Meeting: 2025 GBIF Midterm Meeting (8-9 April 2025, Copenhagen)

I traveled to Copenhagen in early April for the 2025 GBIF Midterm meeting. This was my 2nd GBIF Midterm (see links below to my 1st and 3rd). This gathering brings together the GBIF Executive Committee, Science Committee, Nodes Steering Group, and, for me, the GBIF Budget Committee (where I served at the time as 2nd Vice Chair). 

Members of the GBIF Secretariat also attend portions of the meeting and it provides a good look into the plans for the coming year that will be further explored during the GBIF Governing Board meeting held later in the year, in Bogota (in October)

I also had a chance to visit the Botanical Garden during the trip.

See also the following posts:

• Meeting: 2024 GBIF Midterm Meeting (18-19 March 2024, Copenhagen)
• Meeting: 2026 GBIF Midterm Meeting (24-25 March 2026, Copenhagen)

A Visit to the Statens Naturhistoriske Museum (Copenhagen) in March 2026

While attending the 2026 GBIF Midterm Meeting in Copenhagen (Denmark) I had a chance to visit the recently (re)opened Statens Naturhistoriske Museum. On previous visits to Copenhagen, I'd visited the museum when it was located at the University of Copenhagen, near the Fælledparken (Østerbro). 

The new museum (not yet fully open) has a fascinating history, but most interestingly, it can trace it's roots back to Ole Worm and his Museum Wormianum: 

The history of the individual departments, which now are part of the united Natural History Museum of Denmark, can be traced back to the 17th century. One historical figure in particular played a crucial role in the creation of the Danish national heritage, namely Ole Worm (1588–1654). His cabinet of natural curiosities, the Museum Wormianum, formed together with the Royal Danish Cabinet of Curiosities the nucleus of what later would become the Geological Museum and the Zoological Museum. In 1621 Ole Worm also became the director of the Botanical Garden, which at that time had been quite neglected. Here he introduced a large variety of medicinal plants and rare species from abroad. -- Wikipedia

The museum now houses the exhibition, "A cabinet of curiosities: Ole Worm’s ‘Museum Wormianum’ (1655)" a recreation of the Museum Wormianum by artist Rosamond Purcell. In this installation of the work, the museum has also included some of the original artifacts from Worm's Museum in a nearby exhibition case, including the "crocodile on the ceiling" and "deer jaw in tree". 

Also of interest to me (of course) is the Raphus cucullatus (Linnaeus, 1758) in their collection.

See also the following posts:

• Meeting: 2026 GBIF Midterm Meeting (24-25 March 2026, Copenhagen)
• iNaturalist Observations: In and Around Copenhagen (22-31 March 2026)

Meeting: 2026 GBIF Midterm Meeting (24-25 March 2026, Copenhagen)

I traveled to Copenhagen in late March for the 2026 GBIF Midterm meeting. This gathering brings together the GBIF Executive Committee, Science Committee, Nodes Steering Group, and, for me, the GBIF Budget Committee (where I serve as 1st Vice Chair). 

Members of the GBIF Secretariat also attend portions of the meeting and it provides a good look into the plans for the coming year that will be further explored during the GBIF Governing Board meeting (this year being held in September in Oslo, Norway.

From left: Liam, Pierre, Swag

Deliberations during the meeting are not public, but the one exciting bit was a preview of some ideas to mark the 20th anniversary of GBIF during the course of 2026.

Flying into Copenhagen

See also the following posts:

• iNaturalist Observations: In and Around Copenhagen (22-31 March 2026)
• A Visit to the Statens Naturhistoriske Museum (Copenhagen)

iNaturalist Observations: In and Around Copenhagen (22-31 March 2026)

Nesting Mute Swan

I attended the 2026 GBIF Midterm meetings in Copenhagen in March 2026. I added on a few days of holiday to visit some of my favorites in the city.

The weather wasn't really good for a lot of observations and I didn't get out of the city, so many of my observations were of birds (especially around the Lakes). 

Total: 23-31 March 2026 (as of 1 April 2026)

• Observations: 89

• Species: 38

Notables

• Eurasian wigeon (Mareca penelope)

• Great Tit (Parus major)

• Deer (partial jaw)

Here are all my observations from various trips to Denmark: Denmark: My Observations

Jaw of a species of Dear

Meeting: 2024 GBIF Midterm Meeting (18-19 March 2024, Copenhagen)

As a member of the second chair of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) Budget Committee (and member of the United States GBIF Delegation) I was invited to the annual GBIF Midterm meetings in Copenhagen. The past years, during my Budget Committee membership, the Budget Committee portion of the meeting had been virtual (for practical reasons or due to COVID-19).

I'd been to Copenhagen previously for GBIF travel, so I knew my way around a bit.

This would be my last GBIF meeting as BHL Program Director (and employee of Smithsonian Libraries and Archives), but I didn't know that at the time! I have continued my participation and engagement with GBIF as I moved to the IIIF Consortium.