss Academies Communications, Vol. 20, No. 8, 2025 JASMIN WINKLER, Co-Bereichsleiterin, Naturama Aargau MARKUS FISCHER, Direktor, Botanischer Garten des Universität Bern CHRISTOPH BEER, Direktor, Naturhistorisches Museum Bern MARC LIMAT, Leiter, Museum.BL ANSGAR KAHMEN, Direktor, Botanischer Garten des Universität Basel SANDRA PICHLER, Lehrbeauftragte und wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin Integrative Prähistoirsche und Naturwissenschaftliche Archäologie, Universität Basel BASIL THÜRING, Co-Direktor, Naturhistorisches Museum Basel GREGOR KOZLOWSKI, Directeur, Jardin botanique de l’Université de Fribourg PETER WANDELER, Directeur, Musée d’histoire naturelle de Fribourg NICOLA SCHÖNENBERGER, Directeur, Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de Genève ARNAUD MÄDER, Directeur, Muséum d’histoire naturelle de Genève UELI REHSTEINER, Direktor, Bündner Naturmuseum DAMIEN BECKER, Directeur, JURASSICA Museum et Jardin botanique TANJA WARRING, Direktorin, Museum Luzern BENEDIKT HOTZ, Stv. Direktor, Museum Luzern BLAISE MULHAUSER, Directeur, Jardin botanique de Neuchâtel MUZOO, Xavier Huther, Directeur LUDOVIC MAGGIONI, Directeur, Muséum d’histoire naturelle de Neuchâtel XAVIER HUTHER, Directeur, MUZOO MATTHIAS MEIER, Direktor, Naturmuseum St. Gallen GESA SCHNEIDER, Direktorin, Museum zu Allerheiligen Signatories 30 Strategy for natural history collections in Switzerland 2025–2035. URS WEIBEL, Stv. Direktor, Museum zu Allerheiligen SAMUEL FURRER, Leiter, Naturmuseum Olten THOMAS BRINER, Leiter, Naturmuseum Solothurn HANNES GEISSER, Direktor, Naturmuseum Thurgau FILIPPO RAMPAZZI, Direttore, Museo Cantonale di Storia naturale Lugano CASPARINA ASCHWANDEN, Kuratorin, Naturkundliche Sammlung der Kantonalen Mittelschule Uri NADIR ALVAREZ, Directeur, Naturéum – Muséum cantonal des sciences naturelles, Lausanne NICOLAS KRAMAR, Directeur, Musée de la Nature du Valais #!" !0-+$16%0*)'~U<<"+"K(4)3)/)35("(.7'"y"3(4)3)/)35("15>5"y"43>(.)/0'"56")2'"B30'9)50" Prof. Dr. Ulrich Weidmann ETH Zürich, Vizepräsident für Infrastruktur und Nachhaltigkeit ULRICH WEIDMANN, Vizepräsident Infrastruktur, ETH Zürich 21 Signatories [Add - Institution name / institution logo / signature of the Director] Prof. Alex Widmer 20.06.2025 ALEX WIDMER, Leiter, Plant Ecological Genetics group, Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich (Vereinigte Herbarien Universität und ETH Zürich) #!" " !0-+$16%0*)'~U<<"+"K(4)3)/)35("(.7'"y"3(4)3)/)35("15>5"y"43>(.)/0'"56")2'"B30'9)50" ! CONSUELO DE MORAES, Leiterin, Biocommunication group, Institut für Agrarwissenschaften, ETH Zürich (Entomologische Sammlung) 21 Signatories Erdwissenschaftliche Sammlungen der ETH-Z Departement Erdwissenschaften Dr. Andrea Galli Dr. Iwan Stössel IWAN STÖSSEL, Kurator, Geologische und paläontologische Sammlung, ETH Zürich 21 Signatories Erdwissenschaftliche Sammlungen der ETH-Z Departement Erdwissenschaften Dr. Andrea Galli Dr. Iwan Stössel ANDREA GALLI, Kurator, Mineralogische und petrographische Sammlung, ETH Zürich CLAUDIA RÜTSCHE, Direktorin, KULTURAMA – Museum des Menschen DANIELA ZINGG, Direktorin, Naturmuseum Winterthur GABRIELA WYSS, Leiterin, Sukkulenten-Sammlung Zürich ELISABETH STARK, Prorektorin Forschung, Univeristät Zürich #!" !0-+$16%0*)'~U<<"+"K(4)3)/)35("(.7'"y"3(4)3)/)35("15>5"y"43>(.)/0'"56")2'"B30'9)50" !"#$%&'()*&+,-.)" /0%01%/0/2 FLORIAN SCHIESTL, Direktor, Institut für Systematische und Evolutionäre Botanik, Universität Zürich (Vereinigte Herbarien Universität und ETH Zürich) 21 Signatories [Add - Institution name / institution logo / signature of the Director] Prof. Dr. Michael Krützen Direktor Institut für Evolutionäre Anthropologie Universität Zürich Winterthurerstr. 190 CH-8057 Zürich MICHAEL KRÜTZEN, Direktor, Institut für Evolutionäre Anthropologie, Universität Zürich (Anthropologische Sammlung) Institut für Evolutionäre Medizin Universität Zürich Institut für Evolutionäre Medizin Winterthurerstrasse 190 CH-8057 Zürich +41 44 635 01 11 [email protected] www.iem.uzh.ch U ZH, Institut für Evolutionäre Medizin, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich P ia Stieger Le iterin SwissCollNet Akade mie der Naturwissenschaften Schweiz (SCNAT) S chweizer Netzwerk Naturhistorische Sammlungen H aus der Akademien Lau penstrasse 7 3001 Bern !"#$%&'(")*+,)#-'./'/#0'+10'&"$0'/#0'2)30 ' !"#$%&&'($)**+,+$"+-./.* $ #+0-$123&45.3*0,6$"3,783&3'6$9,347$ :+&+783*+$;<=$<<$>?@$A@$?A$ [email protected] Zürich, 13. Juni 2025 !"#$%&&#'()#$*#"+,'&-$'.*#/$*0'1%2#-$,'3-00"4#%-52'%5')6%#7"$0*58'9:9;<9:=; Liebe Frau Stieger Gerne unterstützen wir das Strategiepapier„Strategy for Natural History Collections in Switzerland 2025– 2035“. Freundliche Grüsse MARTIN HÄUSLER, Wissenschaftlicher Leiter, Humain Remains Collection, Universität Zürich CHRISTIAN KLUG, Kurator, Naturhistorisches Museum der Universität Zürich (Paläontologische Sammlung) 31 Swiss Academies Communications, Vol. 20, No. 8, 2025 32 Strategy for natural history collections in Switzerland 2025–2035. SCNAT - Network of knowledge for the benefit of society The Swiss Academy of Sciences (SCNAT) works at regional, national and international levels for the future of science and society. It strengthens awareness of the sciences as a central pillar of cultural and economic development. The breadth of its support makes it a representative partner for politics. The SCNAT links the sciences, provides expertise, promotes dialogue between science and society, identifies and evaluates scientific developments and lays the foundation for the next generation of natural scientists. It is part of the association of the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences. The Swiss Natural HIstory Collections Network (SwissCollNet) is a national initiative dedicated to mobilising and providing open access to specimen data from natural history collections across Switzerland. By promoting data harmonisation and standardisation, the initiative aims to ensure interoperability among key institutions such as natural history museums, botanical gardens, and universities. musnatcoll.ch is the association of Natural Science Museums and Collections in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The association aims to represent the interests of natural history museums vis-à-vis the Association of Swiss Museums, the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Swiss Confederation, politicians and the general public. Its objective is to promote the importance of scientific collections and museums as part of national and international cultural heritage. 33 Swiss Academies Communications, Vol. 20, No. 8, 2025