Netzwerk Naturwissen

Ecological, political and social changes are closely linked to humanity’s relationship with nature and are making it increasingly necessary to rethink forms of collaboration. Tackling global challenges such as biodiversity loss or climate change requires alliances based on trust between different social actors. It is precisely in the engagement and dialogue between different perspectives, experiences and forms of knowledge that the potential for innovative approaches and processes of social change lies. Against this backdrop, the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin established the Naturwissen network as a space for exchange, collaboration and the joint production of knowledge. The aim of the project is to bring together different perspectives on nature and the environment and to gather, reflect upon and further develop knowledge about the relationships between humans and the environment. To this end, stakeholders from the fields of science, art, politics, education and civil society are brought together. This generates new ideas that help to better understand current complex ecological challenges such as biodiversity loss or climate change and to initiate processes of social transformation.

The project’s approach is interdisciplinary and participatory. Various scientific disciplines are specifically linked with perspectives from culture, politics, education and civil society. The aim is to bring different forms of knowledge – such as scientific findings, social experiences, artistic perspectives and practical experiential knowledge – into dialogue with one another. In this way, the aim is to foster a more comprehensive understanding of nature and the relationships between humans and the environment that goes beyond individual disciplinary perspectives. To facilitate this exchange, the network utilises various dialogue- and research-oriented formats, including workshops, discussion events, artistic interventions, reading circles and collaborative work in thematic project groups. These formats serve not only to exchange knowledge, but also to jointly develop new questions and perspectives.

A key outcome of the project is the development of an open platform for the exchange of knowledge. The project website Atlas Naturwissen (https://atlasnaturwissen.de/de) plays a central role in this. The Atlas functions as a digital tool for documenting, reflecting upon and further developing the content and collaborations emerging within the Naturwissen network. The platform brings together projects, discussions, events and thematic maps that highlight different perspectives on knowledge of nature. The aim is to link abstract scientific considerations with concrete social practices and to make these findings publicly accessible. In this way, the Atlas serves not only as an information platform but also as a methodological tool for structuring collaborations, documenting joint working processes and making the development of new forms of knowledge traceable.

The network’s work and various exchange formats are also subject to academic monitoring and reflection. The approaches, collaborations and dialogue formats developed within the project are not only tested in practice but also scientifically evaluated and published in the form of academic papers. In this way, the experiences and insights from the network are incorporated into academic debates on topics such as knowledge production, interdisciplinary collaboration and social transformation.

Partners 

Since autumn 2022, the Nature Knowledge Network has brought together over 50 partners from the Berlin/Brandenburg region, each with diverse experiences, insights and expertise regarding human-environment relationships and nature knowledge. The network that is emerging here gathers and connects essential perspectives on nature knowledge from the fields of politics, art, culture and civil society. The coming together of these diverse perspectives forms a starting point for jointly reflecting on and further developing complex bodies of knowledge. After all, all network members have access to their respective communities. Thus, the network’s stated aim is not to create a purely academic context. Instead, the network thrives on its partners from NGOs, activists and cultural institutions. Those involved are united by a shared interest in shedding light on an aspect of this knowledge of nature through their contributions. This substantive connection can serve as a starting point for potentially unexpected collaborations that transcend established institutional or disciplinary boundaries. It is precisely this openness to new connections and perspectives that constitutes a key potential of the network for innovative forms of collaboration and knowledge production.