Hands-On Science

Get Stuck in for Nature!

Discover the various ways you can get involved with our research, help us discover new things, and experience nature.

Citizens and project participants of 'Understanding Diversity' in a green space in Berlin-Reinickendorf

Get Active

Object collage from collection objects of Nature of Things

The Nature of Things. An interactive collection on the Anthropocene

How has our environment changed? What personal items or evidence from the past can tell us about these changes? Use your item and your history to help us better understand changes in the environment and the challenges of the future!

Our bird collection with approximately 200,000 objects

Volunteering

Help us unlock the secrets of our collection and play an active part in new discoveries. Along the way, you will gain experience in research, database management, what it's like to work at a museum and much more.

Children and adults exploring various objects under the microscope

Open Museum Workshop in the microscope centre

Brightly coloured butterflies, impressive bird wings, ancient fossils: our Open Museum Workshop does away with glass cabinets, allowing you to explore exhibits with your hands, your nose, or a microscope.

mit:forschen!

We've partnered up with Wissenschaft im Dialog to run mit:forschen!, the central online platform for citizen science in Germany. Get involved in one of 270 projects across a range of subjects.

Transformation Lab participants sitting at group tables discussing with each other

Nature Knowledge Network

We create dialogue to reflect on nature knowledge from different perspectives. We meet up in the museum once a month to discuss scientific texts as a group.

Our mission:
to explore life and the earth in dialogue with the people on it.

Naturblick: Exploring Nature in the City

Naturblick makes it easy to identify plants and animals, and to learn more about nature in your city. Save your observations and share them with researchers and conservationists.

Children examining objects in the museum's microscopy center

Nature Meets Art – Guided Tour and Mask Painting

In the Dinosaur Hall, children will meet the 13 metre-tall Giraffatitan, plus loads of other dinosaurs, like the carnivorous Allosaurus or the spiny Kentrosaurus.

Mineralogy/Geology Group

The Mineralogy/Geology Group is an open collective of hobby collectors and enthusiasts who share a passion for rocks and minerals. They meet on the first Tuesday of every month (except August) for exciting talks from experts.

Weevil in Baltic amber, approx. 35 million years old, collection and photo by Michael Zwanzig

Kulturring in Berlin e.V. – Palaeontology Group

The Palaeontology Group invites anyone interested in palaeontology to attend one of their exciting talks from experts, held on the third Tuesday of every month. After the talk, you will have an opportunity to chat with the experts, ask questions and discuss palaeontology.

Photograph of an insect box with butterflies in different colors

Entomologische Gesellschaft ORION Berlin

Berlin's entomological society is all about getting young people excited about the regional diversity of insect life, and works on protecting threatened species and their habitats. With educational programmes and conservation projects, they play an active role in maintaining biodiversity.

Deutscher Jugendbund für Naturbeobachtung

The DJN Brandenburg and Berlin is a group of young people from the Greater Berlin area who are interested in natural sciences and politics. They come together to explore some of the most diverse and exciting areas of natural beauty in Germany – such as Schorfheide, the Oder Valley, old military parade grounds, and the Havel region.

Getting Involved: In Brief

Insect collecting in park during Bioblitz with the Orion Association, Photo: (c) Carola Radke

Citizen Science

Support researchers in their work and play a role in making new discoveries. Whether it's about actively shaping the research process or satisfying your curiosity, how you get involved is up to you – the most important thing is taking joy in science!

Collection room with insect boxes, Photo: Hwa Ja Götz

Volunteer Scheme

Support the museum by organising, cataloguing and labelling exhibits, entering data into databases, and undertaking research. Qualified professionals can also get involved in curating specific groups or sub-collections within our scientific collections.

Education

With guided tours and a variety of different events, we have a wide range of programmes and events for kids, families, nurseries, schools and grown-ups – in the city, in the museum and virtually.

Contact

Need something else to participate in?