The Krabu Grupp has completed the development of a new website for the Estonian Museum of Nature: https://www.loodusmuuseum.ee. According to the terms of reference, it was necessary to streamline Internet-available information for visitors about the museum, as well as fill the page with useful, educational and entertaining virtual materials accessible to users of all ages in any part of the world and using any IT platforms. According to Kati Krabu, the head of the Krabu Grupp project, the new webpage has become noticeably more user-friendly and today it takes into account the interests of all target groups, which is the most important thing.

“When creating the structure of the portal, we were guided by the principle of providing convenience to users. The website of the Museum of Nature has become a full-fledged virtual portal to the universe of Estonian nature and wildlife, introducing the museum’s scientific and educational activities. In addition to all the basic information about the museum’s opening hours, contact details, history and mission, the website has a lot of other useful information for nature lovers. For example, teachers will find there the learning support materials necessary for conducting lessons in natural history, as well as programs for thematic visits to the museum. Both individuals and legal entities can book rooms for various events in the museum, organize a birthday party for a child or book an excursion. All this can be done online,” says Kati Krabu.

The contents of the website are displayed in three languages – Estonian, Russian and English. The user can choose the language by himself. The information is divided into three sections – “Exhibitions”, “Collections” and “Natural Studies”, and is also conveniently rubricated and defined. In addition to classic texts and visual aids in the form of photographs of natural objects and museum exhibits, the new website of the Estonian Museum of Natural History also includes innovative forms of presenting information.

“It includes regularly updated editions of popular science podcasts in Estonian and Russian, and mobile applications, and virtual worksheets, and online exhibition catalogs, as well as unique learning aids with augmented reality. The information provided literally comes to life with the help of a special mobile application, which makes the learning process easier and more interesting for children. Back in the 19th century, the founder of the museum, Leopold von Petzold, formulated the principle of its work, which we were guided by when creating a new website: “What you see with your own eyes teaches better than any descriptions.” Modern technologies make it possible to achieve this effect even without a physical visit to the museum,” Kati Krabu emphasized.

The Estonian Museum of Nature is a subordinate institution of the Ministry of the Environment. The geological collections of the museum’s exhibits are available for viewing in the SARV geoinformation system, and the biological ones – in the PlutoF information system. Currently, work is underway to design and prepare for the construction phase of a new building of the Museum of Nature at the Seaplane Harbor in Tallinn. The Estonian Museum of Nature, dating back to 1864, is one of the oldest museums in the country, with over 50 000 visitors annually.

Krabu Grupp has been providing communication and digital transformation services for over 10 years. Currently, the company offers both the creation of integrated turnkey solutions and various digitalization service packages for organizations with different levels of IT maturity. Today, Krabu Grupp carries out digital transformation projects for enterprises and public sector organizations in Estonia, Ukraine, Finland and Tanzania.