The Fossilized Forest Of Axel Heiberg Island
The above picture is wood from a tree that grew on Axel Heiberg island, which is an island in the arctic region of Canada. It’s the wood of a Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia). How old do you think it is? 11 years old? 1000 years old? Would you believe that it’s 45 million years old? 45 […]
Bioblitz At A Glance: Kluane National Park And Reserve
At this time of year in the Yukon, the sun never sets. The landscape is beautiful and desolate. Outside of the cities, it’s open and wild; it was easy to go for days without seeing another person. This year’s Northern bioblitz took place at Kluane National Park and Reserve. Kluane National Park has the largest […]
Bioblitz At A Glance: Pender Island
What’s really unusual about the the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve is that there is a piece of the park on each of the 15 Gulf Islands. Each year, a bioblitz is being held on each island to gather information and specimens, hopefully working towards creating a complete picture of the park as a whole. […]
The Monarch Butterfly And Spermataphores
This week we’re looking at the strategies and counter-strategies that Monarch butterflies have developed in courtship and reproduction.
The Animals Of Game Of Thrones: Real Or Fake?
Game Of Thrones has a lot of magical and non-magical creatures – but do you know which ones actually existed and which ones were fake?
BioBlitz At A Glance: Whistler and Pemberton
Insects. Bugs. Creepy crawlies. Interested in the aforementioned arthopods? So is Karen Needham, the Assistant Curator of the Spencer Entomological Collection. She and a small team of entomologists travelled up to Whistler and Pemberton in early May to collect and record all that is class Insecta. Though the amount of insect collection was low due […]
Bioblitz At A Glance: Galiano
Bioblitz season is well underway and results are pouring in from Galiano Island, BC. Galiano is one of British Columbia’s Gulf Islands, and was originally inhabited by the Central Coast Salish people. The island hosts many species that have yet to be documented but Andrew Simon, curator of the Biodiversity Galiano Project, hopes to create a more […]
The American Tree Frog and Amplexus
There’s no monogamy here; to increase their chances of offspring, they will mate with as many females as they can. Hey, it’s not for all species.
Ophrys Orchid And Sexual Deception
The Ophrys Orchid has evolved to be quite devious. Or so a certain species of bee thinks so.
Precious Lichen Collection Evacuated from BC Wildfire Zone
With over 20,000 specimens at risk, including more than 100 species new to science, the Co-Curators of the lichen collection at the Beaty Biodiversity Museum had to act quickly or lose their life’s work to the BC Wildfires.