The Hazina Team visits the Scientific Collections of the Biological Station of Doñana in Spain
Updated: Sep 13
Early on June 23rd of 2026, two members of the Hazina team, Martha Chiduo and Yeremia Chuhila, boarded a flight to visit Christoph Liedtke at the Biological Station of Doñana. The aim of the visit: to tour the second largest natural history collection in Spain and two science outreach centers: The Casa de la Ciencia ("Science House") and the aquarium.
The Natural History Collection of EBD
The scientific collection of the Biological Station of Doñana (EBD) is one of the most important natural history collections of Spain. It houses more than 150 000 specimens and is a state-of-the-art facility. The purpose of this visit was therefore to gain insights into how best to store, arrange and conserve natural history specimens to make them a practical, accessible and long-lasting resource for science.
The team was graciously received by the scientific and curatorial staff of the collection. Carlos Urdiales Alonso (Head Curator) and Inés Sánchez Donoso (Head Technician) dedicated their entire morning to showing us the different sections of the collection in great detail. Interesting discussions ensued, concerning the best materials and methods for preserving different vertebrates, general catalogue management and best practices for organization and access to materials. Highlights of the collection included seeing the impressive collection of Iberian Lynx skins and beautifully mounted Greater Flamingos.
The Casa de la Ciencia
The next stop on the tour was the "Casa de la Ciencia" (or "Science House") . Just like EBD, this is a public institution belonging to the Spanish Superior Research Council (CSIC), but unlike EBD that is primarily dedicated to research, the Casa de la Ciencia is a natural history museum dedicated to science outreach. This museum opened its doors in 2008 and receives approximately 120 000 visitors a year. With its primary focus being education, the institute works closely with local and regional educational centers and schools to bring science into the classrooms. We were extremely fortunate to have Valentyna Inshyna give us a guided tour. It was inspirational to learn from her how to best to communicate science to a range of audiences.
The Aquarium
Live exhibitions can be another important way of generating public interest in wildlife and biodiversity. The Seville Aquarium is a popular destination for getting up close and personal with some of the most vibrant ecosystems of our plant: rivers, lakes and oceans. We were kindly received by Javier Landa, the Aquarium's curator, who not only walked us around the installations housing more than 7000 specimens, but also took us behind the scenes to explain to us what is required to maintain an aquarium of this size. He showed us their dedicated spaces for public exhibitions and private events, and we talked about how to reach different audiences. His knowledge was priceless, and he gave us tips on how to start small, should Hazina decide to include live exhibitions for educational purposes.
The message was clear: saving the oceans should be our top priority.
Tapas and cultural tourism
No visit to Seville would be complete with out eating tapas, visiting the cathedral and taking in a flamenco show! No minute was wasted and the evenings and weekend were filled with cultural activities!
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