Monthly Archives: August 2013

Preserving Specimens That Bear Witness to Canada’s History

Posted on August 30, 2013 by

This summer is the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Arctic Expedition. In our blog, curator Kamal Khidas highlights the importance of this historic feat for Canada and for the museum’s collections. Continue reading →

Posted in Arctic, Collections, Fieldwork, History, Research | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

ANTology: Artists and Visitors Work Together Like Ants in a Colony

Posted on August 26, 2013 by

Artist Irina Lyubchenko created a stimulating experience with visitors last week to the Canadian Museum of Nature. Like a colony of ants, children and adults worked together to create a 16 mm animated film in the exhibition Farmers, Warriors, Builders: The Hidden Life of Ants. Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Education, Exhibitions | Tagged , | Leave a comment

A Trip Downtown: Mounting Plants in the Stone Wall Gallery

Posted on August 23, 2013 by

When collection staff took their plant-mounting work to the museum’s galleries, learning and enjoyment happened on both sides of the table. Museum co-op student Tera Shewchenko recounts her experience of the experiment with visitor engagement. Continue reading →

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We’re Going to Need New Satellite Photos…

Posted on August 20, 2013 by

A green roof was recently installed on the museum’s research and collections facility. Botanist Paul Sokoloff describes the advantages and installation of this hidden garden. Continue reading →

Posted in Green Museum, Plants and Algae | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Mineral Exchange Collections: The “Trading Cards” of the Mineral World

Posted on August 15, 2013 by

Baseball cards, hockey cards and others have long been traded. But did you know that mineralogists have their own version of this activity? Continue reading →

Posted in Collections, Research, Rocks and minerals, Tools of the trade | Tagged | Leave a comment

The Natural History of Star Wars: Part II

Posted on August 8, 2013 by

If the museum’s scientists worked in the Star Wars galaxy, what would they be studying? Botanist Paul Sokoloff matches colleagues’ research interest to alien natural worlds. Continue reading →

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The Natural History of Star Wars: Part I

Posted on August 1, 2013 by

Have you noticed how the rich natural universe imagined in the Star Wars movies seems to be inspired by our own world? From animals to ecosystems, biologist Paul Sokoloff explores some similarities and differences. Continue reading →

Posted in Nature Nocturne, programming | Tagged , , | 1 Comment