The advent of winter
December is here ... a time when most of our great land is blanketed in snow, and creatures big and small prepare themselves for the colder months ahead.
As we welcome winter's arrival, we continue to reveal fascinating insights into our research and collections. Our new Science Moments video series complements topics presented in our special exhibition, Planet Ice: Mysteries of the Ice Ages. And our Virtual Open House video series continues with exciting new episodes each week.
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Winners revealed!
Nature Inspiration Awards
Meet the winners of the 7th annual Nature Inspiration Awards and find out about their extraordinary achievements. These awards recognize individuals and organizations whose specific projects encourage Canadians to take an interest in natural history, create links with nature and contribute to its preservation.
Special video series
Virtual Open House
Go behind the scenes and enjoy fascinating glimpses into the many areas of science happening at our Natural Heritage Campus, the museum's research and collections facility. The latest video in this series explains how our state-of-the-art X-ray powder diffractometer helps our scientists discover and analyze mineral species. Look forward to new videos on fossils, mammals and much more.
Exhibition highlights
Learning about glaciation in Planet Ice
The special exhibition, Planet Ice: Mysteries of the Ice Ages, is chock-full of things to see and do as visitors journey through 80,000 years of Earth's history. When you visit Planet Ice (only on until January 3), be sure to give yourself enough time to explore "glaciation island". This interactive topographical table, developed in partnership with Robocut studio in Montreal, blends projections, a 3D map, and illustrations to demonstrate geological features that resulted from the advance and retreat of glaciers.
Science Moments
All about ice
In our new Science Moments video series, our experts share cool facts about the science of ice and cold, exploring topics presented in our Planet Ice exhibition. Learn about adaptations of mammals, plants, and humans. In this episode with museum mineralogist Dr. Aaron Lussier, we learn that ice is a mineral, but water isn't. Discover many more cool facts in this four-part series!
Great shopping ideas!
Nature Boutique
For your holiday shopping this season, head to our Nature Boutique! The delightful assortment of nature-inspired merchandise—books, toys, minerals, fossils, jewellery and authentic Canadiana—is guaranteed to please nature enthusiasts of all ages. Shopping at the boutique does not require a ticket, but all guests will need to check in with our staff upon arrival, and given access as capacity limits permit. Visit nature.ca for holiday hours.
Canadian Holly
Winterberry
Common Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) is a native shrub that occurs naturally in wet acidic habitats, such as bogs and the borders of water bodies, but can also grow in gardens. Its vibrant red berries stay on the stems for weeks or months after the leaves have fallen. Robins, cardinals and grouse are some of the birds that feed on these berries.
The inset photo above shows a specimen in our National Herbarium, collected in Navan, Ontario, by renowned Canadian naturalist John Macoun. Pressed way back in early autumn 1911, this preserved sample of Ilex verticillata is by no means the oldest in the Museum’s collection. Archives of specimens collected through time help scientists to detect and document changes in nature.
Editor: Laura Sutin
Questions or comments can be sent to lsutin@nature.ca
