Stay tuned for this week’s challenge where we encourage you to investigate the wonderful world of animals of all types, shapes, and sizes! Learn more and craft along with us during our Beaty@Home session on March 24.
We are taking our Spring Break activities online this year, with weekly social media challenges and special Spring Break editions of Beaty@Home, our weekly online museum tours. Find all of our spring break plans, including recommended crafts, videos, and our live Beaty@Home activities here.
Follow us and submit your entries on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Ecosystems are filled with all sorts of amazing, intricately woven together connections between organisms, and as a result we all depend on each other.
From March 21-28, your Spring Break challenge is to post an interesting animal interaction! Head outside and respectfully observe a real life animal interaction, and take photo or video. Or, or create a piece of art depicting an interaction – drawings, upcycled sculptures, terrariums, clay models, felt boards, chalk art, plays, and anything else you can create! Include a description of the interaction, and share it with us @beatymuseum for a chance to win a prize!
Your animal interaction should show at least one (non-human) animal interacting with either another organism or a non-living part of their environment. Look outside for inspiration of fascinating interactions in nature. Spring is a great time to observe animals large or small; perhaps consider something small you haven’t seen before or haven’t previously given much thought.
Learn more about the contest by clicking “contest details” below. Use our prompts below for a different inspiration each day, or complete them all at once!
Monday, March 22: Our first animal interaction of the week shows animals interacting with their environment. “I saw a bunch of mask limpets tightly adhered to the underside of a rock high up on the beach. I think the rock was providing shelter for the limpets – keeping them moist and protected from the sun. The barnacles looked happy to be there too!!”
Artwork by Keerthikrutha Seetharaman
Tuesday, March 23: We’re looking forward to seeing your artworks! This illustration by Keerthikrutha Seetharaman is a part of our ReCollections Exhibit.
“In May 2009, at a wildlife sanctuary in India I witnessed a herd of elephants shying away and startled at the sight of a peacock dance. There was only a 1m distance between the both of them and yet, the elephants made no attempt to shoo the bird away and move on. On that day my ‘Perceptions of elephants list’ became ‘Insanely Cute and that’s it!'”
Wednesday, March 24: Look outside for inspiration of fascinating interactions in nature. Spring is a great time to observe animals large or small; perhaps consider something small you haven’t seen before or haven’t previously given much thought. “The bumblebee (likely a Bombus vosnesenskii) and a red soldier beetle here are both feeding on nectar and pollinating the flowers and I don’t think they are in competition, but rather, are sharing this food resource.”
Thursday, March 25: Ecosystems are filled with all sorts of amazing, intricately woven together connections between organisms, and as a result we all depend on each other! Check out this creative artwork, made from re-used and upcycled materials. “This craft is a window into a tropical rainforest ecosystem where an orangutan is foraging and feasting on some wild durian fruits!”
Friday, March 26: Take inspiration from outside, and turn it into an interaction artwork! This photo could make a beautiful, textured, sculpture showing how animals stay wet on the shore. “The barnacles on the beach rocks high above the water level were tightly attached and closed up tight to keep from drying out. The white scars look like the bottoms of barnacles.”
To enter the Beaty Biodiversity Museum’s spring break challenge, you need to share a post on social media following one of the prompts above, and tag @BeatyMuseum on Facebook, Instagram, and/or Twitter. You must have parental permission to enter the contest if you are under the age of 18. Each person can enter multiple times, up to five total within the challenge period. By entering your information on facebook, instagram, and/or twitter, you acknowledge that the Beaty Biodiversity Museum can use your photos, stories, and images in reporting, marketing, and in other promotional materials. If you are not comfortable posting on social media, you can email your entry to programs@beatymuseum.ubc.ca – the same contest rules apply.
All animal week entries must be received between March 21- March 29, 2021 to be eligible for prizes. A prize including a family membership and small museum merchandise will be selected by museum staff based on the challenge prompt. Winners will be notified via private message on the social media platform they entered. Prizes will be sent via mail or can be picked up in person. Memberships are valid for in-person admission and can be used towards online public programming including Beaty@Home and Nature Club.