Field Notes from Alaska and Japan
Shannan May-McNally, a graduate student in the Taylor lab at the Biodiversity Research Centre, spent this summer collecting char, a relative of salmon and trout, in Alaska and Japan as part of her thesis project. Shannan is interested in using char to investigate questions related to the process of speciation in fishes, research that can ultimately help design conservation strategies for these important species.
Olympic Torch Passed to New Torchbearer at Beaty
Today marks the 10th anniversary of Canada winning the bid to host the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Reflecting on the tremendous Canadian spirit that has swiped across the city during the Games, it brings back memory of the Olympic Torch passing through the Point Grey campus and outside the Beaty Biodiversity Museum.
New ‘Pirate’ Ant Discovered in the Philippines
Discovered by a team of German scientists while on a trip to the Philippines, Cardiocondyla pirata was found living under a rock—literally. PhD student Sabine Frohschammer from the University of Regensburg and her colleague Bernhard Seifert from Senckenberg Museum of Natural History Gorlitz were searching for Cardiocondyla ants in a shady streambed when she saw individuals that didn’t look like any other known species.
A Step Closer to Releasing Endangered Oregon Spotted Frogs
On April 19, 2012, Karen Needham, Rob Curtiss, and Chris Stinson of UBC Beaty Biodiversity Museum joined Jennifer Heron, Invertebrate Specialist with the BC Ministry of Environment, and the Oregon Spotted Frog (OSF) Recovery Team for a day of field work near Harrison Hot Springs. The pond the group visited has been identified as recovery […]
Build an Algal Pet with the Museum
Needing a gift for Mother’s day? Would you like a new way to express your horticultural skills? Looking for a pet that doesn’t need a leash? Look no further! This Saturday, build your own beautiful algal pet with Ellie Duffield. Learn tips and tricks for selecting algae, how to feed them, and how to make […]
Spiders in Borneo – Team Salticid
Dr. Wayne Maddison, Director of Spencer Entomological Collection at the Beaty Biodiversity Museum recently returned from an expedition in Borneo in search of jumping spiders. This series shares his entomological adventures in the wild. For the next five weeks, I will be in Borneo along with a student (Edy Piascik) to find jumping spiders. My […]
Dr. Newman Founding Director of Vancouver Aquarium Came for a Visit
Recently, Patrick Lewis, director of the UBC Biodiversity Collections, was pleased to host a visit with Dr. Murray Newman and wife Kathy on a visit of the Beaty Biodiversity Museum. Dr. Newman is an inspirational person who has been recognized for his contributions as a recipient of the Order of Canada as well as the […]
Spiders in Borneo – The guests of honor: Salticidae
It’s time that I introduce you to the guests of honor of my posts, the jumping spiders, known to biologists by the name “Salticidae”. Imagine a miniature cat, 5 millimeters long, spotting prey with keen eyesight, walking carefully toward the prey, then crouching down, inching forward stealthily, tensing its legs, then pouncing with deadly accuracy. […]
Chilling for First Multi-Collection Conservation Freezing Cycle with New Walk-In Freezer
Things were downright frigid in the museum as collections staff prepared for the first multi-collection conservation freezing cycle in the new walk-in freezer. By bringing carefully packaged specimens through a deep freeze-thaw cycle lasting several days, any possible insect pests are neutralized, protecting the collection from damage without harmful chemicals. Able to maintain a consistently […]
A Trip to Madrid for Global Plants Initiative Meeting
The Beaty Biodiversity Museum is part of the Global Plants Initiative, an international effort to digitize and share type specimens from Herbarium collections. Type specimens are the ones used to officially describe a species in scientific literature, and they retain a special status in natural history collections. This year, the meeting of the Global Plants […]