Current Committee Role:
Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC) Representative
About Me:
Hello there, my name is Andrew Haycock. I have worked at Amgueddfa Cymru National Museum Wales since 2004, where I am Curator of Mineralogy & Petrology in the Department of Natural Sciences. Looking after the collections can vary a lot day to day. I can often be found undertaking general housekeeping in the stores and galleries, answering public enquiries, preparing loans for researchers and other museums, curating new collections and auditing old ones, preparing content for public outreach events and exhibitions, undertaking fieldwork, and of course completing collection management paperwork!
Growing up in northeast Wales, I spent my childhood and youth climbing and clambering over the local rocks and hills. Collecting numerous rocks, minerals and fossils as I went. When there was an opportunity to study GCSE and A Level geology in college, I jumped at the chance. Moving to Cardiff, I graduated from Cardiff University with BSc Geology and MSc Applied Environmental Geology. I have been a member of GCG and SPNHC for a number of years. I am also a member and treasurer of the Welsh Stone Forum, and have undertaken an AMA with the Museums Association.
My GCG committee role involves reporting back on the business and activities of SPNHC that are relevant to GCG, as well as promoting our own activities in return. SPNHC is an organisation devoted to the preservation, conservation and management of natural history collections. Meetings are generally held in north America, but we are very lucky to have meetings in the UK and Europe every few years or so.
Society meetings are a great way to network with colleagues, keeping up to date with best-practice and current thinking. I look forward to building on the relationship between GCG and SPNHC.
National Museum Wales: Staff Profile
You can find me on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/andy_p_h