Communicating Biodiversity through Participatory Monitoring combined with Education and Stakeholder Engagement– Best Practices from a Natural History Museum

Natural history museums play a central role in communicating biodiversity to the public and act as an interface between scientific knowledge production, educational practice, and societal outreach. To foster sustainable biodiversity awareness, these institutions increasingly integrate citizen science and other participatory formats into their communication strategies. When combined with educational formats and regional and national biodiversity monitoring activities, such approaches not only broaden participation but also create meaningful opportunities for diverse stakeholder groups to contribute to and engage with biodiversity knowledge.

Drawing on practical experience with different participatory monitoring formats flanked by educational work, we present a set of methodological tools that support effective and inclusive biodiversity communication in natural history museums. These tools include accompanying research, coordination and outreach of participatory projects to effectively involve stakeholders, citizen science based educational programs (e.g., Bioblitzes, Nature Challenge Competitions), and the high importance of developing topic-specific networks within and beyond the museum that facilitate iterative exchange and mutual learning between professional scientists and the public. A key focus is placed on connecting the expertise of museum scientists, educators, local communities, and other societal actors through collaborative data collection, co-design processes, and targeted communication initiatives that link museum-based activities with ongoing biodiversity monitoring efforts.

Particular attention is given to mechanisms that promote coordinated dialogue, ensure transparency in scientific processes, and align institutional goals with stakeholder needs. In this context, long-term partnerships with topic-specific networks, citizen science communities, and the broader public not only enhance the relevance and inclusivity of biodiversity communication but also strengthen the role of the natural history museum as an accessible, trustworthy, and collaborative hub for biodiversity knowledge which is increasingly co-generated with the support of volunteers.