Conservation: Collection Conservation | Conservation Photo Gallery | Risk Workshop

Collection Conservation

Keeping it natural: preserving specimens for our future

By taking excellent care of the specimens in our collections, staff of the Canadian Museum of Nature preserve a fascinating historical and genetic record for generations to come. In fact, conservation is one of the principles governing all our activities. However we use our valuable resources, we must look after them.

Proper conservation of specimens is a complex responsibility

The primary concern of conservation is providing conditions that are suitable for the safekeeping of the specimens in the collections. This requires both active and passive measures in order to minimize or prevent damage or deterioration that may occur during their use or storage. It is important that conservation methods don't take away from the usefulness of the specimens, whether they are used for exhibits, research, reference or education.

Passive measures do not depend on anything else while they do their work of protecting the collections. For example, storage cabinets with good seals around the doors supply passive protection by keeping the inside relative humidity constant even if a power failure temporarily shuts down the active environmental controls of the building.

Specimens come in all shapes and sizes, may be fragile or robust, and need different environmental conditions in order to keep them at their best. Some specimens must be prevented from drying out while others must be kept dry, some must be protected from damage by insects and many deteriorate when exposed to light. The acids in paper made of wood pulp can damage many specimens, so linen mounting paper and Mylar storage boxes are used. Radioactive minerals require a special room to protect staff from radiation.

Nature's collections are stored in our Natural Heritage Building, which was designed with all such requirements in mind.

Collection conservation is a Museum strength

Active research is necessary to support passive conservation measures in order to meet all the challenges of preserving such a diverse array of specimens. Nature's collection specialists are leaders in research into specimen preservation. While they communicate this information at international seminars and forums, their primary interest lies in applying what they have learned to Nature's own collections. Innovative solutions to satisfy the needs of our internal clients are constantly being developed.

As a recognized leader in conservation, Nature offers a number of specialized products and services to our outside customers.

Good record keeping is important in specimen conservation. The procedures used to collect each specimen are noted, along with the methods used in preparing, preserving and using the specimen. If a specimen deteriorates, these records can tell us why, may allow us to repair damage, and prevent it from happening to others. This level of care is also applied to our institutional records, which cover the history of this important national institution.

The Collection Management and Conservation Research Centre serves as a professional focus for Nature's unique expertise and extensive experience in the fields of preventive conservation and collection management.

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