The Intertwined Past, Present, and Future of Local Natural History Museum and Amateur Naturalism in Tampere, Finland

The history of natural history museums (NHMs) is closely tied with amateur naturalism, now often discussed as citizen science. This paper discusses the relations between a local NHM and amateur naturalists in Tampere, Finland, in three temporalities: the past, the present, and the future. The analysis highlights the contingencies and materialities of the relations between the museum and naturalists, showing them to be at times close, at other times distant. Local NHMs are facing the same expectations and challenges as larger museums, such as the tension between their research and education functions, and making their collections digitally available. NHMs are expected to participate in creating sustainable futures, looking far ahead. The case proposes the strength of local NHMs may be their embeddedness in local networks and their agility to react to ecosocial changes.