The goals of the museum include research, collecting and education to record and amplify the importance of Palestine's biodiversity and environmental heritage.

[8] Its collection began to be established in 2014 by Mazin Qumsiyeh,[9] who many years previously had recognised the need for an archive of Palestinian biodiversity and research programmes to understand its significance.

[13] The freshwater mollusca collection expanded and now includes the first record of Planorbella duryi, an invasive species in Palestine, from the museum's own pond.

"The museum has conducted research on the impact on biodiversity of Israeli settlement and the subsequent effects of pollution associated with this expansion.

[5] One study examined changes to the diet of eagle owls locally, which suggested a decrease in biodiversity in the region.

[25] As of 2019, the museum was home to over 260 plant specimens, and had just opened an exhibition, funded by the British Council, on collecting Palestinian agricultural heritage through objects and oral histories.