Wild Collections

Specimens, Stories and Science from CSIRO

By: Andrea Wild

Explore CSIRO’s National Research Collections, its fascinating specimens and stories.

Did dinosaurs get bitten by mosquitoes? Can honey bees become botanists? Why would anyone collect worm bums? And can we find DNA in the air? + Full description

Wild Collections explores some of the fascinating, strange and unique stories behind more than 15 million specimens cared for within CSIRO’s National Research Collections Australia. More than just pinned insects and pressed plants, these are stories of scientific discovery and cutting-edge research. This book offers us a rare glimpse into the world-class collections and the wonders they contain.

Go behind the scenes to discover species lost, found and saved, and the evolving knowledge and techniques it takes to record and understand our unique biodiversity. And meet some of the amazing scientists using this knowledge to protect and conserve our natural world.

- Short description

Details

Paperback | August 2025 | $ 39.99
ISBN: 9781486318810 | 200 pages | 210 x 135 mm
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Colour photographs, Illustrations

Features

Go behind the scenes to explore CSIRO’s natural history collections, which are not only fascinating and unique, but also rarely open to the public.
A treasure trove for science buffs and anyone who values our natural world.
With Foreword from Dr Doug Hilton AO, Chief Executive, CSIRO.

Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgements
Introduction

1 Eye of newt and toe of frog
2 An alien wasp from Jupiter
3 Marvellous names
4 Cocktails in nature
5 Lost in time
6 Curiouser and curiouser
7 Space invaders
8 Tales of genitalia … and other strange ways to get information about animals
9 Big moves and quantum leaps
10 A species on life support

Glossary
Plates
Index

Authors

Andrea Wild is a science communicator who works with the natural history collections at CSIRO. She also writes about natural history for children, and is the author of AmAZed! CSIRO's A to Z of Biodiversity.