Leonard Jenyns was an important naturalist of the 19th century and lived in Cambridgeshire for much of his life, making observations and collecting specimens from the local area. A large amount of the material he collected is now stored here at the Museum and offers a fascinating snapshot of Cambridge 200 years ago.

The goal of the Jenyns’ Beetle Voyage Project is to catalogue, for the first time, part of Jenyns’ extensive insect collection. In doing so we hope to gain information on how habitats and species have changed over the last few hundred years and guide future conservation efforts.

This page showcases the resources that have been produced as part of this project. These have been made with teachers, students and those wanting to learn more about Cambridge insect ecology, habitat change and current conservation efforts in mind.

Travel back in time to 1829 and help Leonard Jenyns collect Insects around Cambridgeshire. Compare these to the species you can find in Cambridge today and learn how habitats have changed!

This game will help you to explore the consequences of habitat change on insects with your class and is accompanied by teaching notes, and further resources. The game can be played individually or as a class depending on your access to resources.