Bridging Data and Nature: Connecting Information, Technology, and Biodiversity
In conjunction with the 2025 Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL) Annual Meeting, the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin hosted a public symposium on April 9. The event was open to all attendees of the BHL Annual Meeting as well as others from the biodiversity community.
BHL exemplifies the power of collaboration by making biodiversity literature openly available to the world as part of a global biodiversity community. This symposium aimed to bridge the gap between Data and Nature by connecting information, technology, and biodiversity. It served as an exchange platform for professionals and users to address shared challenges and strengthen connections.
Date and Time:
9 April 2025, 12:00-18:00 CEST
Location:
Museum für Naturkunde Berlin
Invalidenstraße 43
10115 Berlin, Germany
Recording
A recording of the event is available via the BHL YouTube channel.
Links to individual presentations are available in the program below.
Program Details
The event began with a light lunch, followed by the symposium, museum tours, and an evening reception.
For the symposium, speakers presented 20 minute talks on their use of data from information providers such as BHL, the obstacles faced, and visions for better access to biodiversity knowledge.
The event was directed at four audiences:
- Information professionals who provide the literature and metadata;
- Data professionals who extract, manage and integrate the data;
- Developers who build products; and
- The community that uses the products and data.
See full program details below.
Wednesday 9 April
| Time | Event | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00-13:00 | Check-in and Light Lunch | |
| 13:00-13:15 | Welcome and Introduction | Dr. Frederik Berger, Museum für Naturkunde Berlin |
| 13:15-15:00 | Session 1: Innovative Approaches to Biodiversity Data: From Historical Expeditions to AI Integration | |
| Expeditions in/to BHL – A central resource for research expedition information Presentation | Sabine von Mering, Museum für Naturkunde Berlin Siobhan Leachman, Wikimedia Aotearoa New Zealand |
|
| From Machine-Readable to Machine-Ready: Evolving BHL's Data for the AI Era Presentation | Mike Trizna, Smithsonian Institution | |
| Mapping the Phytochemical Landscape using Machine Intelligence on Literature Metadata Presentation | Gitanjali Yadav, National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR) | |
| Using AI to create new interfaces to BHL content Presentation | Roderic D. M. Page, University of Glasgow | |
| 15:00-15:15 | Q&A | Moderator |
| 15:15-15:45 | Coffee Break | |
| 15:45-17:30 | Session 2: Advancing Biodiversity Knowledge through Persistent Identifiers and Data Liberation | |
| Project #RetroPIDs: celebrating 5 years & 50,000+ DOIs Presentation | Nicole Kearney, BHL Australia | |
| Disentis Roadmap: a decadal plan to liberate data imprisoned in biodiversity literature Presentation | Donat Agosti, Plazi | |
| EJT hosted portal on GBIF: how to switch from openness to FAIRness Presentation | Laurence Bénichou, MNHN / EJT / CETAF | |
| How many times are my collections cited? The case study of DiSSCo Flanders using the GBIF Hosted Portal Presentation | Patricia Mergen, Meise Botanic Garden | |
| 17:30-17:45 | Q&A | Moderator |
| 17:45-18:00 | Closing Remarks | David Iggulden, BHL Chair |
| 18:00-19:00 | Optional museum tours | |
| 19:00-21:00 | Reception in Dinosaur Hall |
BHL Code of Conduct
By participating in any activity associated with BHL, you agree voluntarily to abide by the BHL Code of Conduct. The goal of the BHL Code of Conduct is to foster an environment, whether virtual or in-person, of genuine and mutual respect among its community members.