ABSTRACT
The museums and exhibition centres that represent natural history provide a global, national and local perspective on these points of concern to visitors. The formation of natural history in motion, in stasis or in connection with other things can serve as a means whereby other visions of the past, present and future are considered. These museums and institutions are places of witnessing, where moral, social or political visions of society are formed. As such, museums structure the concepts of connection between the ancient and the modern within the scope of natural heritage. The recognition of both the significance and the malleability of natural history is vital for building new ideas in society to respond to present day concerns. Drawing upon case studies from across western society, using international, regional and local institutions, this chapter details how people guide current society and shape their expectations of what will happen in times ahead through this particular heritage.
