Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe
Comments
Have you had opportunity to read Going Home to Africa?
If you enjoyed it ... please could you take a moment to add a review to Amazon, Goodreads or even here on Facebook under Reviews ...
Reviews really help me sell the book and as you know, a % of each book goes toward helping me educate girls in Zimbabwe.
If you haven't yet read the book, it is available on Amazon worldwide and at selected outlets in Zimbabwe. For those in SA ... good news the book will be available late October, watch this space for details.
Thank you for supporting me and the girls.
Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe Innov8 Bookshop
ELA the Garden Hillsidegolfclub Mutare
https://www.gbif.org/news/7l1zEWC918t4F5i1T6XQDN
Strathmore University Plant Conservation Action group University Of Lagos National Fisheries Resources Research Institute - nafirri Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe Institut de Pharmacopée et de Médecine Traditionnelle Conservation Alliance International A Rocha Kenya A.P Leventis Ornithological Research Institute.
In a developing country where the poverty rate is over 70%, and most people depend on natural resources and have a variety of environmental, economic and social needs; there exists a friction between the biosphere and human civilization. The Matabeleland region in Zimbabwe is not exempt from these challenges of meeting sustainable development. While the inhabitants of the region exploit resources for livelihood and development, there is need to maintain a balanced environment. The urban drift and modernisation have inversely affected the way of life; traditional laws and management systems that helped preserve natural resources have been eroded by increased support for new ways of consumption and harvesting of natural resources. Although Zimbabwe had made significant progress in meeting some MDGs, other goals were not met, and there exists a pressure on consumption of natural resources that conflicts with meeting sustainable development. The sustainable development goals (SDGs), the current global agenda to be met by 2030 calls attention to ensuring that development is explicitly underpinned by preserving our natural ecosystems. Therefore, there is a need for action oriented collaboration and commitment to achieving the SDGs through building on the momentum at national level as evidenced by the strong policy, legal and institutional framework that the country has put in place for the attainment of agenda 2030. Experience taught us that Sustainable Development initiatives need to concentrate on ensuring that action takes place on the ground. There is need to measure the impact of initiatives and how we as a nation progress towards the target of buffering the human impacts on our environment and achieve SDGs. Initiatives need to be local level based and environmental concerns integrated into development plans to bridge the gap between different levels of stakeholders involved and allow participation from bottom level participants. With 10 years left to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, we are entering the Decade of Action to deliver the Global Goals, 2020 is a make-or-break year. A new and emerging group (Matabeleland Sustainability Organisation) of professionals in Research, Conservation, Education and Tourism professionals has seen the need to take action to close these knowledge and information gaps and provide data to formally assess progress, at the same time, actively participate in achieving 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
ICCROM - conserving culture, promoting diversity Unesco Regional Office for Southern Africa Matobo Conservation Society and the Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe
The focus of this paper is on natural heritage and the increasing threats from the upscale in the demand for natural resources and how various organizations are responding especially towards the conservation and preservation of the natural heritage Zimbabwe has. The paper had the observation that natural heritage does not only refer to the UNESCO World Natural Heritage Sites but rather all the physical, geographical, biological elements of nature such as wildlife, wetlands, natural resources per se not listed as world heritage site under UNESCO. This paper investigates how Zimbabwe’s natural heritage in the form of biodiversity, physiographical features, geological and ecosystems are being threatened by the increase in the consumption of natural resources. The narrative of the paper sets to give a visual perception of how the conservation and preservation of natural heritage is being threatened by natural resource consumption showing out the conflicts between conserving natural heritage and their consumption and use. This has been done by reviewing and assessing various incidents, cases and articles where these have clashed, showing how various individuals, institutions and authorities have responded, in particular showing their levels of prioritizing the protection of natural heritage. This is based on Sustainable Development Goals particularly goal 8.4 which seeks to improve resource consumption to separate economic growth from environmental degradation/ natural heritage deterioration. The paper takes into account the context of Zimbabwe in all the cases discussed.
ICCROM - conserving culture, promoting diversity Unesco Regional Office for Southern Africa Matobo Conservation Society and the Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe
Rodents’ species constitute about 42% of known mammalian species and harbour quite a number of zoonotic parasites which have not been eradicated in Africa. Further on, plague disease, one of the rodents’ zoonotic diseases is causing menace in Africa and elsewhere. Moreover, a number of rodents’ and fleas have been implicated to plague transmission in Africa. This paper reviews some rodents’ parasite transmissible to humans occurring in Africa, presents modelling prediction of plague disease in Africa and Zimbabwe and further on explores possible rodents and flea species implicated to plague transmission in Africa. In order to achieve the set objectives browsers, search engines and data bases were utilised like Firefox and Explorer, Google, DOAJ, AJOL and WEB CRAWLER, however to predict plague occurrence in Zimbabwe the Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) modelling technique was used. There are quite a number of parasites hosted by rodents and transmissible to humans, i.e. protozoan, trematoda, cestodes, nematodes, bacteria and virus. There are about 45 unique localities from central, eastern and southern Africa, predicted to be suitable for plague. In Zimbabwe six out of 10 provinces were predicted to be suitable for plague disease. Most mentioned rodents and flea species involved in plague transmission in Africa were Mastomys natalensis species complex and Rattus rattus, while, flea species were Xenopsylla spp:-X. brasiliensis, X. cheopis, X. nubica and Dinopsylla spp:-D. Lypusus, D. Ellobius.
Key words: eradication status; modeling; prediction; plague
ICCROM - conserving culture, promoting diversity Unesco Regional Office for Southern Africa Matobo Conservation Society and the Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe
A study on the effects of pool size/duration, connectivity and vegetation cover on the physicochemical parameters of rock pools, zooplankton and macroinvertebrate assemblages was conducted on the rock pools of Matopos National Park. The effects of time on physicochemical parameters of rock pools and species assemblages was also studied. The study was done from December 2019 to March 2020. The study aims at filling the knowledge gap on pristine ephemeral water bodies which act as model systems for ecological and evolutionary research as well as tracking environmental change on short and long-time scales in order to predict the effect of climate change on biological communities. The study is still underway and is pending results.
ICCROM - conserving culture, promoting diversity Unesco Regional Office for Southern Africa Matobo Conservation Society and the Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe
Grassy ecosystems worldwide have been transformed by centuries of human activity. However, efforts to restore grasslands to pre-human disturbance are undermined by lack of long-term data and knowledge about relevant ecosystem states. In this study, we explore ~ 1300-year record from a South African grassland by focusing on interactions among climate, people, fire, herbivory and soil stability in maintaining past ecosystem states. We also compare ecosystem states before and after the arrival of pastoralists, analyse the effect of climate change on ecosystem dynamics, and discuss implications of restoring degraded ecosystems.
ICCROM - conserving culture, promoting diversity Regional Office for Southern Africa Matobo Conservation Society and the Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe
Within an African context, natural and cultural heritage and resources are thinly divided. Stink bugs from Nerumedzo Sacred Forest, a cultural landscape in South-Eastern Zimbabwe, are embedded in both scientific and cultural discourses. The key issues that have made these stink bugs, Encostenum delegorguei (Spinola, 1855) interesting, revolve around the layered interpretation of their origin, harvesting, significance and traditional management system. In this paper we argue that the holistic understanding of the Edible Stink Bugs and their association with the sacred grove at Nerumedzo, is worth scholarly attention and requires a multi-disciplinary approach. Applying both scientific and cultural knowledge enhances a better understanding of the interactions between communities and edible insects. Investigating the Nerumedzo Stink Bugs, their biological, ecological, and cultural heritage knowledge about them may lead to the unravelling of heritage significance (natural and/or cultural), of Edible Stink Bugs popularly known as harurwa, umtshipela in Zimbabwe’s main vernacular languages. We argue in this paper that the holistic documentation of data and information on the edible sting bugs from Nerumedzo is imperative not only to the local communities, but the nation and the international communitybenefits in so many ways that are explored in this work.
Keywords: Nerumedzo, Stink bugs, Culture, Science, Interpretation, Heritage, Multi- disciplinary, local communities, Edible Insects
ICCROM - conserving culture, promoting diversity Unesco Regional Office for Southern Africa Matobo Conservation Society and the Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe
Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe The museum also boosts an excellent research library.
The Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe is one of the best in Southern Africa with outstanding displays of incredible diversity and contains a wealth of information for interested persons, as well as students and researchers. The Natural history Museum of Zimbabwe is renowned home of research housing some of the largest collections and most extensive on the African continent. Research department in
09/09/2022
A wonderful display of the clawless otter active in the early morning in the Matobo Hills
31/08/2022
‘I’ve got a dinosaur!’ African find illuminates dawn of dinos
https://www.science.org/content/article/i-ve-got-dinosaur-african-find-illuminates-dawn-dinos?utm_campaign=ScienceNow&utm_source=Social&utm_medium=Facebook
This important find belongs to the natural history museum of Zimbabwe … we are hugely proud to be part of this discovery
‘I’ve got a dinosaur!’ African find illuminates dawn of dinos 230 million years ago, the earliest dinosaurs thrived in mild climates
29/08/2022
Last week of school holidays so why not bring the kids to the museum for a movie and then a tour around the galleries.
21/08/2022
This weeks movie line up at the museum. Do come join us.
18/08/2022
When did you last visit the upstairs bird gallery to get to know your birds? This fine specimen is a squacco heron, a shy waterbird that can stand still for long periods while foraging for insects, crabs, fish and frogs.
13/08/2022
Family movie line up at the museum for this coming week.
11/08/2022
Bring the kids to the museum where they can be creative. Everyone welcome
08/08/2022
The largest and smallest rodent in Zimbabwe, the Porcupine and the Pygmy Mouse. Both on display in the museum.
02/08/2022
Bring the family for a movie at the museum
25/07/2022
Moth Week 2022 - Zimbabwe
The Entomology Department Invites you to Also have a behind the scenes tour of the Entomology lab moth section Wednesday and Thursday 10am to 2pm and participate in the iNaturalist project https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/moth-week-2022-zimbabwe
Moth Week 2022 - Zimbabwe To record the moths occurring in Zimbabwe during International Moth Week 23-31 July 2022.
25/07/2022
Come join us for a moth and bug night at Hillside Dams this Friday
22/07/2022
It’s international moth week from 23-31 July. Where ever you are in the world please help us record the moth biodiversity and post your pictures in INaturalist. Your pictures will automatically be added to the country project pages. Check out the Zimb page at https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/moth-week-2022-zimbabwe
15/07/2022
Want to know what happened to the Wooly Mammoths? Join us on this journey into the past with David Attenborough on 20th July
30/06/2022
If you want to know more about the colourful lichen in the Matobo Hills buy the book available at the museum bookshop
30/06/2022
Do join us for this training over the next two weekend. Its fun and for free and you help contribute to science.
Our latest newsletter it out. Enjoy!
https://naturalhistorymuseum.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/06/Newsletter-2022-Vol-3-number-3.pdf
21/06/2022
Today is world giraffe day and we take you back in time to when our giraffe were donated by the Henderson Brothers. A somewhat different display to the one we see today!
16/06/2022
Site inspection at KoBulawayo with our new Chairman of the Local Board of Trustees Mr D Khumalo and Executive Director Dr Mahachi. King Lobengula’s house and wagon shed have been repaired and rethatched with information panels added. Work has also started on reconstructing the beehive huts, the palisade and kraal. Well worth a visit.
14/06/2022
Top of one of the stain glass window in St Gabriel’s Chapel, Bulawayo honours the first three Anglican missionary nurses who arrived in the country in July 1891 who had to sleep in tents. A tapestry hanging in the museum celebrates the same women; Sisters Blennerhassett, Sleeman and Welby
05/06/2022
Do come join us and learn about the history behind this building on Saturday 11th June at 2.30
Thank you Dr Griffin for talking to all the children and the steady flow of people coming to watch you at work. It has been fun to watch the dinosaur being slowly exposed.
14/05/2022
We hope to see you all at this presentation
11/05/2022
All are invited to come to the museum anytime this coming week and see science in action. Normal entrance fees (US$1/child and US$3/adult) apply.
24/04/2022
22/04/2022
Today is Earth Day. We look at how the earth was formed as well as some of those special places in our wonderful country. Visit the geology gallery for more.
21/04/2022
Some pictures of grasshoppers taken around the city to highlight just some of what can be recorded in the City Nature Challenge
20/04/2022
Let’s take up this nature challenge and record the biodiversity in your area. It’s fun and easy and you still have time to sign up on INaturalist
19/04/2022
Holiday movie line up for this week. Bring the family
14/04/2022
Looking for something to do over the Easter weekend? Why not go explore Khami World Heritage Site. The museum is also open everyday.
11/04/2022
It’s school holidays again and time for movies at the museum. Bring your family and friends.
16/02/2022
Due to circumstances beyond our control we have had to change the dates of this course. Hope you will all still be able to join us.
15/02/2022
International Hippo Day 15 February we look back on the creation of our hippo display.
06/02/2022
Green chalcedony or mtorolite is unique to Zimbabwe being the only deposits of naturally occurring deep emerald green chalcedony.This is due to the presence of chromium and is found along the northern end of the d**e.
03/02/2022
Do join us for a spider walk on 12th February.
29/01/2022
Join us for a family movie at the museum this coming week.
19/01/2022
Bring the kids to a movie at the museum now that school holidays have been extended and do some home schooling and education with a tour through the galleries.
15/01/2022
Join us for this fun Citizen Science workshop at the Museum and learn how to contribute valuable information for conservation and management of our natural resources.
12/01/2022
It is scorpion season again. If you require any information please contact the Arachnid Department at the museum.
03/01/2022
Good day and Happy 2022 to you!
This opportunity may be for you! We need 10 more students or professionals involved in entomology projects in Zimbabwe to go through the full course. You may also sign up if you're interested in attending the online sessions only. Just indicate on the form https://forms.gle/ENNP6FxdnLhQGcqe6
15/12/2021
The Museum will be open everyday throughout the holidays. For those that have been unable to travel come take a trip to the Zambezi to see the hippo, the Chilojo Cliffs or the seaside. This and much more at the museum .
11/12/2021
Khami World Heritage Site is open everyday. Pack your picnic basket and enjoy a day out exploring the history of the area.
The museum is open once again and lights are on. Thank you all who assisted us financially during this period. Please bring your families and friends to the museum as we need your patronage to continue to keep our doors open as we have suffered huge losses during this COVID-19 pandemic.
01/12/2021
Iron smelting became a major part of the economy in the later Iron Age period with the increased production of hoes, arrowhead, beads and bangles. Smelting site are usually identified from the waste product slag and fragments of tuyeres which are distinctive clay pipes used with goatskin bellows to introduce oxygen into clay furnaces and so raise the temperature. There are still sites in the Matobo Hills were these furnaces can be seen.
29/11/2021
Free Training in biodiversity Data Mobilization Registration
Sign Up is in progress for students and professionals in the field of Entomology. Thanks to GBIF: The Global Biodiversity Information Facility with Entomological Association Zimbabwe
https://forms.gle/yvCGqn3Kx1qTKcwq5
Free Training in biodiversity Data Mobilization Registration Event Timing: January 17th-18th, 2022 Event Address: Online (Zoom and WhatsApp) Contact us at +263772933071 or [email protected]
23/11/2021
The butterfly garden at the museum is beginning to blossom after the rain and the Blue Pea, Lampides boeticus, and the Blue Pansy, Junonia oenone, featured on the 1992 Zimbabwe 90c stamp can be seen gliding around.
18/11/2021
This is from the sea invertebrate section that show cases life outside our ecosystem that many will never get to see.
03/11/2021
Painting of Hope Fountain Mission on the walls inside the Hall of Man by S.J. Croonenbergh in 1880 and given to the Rev and Mrs Helm for “many friendly services. The next picture is Hope Fountain today and the third is the grave of the Rev and Mrs Helm founding missionaries.
26/10/2021
Everyone has some photograph of a National monument so please join this international competition and post them on Wikipedia…. It is fun and easy and if you encounter problems please contact us. Look forward to seeing your pictures
18/10/2021
Opal located on and adjacent to the Great D**e in Zimbabwe varies from opaque to translucent but lacks the iridescent display of colors contained in Australian material and the red fire of the Mexican material.
13/10/2021
All invited to this launch to help us increase visibility of all our National Monuments and join the photographic competition.
Videos (show all)
Contact the museum
Telephone
Address
Cnr Park Rd/L. Takawira Avenue, Centenary Park
Bulawayo
263
Opening Hours
| Monday | 09:00 - 17:00 |
| Tuesday | 09:00 - 17:00 |
| Wednesday | 09:00 - 17:00 |
| Thursday | 09:00 - 17:00 |
| Friday | 09:00 - 17:00 |
| Saturday | 09:00 - 17:00 |
| Sunday | 09:00 - 17:00 |
Khami Ruins Trips Bulawayo
12 Th Avenue
Bulawayo
We conduct half day Tours to Khami Ruins near Bulawayo.