NaturePlus FAQ

Here are the answers to a number of questions that may be useful as you use NaturePlus. If you don’t find the answer to your query here, please email us and we’ll try to help.

What is NaturePlus?

NaturePlus is a new area of the Natural History Museum website where you can take part in discussions with Museum scientists and other like-minded visitors to the site, receive the latest science news, events and more.

You can personalise your homepage to make sure that you have rapid access to the content that is of interest to you.

And if you have been to the Darwin Centre and saved items onto your NaturePlus card, you will be able to view the content, images, videos and bonus features you collected once you’ve entered your card number during registration.

Why register for NaturePlus?

Once you've registered for NaturePlus you will be able to participate in our blogs and forums, interacting with the Museum's scientists and staff and with other like-minded people who share a passion for nature and a curiosity about the natural world. You’ll also be able to view the content you saved on your NaturePlus card if you’ve visited the Museum’s new Darwin Centre.

Registration is a simple 3 step process.

Are you going to start sending me junkmail if I give you my email address?

We will use your email only for issues that might relate directly to NaturePlus (eg to let you know that someone has replied to a question you have posed). We will not use your email for marketing purposes unless you ask us for information. See our privacy policy for further details.

Why do you ask for a password that uses capital letters and numbers?

We want your passwords to be secure and don’t want unauthorised users or people wanting to send spam to be able to access your accounts. For this reason we have proposed a password system that helps to support this.

I’ve registered already, but I can’t get in to the site now.

When you register, we verify who you are by sending you an email at the address you have given us. To complete the registration process, you then need to click on the link provided.

If you don't think you've received this email from us, please check your junkmail folder in case it has gone astray.

If you have further difficulties, please email us at natureplus@nhm.ac.uk.

Why can’t I see the contents from my NaturePlus card?

If you've been to the Darwin Centre and saved content onto your NaturePlus card, the links to the various pages should appear on your personalised My NaturePlus page.

If you don't see your content, check that you have registered your card number.

You can register your card number when you register for NaturePlus, by entering the details after you choose a password.

If you have already registered without entering a card number, you should log in to NaturePlus, select the My Things menu and select Profile. Then select Edit Profile on the right hand side of the page and scroll down to the bottom of the page, where you'll find a field to enter your card number. When you return to your My NaturePlus page, your content should appear.

If your content still does not appear, please email natureplus@nhm.ac.uk giving us your card number and we will assign the full range of content to your card.

How can I add a new card number?

We will shortly be adding the opportunity to hold multiple card numbers on one NaturePlus account. In the meantime:

Log in to NaturePlus
Click on the My Things menu and select Profile
Then select Edit Profile on the right hand side of the page
Scroll down to the bottom of the page, where you'll find a field to enter your card number.

When you return to your My NaturePlus page the new content should appear.

Should I keep my NaturePlus card?

Yes. You may be able to add further content at upcoming exhibitions, or if you return to the Darwin Centre. But don't worry if you do lose it, you can add in a new card number by editing your Profile (see How can I add a new card number). Do keep a note of your first card number, however, so that you can continue to view the content you saved with it.

How do I personalise my My NaturePlus page?

One of the features of NaturePlus is that you can personalise the My NaturePlus page so that you have easy access to the areas that most interest you. You can:

select different types of content to view on the page, eg Latest discussions
select where on the page to put the content
choose a page layout that suits you.

To personalise the page, select the Personalise link towards the top of the page. This will then reveal a panel of widgets that you can drag and drop into your preferred position on your page. If, for instance, you want to keep up to date with the latest blog posts, drag this into your page. If you change your mind, click on the X at the top right of the title bar of the item and it will be removed.

You can drag your chosen widgets to your preferred position on the page and you can also select your preferred layout for the page using the layouts shown at the top left.

When you have finished managing your page, don't forget to click Save your page to keep the changes for next time.

You can find more information in the NaturePlus help pages.

How do I join in?

Once you have registered, you can join in our discussions or comment on our blogs by clicking on Reply or Comment whenever you are logged in. You can start your own discussion topics on our Bug forum and in the General community of NaturePlus. You can also add your comments to polls once you have voted on them. If you find another like-minded visitor, you might want to link up with them by adding them as a Friend.

Why can’t I see my comments and replies immediately?

NaturePlus is a new area, and Museum staff are currently reading contributions before they go live. This is to ensure that the postings are appropriate and also on-topic. We do not accept any postings which may be offensive or irrelevant, and if they are unclear we will get in touch with the author for clarification. For our Bug forum, which has been established for a longer period of time, posts are checked once they are live.