Natural History Museum of Crete (NHMC)

The Natural History Museum of Crete (NHMC - www.nhmc.uoc.gr) was established in 1981 as a department of the Faculty of Science of the University of Crete (UoC). It is a pioneering institution at national and European level, in the fields of:

• Basic and applied research for the protection and conservation of the natural environment, of its bio- and geo-diversity and of its endemic or rare forms of life. NHMC has spread its main scientific research all over the eastern Mediterranean region with a special focus on Crete and Greece.
• Management and conservation of the natural environment, geological heritage and ecosystems, especially of those that are threatened by human activities.
• Scientific consultancy to several public bodies such as: the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change, the Ministry of Rural Development and Food and the Decentralized Administration of Crete. NHMC is also the scientific advisor of UNESCO concerning the European and Global Geoparks and acts as the Scientific Coordinator of “Psiloritis geopark”.
• Development of complete geological, botanical and zoological collections. Up to now approximately 2.000.000 specimens of plants, animals, stones and minerals, fossils and DNA specimens are kept.
• Education, Public Environmental awareness and Life Long Learning. In the Museum permanent Exhibition Halls and under a daily basis, several educational activities are specifically designed and carried out for school groups, young adults and families such as interactive workshops, seminars for teachers, lectures, art and crafts workshops. During the year 2010, 19.848 children visited the museum and followed the above workshops. In addition, printed and electronic material, exclusively for the environmental education of the elementary and secondary school, is designed and produced.

Despite its scientific and academic activities the Museum, through its new exhibition hall, is very active in raising public awareness on various natural aspects, training of schools, teachers and many other target groups, development of educational activities and products and in contributing to the sensitization of inhabitants and visitors of the island. It has developed collaborations with many national and international organizations acting on environmental and long-life learning education, as well as with many institutions related to civil protection.

In addition, in collaboration with the Special Account of University of Crete it has implemented a great number of European, National and other, research and applied projects like FP7, LIFE, LEADER, INTERREG.