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Cambridge Wildlife Safari Trail
Go on safari in Cambridge’s green spaces to discover the plants and animals that live in these city centre wildlife havens. Follow the map and clues below to discover the wildlife of central Cambridge. Our Wildlife Safari Trail can be followed on a smartphone here, downloaded to your own device, or printed at home before your journey: Use the Cambridge Wildlife Safari map and the clues below to find … Continue reading Cambridge Wildlife Safari Trail
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Animal Adventurers: the game
The natural world is full of stories to discover. Use the Museum of Zoology collection to explore habitats, complete puzzles and build a team of the animals you meet along the way. Before you begin: Grab a pencil and piece of paper so that you can record your favourite stories or animals while you play. Draw a picture of your ultimate animal team to share … Continue reading Animal Adventurers: the game
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Cambridge Urban Safari Trail
Go on safari in Cambridge’s urban jungle and search for animals of land and sea in the buildings. Follow the map and clues below to discover animals in the architecture of the city’s buildings. Our Urban Safari Trail can be followed on a smartphone here, downloaded to your own device, or printed at home before your expedition: Use the Cambridge Safari map and the clues … Continue reading Cambridge Urban Safari Trail
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Community Gallery
We’re noticing the wildlife around our homes, gardens and during our daily exercise more and more. As the seasons change there are many opportunities to see the creatures that live around us. This page is for our community and that includes you! We’ll be featuring your wildlife sightings, Crafty Creature makes and creations. Check back later for updates and see below for how you can … Continue reading Community Gallery
Winter Wildlife: Ice Age Earth
Join us as we step back in time to see the changing climate of East Anglia over the years, in fact, over the millenia. That’s right, we are going back into the Pleistocene, sometimes referred to as the Ice Age (but I’m sure you all know that 1. the temperatures went up and down during this time, it wasn’t always cold; and 2. there have … Continue reading Winter Wildlife: Ice Age Earth
Fragile Harmony
In April 2025, a group of 30 Year 12 students from schools and colleges across the UK attended a residential programme run jointly between the Museum of Zoology, Clare College and Kettle’s Yard to create a temporary exhibition exploring art and nature. Fragile Harmony was the result. The title and all the text you can see on this blog post was written by the students. … Continue reading Fragile Harmony
Zoology Live! Insectopia
It’s that time of year again – time for our Zoology Live! festival. This year we are working in partnership with the Amateur Entomologist’s Society to bring you a livestream and family event all on a theme of insects! Scroll down to catch up on our live interview with Dr Erica McAlister, all about the amazing world of flies, to find out about techniques to … Continue reading Zoology Live! Insectopia
Zines for Pollinators
Earlier this year, we had on display a small exhibition of zines on a theme of pollinators in the Museum. To celebrate World Bee Day on May 20th, we wanted to share these inspiring pieces more widely. Follow the Zines for Pollinators below, and learn how to make your own. This exhibition was curated by Nynke Blömer, PhD student in the Museum of Zoology, and … Continue reading Zines for Pollinators
Bird Palates and Feeding
Dr Olivia Plateau, Department of Earth Sciences, writes: Birds, the only surviving branch of the theropod dinosaurs, are one of the most species-rich extant vertebrate groups with more than 11,000 species. They show great diversity in terms of size, colour, shape and ecology, occupying almost all habitats on the surface of the Earth. I am an evolutionary biologist, and I am particularly interested in the … Continue reading Bird Palates and Feeding
Butterfly Banks and the Public
Rosalind Mackay, Museum of Zoology, writes: I am currently studying for a master’s in the Department of Zoology here at the University of Cambridge. My project is about insect conservation and public engagement. These two seemingly disparate aspects are connected by the intervention we’re trialling. Prof Ed Turner, my supervisor, has been collaborating with the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire for several years … Continue reading Butterfly Banks and the Public
Imaging Dinosaurs
Annabel Hunt, Department of Earth Sciences, writes: I study dinosaur skull anatomy for my PhD research at the University of Cambridge. I am a member of the Field Palaeobiology Research Group and I am supervised by Professor Daniel Field and co-supervised by Professor Steve Brusatte. Prior to starting my PhD here in Cambridge, I studied a four-year Integrated Master’s degree in Earth Sciences at the … Continue reading Imaging Dinosaurs
Mapping Viruses
Antonia Netzl, Department of Zoology, writes: I research vaccination strategies against SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 is a virus that evolves, which means that it changes over time. These changes lead to its escape from immunity that was generated against a previous strain – the evolved strain is too different to be recognized by our immune system. To keep up with virus evolution … Continue reading Mapping Viruses
Conservation Evidence – supporting practitioners to do more of what works and less of what doesn’t
Dr Rebecca Smith, Conservation Evidence Manager, writes: Does helping toads across roads actually help increase their populations, or using different coloured tree guards improve the survival of newly planted trees? Conservation actions are often not as good as they need to be to protect and restore species and habitats because information about which actions work (or don’t) is not used by those deciding what to … Continue reading Conservation Evidence – supporting practitioners to do more of what works and less of what doesn’t
Balancing Agriculture and Conservation: A Journey in Restoration Ecology
Sacchi Shin-Clayton, Museum of Zoology, writes: When we think about conservation, our minds often go to preserving untouched natural forests. While this is undeniably important, we sometimes overlook the pressing need to restore the landscapes we’ve already transformed through human activity. Agriculture, for instance, is one of the biggest drivers of landscape change worldwide, and with the ever-growing demand for food, it’s only intensifying. The … Continue reading Balancing Agriculture and Conservation: A Journey in Restoration Ecology
Saving the Gharial: Combining Science and Conservation
Aramish Fatima, PhD student in the Department of Zoology, writes: When you think of crocodiles, you might imagine powerful, fearsome predators lurking in murky waters. But not all crocodylians fit that image. The Indian gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) is a unique and fascinating species—distinguished by its long, slender snout adapted for catching fish and a more peaceful nature compared to its relatives. Once found in abundance … Continue reading Saving the Gharial: Combining Science and Conservation
Why and how organisms diversify?
Emilia Santos NERC Independent Research Fellow and Assistant Professor: As an evolutionary biologist, I study the origins and maintenance of Earth’s remarkable organismal diversity. My research focuses on understanding how organisms function and diversify into different species. I use Lake Malawi cichlid fishes as a model system –an extraordinary example of recent adaptive radiation, with over 700 species evolving in just the past million years. Despite … Continue reading Why and how organisms diversify?
How to defend your nest from predators and cuckoos: do it like a drongo
Mairenn Attwood, Department of Zoology An hour after sunrise, an African cuckoo chick has just hatched. But it hasn’t hatched in an African cuckoo nest: instead of building their own nests, cuckoo parents lay their eggs in the nests of other birds. This chick has hatched in the nest of a fork-tailed drongo, and is sharing the space with a couple of fork-tailed drongo eggs. … Continue reading How to defend your nest from predators and cuckoos: do it like a drongo
Constructing Connectomes
Dr. Elizabeth Marin, Department of Zoology, writes: I have always been fascinated by insects and raised silkworms and praying mantids as a child. At university, I learned to use the fly Drosophila melanogaster to identify genes used to build animal bodies, including those of humans. Scientists have been working with this insect for over a century, describing gene mutations that change its appearance or behaviour … Continue reading Constructing Connectomes
Making palm oil sustainable
Dr Becky Heath, Museum of Zoology, writes: In my research, I explore how tropical agriculture can benefit both people and the environment. I focus on oil palm plantations—one of the most important crops in Southeast Asia and a vital source of income for millions of people. My work is all about finding ways to make these landscapes more sustainable without compromising the livelihoods of the … Continue reading Making palm oil sustainable
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