Changing Perspectives

What is the project about?

Highlighting societal perspectives on nature 

The project investigates how people perceive environmental changes, what relationships they have with nature, and how local knowledge of ecological interrelationships can have a greater social and political impact. The aim is to forge stronger links between societal experiences, scientific data collection practices and political processes.

Strengthening digital participation and citizen science 

Through the Franco-German platform ‘Natur der Dinge’, citizens can contribute their own observations, memories and perspectives. This generates new knowledge about environmental changes in everyday life.
  
Developing European cooperation for the Anthropocene 

Together with partner institutions in Germany, France and across Europe, new models are being developed for participatory collections, digital knowledge production and social dialogue on the climate and biodiversity crises.

The project ‘Shifting Perspectives: Understanding Our Relationship with Nature, Acting Together’ is a joint initiative between the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin and the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle in Paris. The project runs from 2026 to 2028 and is funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR).  

It builds on the Franco-German ‘Natur der Dinge’ infrastructure. The digital collection platform was developed using a citizen science approach in collaboration with focus groups in Germany and France.
  

What are the objectives? 

The project is developing new ways in which science, society and politics can jointly generate knowledge about environmental change. The focus is on establishing a European, scalable infrastructure for participatory collections in the Anthropocene. 
Objectives:

• To develop new educational programmes and Open Educational Resources (OER) that can be adapted to different cultural contexts
  To integrate local knowledge, emotions and societal perceptions of environmental change into natural history collection practice 
• To reflect on digital standards for participatory research data
• Break down barriers in participatory practice and enable digital participation, including for marginalised perspectives 
• Develop guidelines for the responsible use of AI in citizen science
• Bring together museums, educational institutions and research organisations across Europe through an Anthropocene collection 
• Promote new forms of dialogue between science, politics and society

Results to date:

• ‘Natur der Dinge’ – a Franco-German, interactive collection platform 

Since 2020, the digital platform “Natur der Dinge / Histoires de Nature” has been developed in collaboration with the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle in Paris. On this platform, participants collect personal experiences and observations relating to environmental changes. Information on the joint initiative between the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin and the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle in Paris can be found here.

Partners

Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (Paris)

The Natural History Museum in Paris is a key partner in the project. Together, we are developing digital infrastructure, educational programmes and European exchange initiatives.