All-Ireland Natural Sciences Consortium

Summer 2026 Digest

Hi all,

Welcome to the second edition of our newsletter. This is a great way to catch up on things you may have missed in the natural science space whilst enjoying the recent summer weather or away on holidays!

All the best,

Eva

Funding Opportunities

  • The Shared Island GLAM Programme: A five-year all-island initiative led by the Heritage Council and delivered in partnership with the Irish Museums Association (IMA)
    • Funding shared island museum projects of €10,000 – €15,000
    • Closing date: 3rd September
  • The 2026 Irish Naturalists’ Journal Grant Scheme will open for applications on Tuesday 1st September
    • Closing date: 17:00 13th October

Employment Opportunities

Publications

Vipers, butterflies and parrots: the secret life of Roger Casement

  • RTÉ article written by Dr Aidan O’Hanlon (entomology curator at NMI) highlighting the results of his collections-based and archival research to uncover the little known zoological legacy of 1916 martyr Roger Casement (full story/catalogue in press [2026] for the journal Archives of Natural History)

Report on the analysis of the first Asian Hornet nests found in Ireland

  • Report on the Asian Hornet nests from Co. Cork last summer – dissections, analysis and report by Dr Aidan O’Hanlon (entomology curator at NMI). Nests under preparation for later display at the Dead Zoo Lab in Collins Barracks

Extensive hybridisation and introgression between two European white oaks at the western limit of their range

  • A paper from the DAFM-funded GENENET project was recently published. This project aimed to genetically characterise native tree species in Ireland and was undertaken by staff in the herbarium in the National Botanic Gardens. The paper shows that hybridisation between oaks is much more common in Ireland compared to elsewhere across the range of both species, with the result that Sessile oak is overtaking Pedunculate oak by genome capture.
    • Samuel Belton, Erica Fox, Bernd Degen, Colin T. Kelleher (2026) Extensive hybridisation and introgression between two European white oaks at the western limit of their range. Conservation Genetics 27, 79 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-026-01797-4

From collections to conservation: the indispensable role of natural history museums

  • The IUCN have published their Position Statement on the vital role of biological collections in biodiversity conservation: a formal acknowledgement that natural history museums, herbaria, fungaria and their staff are central to conservation.

Good design takes mastery: Scientific illustrators sketch out AI’s future

Conferences & Meetings

  • 23rd-27th August: The 24th International Conference on Aquatic Invasive Species will be held in Queens University Belfast. The theme of ICAIS 2026 is Transcending Boundaries, registration is now open.
  • Save the Date – Friday 28th August: The INJ will host their AGM accompanied by a field walk and talks by recent INJ Grant awardees. More details to follow. If you are interested in joining the INJ Board and taking part in the management of this century-old journal, please contact mailto:irishnaturalistsjournal@gmail.com.
  • Wednesday 18th November: Geological Collections Group (GCG) Winter Seminar: Unnatural Disaster: Fighting back against the steady erosion of geological collections, will take place at the Manchester Museum. Deadline for abstracts (<250 words) 31st July, to be submitted to events@geocollections.org.
  • Save the Date: The Irish Ecological Association is pleased to announce the 5th Irish Ecology and Evolution Biennial Conference will take place at University College Dublin on 7th-8th January 2027.

Exhibitions

  • Last Chance to See: “Murmur of Bees,” National Museum of Ireland – Country Life (Co. Mayo)
    • February 2024 to September 2026
    • The Murmur of Bees is an exhibition at the National Museum of Ireland – Country Life (Co. Mayo) exploring the role of bees and beekeeping in Ireland. Examples of over 100 native Irish bee species are displayed, as well as nests, life-cycles, predators, artworks, large models and other specimens from Ireland and all over the world. Cultural artefacts include historical beekeeping equipment and religious and artistic objects related to the veneration of St Gobnait of Ballyvourney _Ireland’s 6th century Patron Saint of bees!
  • “Minerals, Museums and Mines,” RDS exhibition and talk for Heritage Week
    • Monday 17th to Friday 21st August 2026
    • This exhibition explores the rich history of Irish geological discovery within the RDS, with a focus on the work and manuscripts of Donald Stewart, 18th Century “Itinerant Mineralogist.” Stewart’s manuscripts are in the process of being conserved and digitised through the Heritage Council Community Grant Scheme.
    • The accompanying talk will be held on Thursday 20th August, 12:00pm-1:00pm.
  • “Troubled Waters: The Rise of Aquatic Invaders,” Ulster Museum
    • Wednesday 19th August to Sunday 1st November 2026
    • Discover the impact of foreign aquatic invasive species on local biodiversity loss, sometimes with huge economic impacts, in this Natural Sciences display at Ulster Museum.

Collections News

Policy News

Gallery

NatSCA Conference & AGM: 14-15 May 2026, Ulster Museum, Belfast

The annual NatSCA conference earlier this summer showcased a fantastic range of research in natural science collections across the UK and Ireland, and even further afield (as far as Canada)! In case you missed it, here are some highlights:

Delegates of the NatSCA 2026 conference gather for a photo in Ulster Museum, Belfast.

Delegates of the NatSCA 2026 conference gather for a photo in Ulster Museum, Belfast.

Fidelma Butler and T. Shea Slater, both of University College Cork, at the Natural Sciences Collections Association conference at the Ulster Museum, May 14-15.

Fidelma Butler and T. Shea Slater, both of University College Cork, at the NatSCA conference. Fidelma presented a poster on the natural collections at UCC and Shea gave an oral presentation on Post-pickling processes: what can preservation fluid chemistry tell us about protein survival in wet collections?

Ulster Museum Natural Sciences Education Officer, Nigel Cook, gives his talk: There are no silly questions – engaging and inspiring with natural science collections.

Ulster Museum Natural Sciences Education Officer, Nigel Cook, gives his talk: There are no silly questions – engaging and inspiring with natural science collections.

Amy Geraghty (left) and Emma Murphy (right) of the National Museum of Ireland Natural History (NMINH) present their talk: High and dry: how we collaborate with a stranding network. Read more about this exciting new collaborative network here.

Helen James, Senior Curator of Natural Sciences in National Museums NI, delivers her talk on the Coelacanth in the gallery as a special post-conference event for delegates.

Irish Plant Scientists’ Association Meeting: 15-16 June 2026, National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin

Another great meeting of natural scientists this summer was the IPSAM conference held in the Bots. With over 40 talks across the two days, the symposia brought to the forefront the immense talent in plant science research in Ireland today.

Delegates of the Irish Plant Scientists' Association Meeting 2026 gather for a group photo outside the Visitor Centre in the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin.

Delegates of the Irish Plant Scientists’ Association Meeting 2026 gather for a group photo outside the Visitor Centre in the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin.

If you are interested in being updated on future meetings and activities you can subscribe to the AINSC mailing list here to be kept up-to-date.

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Timeline of events