Municipal Museums

The museum relies heavily on volunteers and has been operating a volunteer programme for eleven years. Volunteers are used in many areas including the scientific departments, the kwaZuzulwazi Science Centre, the Waterhole coffee shop and in the education service.

The society's main focus is to extend scientific knowledge to all levels of society and is a way in which organizations and individuals may demonstrate their support for the museum. The Bat Interest Group is an affiliate of the society.

Members enjoy privileges that include priority notification of museum events, 'friends' functions, the annual Volunteer Award ceremony, field trips and the opportunity to become both a Museum Volunteer and a bat volunteer.

The collection contains approximately 6000 specimens and is continually added to using the co-operation of the KwaZulu-Natal Nature Conservation Service, the University of Natal and the general public.

The department is currently involved in a survey of small mammals in the province and the continued taxonomy of specimens using advanced techniques.

The collection currently comprises over 250,000 specimens, most collected during the 19th century. However, there have been recent donations of moths and additions to the butterfly collection.

A programme of the Education Service, the project acts to encourage disadvantaged communities to use the museum for educational purposes, to promote the museum as a resource centre for outcomes based education and to promote the teaching of natural science.

To this end, Teachers' Forums have been established from teachers in surrounding areas that have in turn established worksheet committees to develop primary and secondary school worksheets to be used when a school visits the museum.

The Education Service also delivers lectures to teachers.