Participate in science

Do you want to do something for the planet? The Museum opens the way for you to join in with its commitment. Explore our citizen science programs. There's sure to be one for you!

Observe fauna and flora

Mésange bleue posée sur la branche d'un arbre en fleurs

If you enjoy birdwatching, make good use of your enthusiasm to help naturalists understand how bird populations are changing...

Explore the marine environment

Deciphering nature and the sky

Our partners

The Museum's participatory science programs are co-developed and implemented with many partners: associations, centers of scientific and technical culture, learned societies, local councils, etc. This cooperation is essential to ensure that the activities are as close as possible to the participants. It also allows the protocols and research questions to be co-constructed in the light of everyone's experience.

All programs

To find a program or an observatory by name, location, theme, project type or participant profile, go to science-ensemble.org. This portal, which connects the Museum with other research establishments from the Sorbonne University Alliance, tells you everything about citizen science and allows you to register online.

What is citizen science? 

If you enjoy observing nature, collecting your findings can be very useful for research. Let’s look at why citizen science is important…

Sciences participatives - Station marine de Concarneau

Sciences participatives - Station marine de Concarneau

© MNHN - J.-C. Domenech

Collecting reliable data in large quantities is sometimes impossible for researchers, unless the general public lends them a hand by taking action as volunteers. So, why not you? Using simple yet strict protocols, you can help them in many fields: biodiversity, astronomy, geology, archaeology, heritage, etc. And you don't have to be an expert to take part: the programs are designed so that everyone can contribute to the research, even without any prior knowledge or experience.

In the footsteps of naturalists

Contribution to scientific research by the general public is nothing new. As early as 1860, the administration of the "Muséum impérial d’Histoire naturelle" (Imperial Museum of Natural History) drew up instructions for travellers and expatriates on how to collect, conserve and send natural history objects. The Museum is thus party to a long tradition of collaboration with non-scientific-professional audiences. In the past, amateur adventurers, enlightened globetrotters, soldiers, doctors and clergymen implemented collection protocols to enrich the collections. Today, it's up to you!

Overseas

80 % of France’s biodiversity is to be found in the overseas territories! Coral reefs, rainforests, mangroves, etc.: Overseas ecosystems are home to many unique species.

To find out about citizen science programs in the French overseas territories and what you can do to limit your impact on biodiversity, visit the Overseas Biodiversity Counter website.

You will also find a number of resources to help you explore the wealth of species and environments found in the overseas territories, sourced from statistical information from national databases validated by experts, as well as the experiences of those working to better understand and preserve this exceptional biodiversity.

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