Natural History Museum of Crete – University of Crete

The Natural History Museum of Crete was founded and has been operating since 1980, alongside the School of Natural Sciences and Technology of the University of Crete. 

Main objective of the NHMC has been the research on the environment of Greece and the wider East Mediterranean region, as well as protecting, preserving and enriching collections and archives regarding the environment (geological, paleontological, botanical, zoological collections and archives of photographic and geographic documentation, studies and research projects). The Museum is structured upon 7 departments i) Botany ii) Geodiversity iii) Paleontology iv) Vertebrates v) Invertebrates (outside the Arthropods) vi) Arthropods and vii) Genomics and Genetic Resources, while it also features two Laboratory units: i) Education and ii) Ecology – Environmental Management. 

Yet another major goal of the Museum is the environmental education, i.e. the diffusion of environmental knowledge to school and university students, as well as to the wider public through seminars and educational programmes, but mainly via the permanent exhibition in Heraklion and the organisation of temporary exhibitions. The Centre for Lifelong Learning of the University of Crete features a Centre for Environmental Training at the permanent exhibition facilities, aiming at the environmental education of school and university students, as well as professionals of various disciplines and the wider audience.