Birdsong in Early Spring
For Twilight with the Museums this year, the Museum of Zoology worked with other Museums across Cambridge to develop a digital sleepover – activities that families could do together at home inspired by the Museums’ collections. As part of this, our Curator of Birds Dr Daniel Field and learning officer Dr Roz Wade ventured out early one morning in February to see which birds were … Continue reading Birdsong in Early Spring
Giraffes: celebrating LGBTQ+ history month
February is LGBTQ+ History Month and to celebrate the Museum of Zoology is sharing the story of giraffes and the work of scientist Anne Innis Dagg. Read on for our tutorial on how to create your own rainbow giraffe fabric, perfect for your next sewing project! When we see wild animals behaving in a particular way, one of the first things we ask is ‘why?’. … Continue reading Giraffes: celebrating LGBTQ+ history month
Penguin Puppets
Did you know that January 20th is Penguin Awareness Day? At the Museum of Zoology we have a number of penguins on display, from the handsome emperor penguin standing over a metre tall to the little penguin at closer to 30cm tall, and rockhopper penguin with its plumes of feathers sweeping back on top of its head. These are just three of the 18 species … Continue reading Penguin Puppets
Winter Waterbirds
Look out of your window and you may be looking on trees bare of leaves, and missing the comforting buzz of summer insects or dazzling colour of a butterfly wing. But not all wildlife is dormant over the winter. Although you may think it is cold in the UK, our islands provide a balmy respite for many birds that breed further north in the Arctic. … Continue reading Winter Waterbirds
Winter Wildlife: conservation storytelling
For Winter Wildlife 2021, members of the Zoology Club (13-18 year olds) met to discover and write about bird migration and the threats of climate change to migratory species. See the stories they created at the bottom of this post, or continue below to create your own story. Why migratory bird species? Scientists have calculated that climate change has affected around ⅓ of all UK … Continue reading Winter Wildlife: conservation storytelling
Winter Wildlife: Colourful Present Wraps
Everyone likes to experience the surprise of opening a gift from a loved one. Over the holiday period the United Kingdom alone throws away enough wrapping paper to reach the moon! That’s a lot of gift-giving but also a lot of waste. Last year we shared how you can create recyclable festival wrapping paper at home to help save on landfill waste. This year, we’re … Continue reading Winter Wildlife: Colourful Present Wraps
Winter Wildlife: Who Should Pull Santa’s Sleigh?
We all know that Santa has a team of reindeer to pull his sleigh around the globe on Christmas Eve delivering presents. But are reindeer really the best animals for the job? In this Nature Classroom post, we do the maths together to work out what is needed from these magical animals, and compare it with some of the wonders of nature. Why not combine … Continue reading Winter Wildlife: Who Should Pull Santa’s Sleigh?
Winter Wildlife: Wonderful Waxwings
Our Young Zoologists Club members have been busy creating a waxwing irruption to feature in our Winter Wildlife: ZoologiCOOL livestream on December 1st. Why not make one yourselves at home and join in when you see these models flapping on screen. They are quite simple to make and don’t require any special materials or equipment. Just download the template and follow the instructions below to … Continue reading Winter Wildlife: Wonderful Waxwings
Winter Wildlife: ZoologiCOOL
How are animals adapted to the cold of winter? Why do some escape it, and are their migrations being affected by climate change? And as for the most important winter journey of all – are reindeer really the best animals to pull Santa’s sleigh? These are all questions we will be looking into in our Winter Wildlife: ZoologiCOOL livestream on Wednesday 1 December. Join us … Continue reading Winter Wildlife: ZoologiCOOL
Creepy Creatures?
Are you spooked by spiders? Far from being a fan of rats? Minded to avoid moths or backtrack at the sight of a bat? This blog post is here to set the record straight. These animals that may seem creepy or frightening showcase some amazing biology and perform important roles in the habitats where they live. Here staff, students and volunteers from the Museum of … Continue reading Creepy Creatures?
Chicken Licken with Marion Leeper
Storyteller Marion Leeper takes us on a journey around the Museum of Zoology gallery with Chicken Licken. Who might she meet? Made with ages 0-5 years in mind, all ages welcome. This video has been created as part of the Cambridge Zero Climate Change Festival 2021 Discover more tales from Marion Leeper in Love Stories for the Earth There’s plenty more to explore from the … Continue reading Chicken Licken with Marion Leeper
World Habitats Day 2021
Monday 4th October 2021 is World Habitat Day. To celebrate habitats from around the world, here we look at some of the animals that live in different ecosystems from the African plains to the deep ocean floor, written by staff, students and volunteers at the Museum of Zoology. World Habitat Day was set up by the UN to reflect on urban habitats, with this year’s … Continue reading World Habitats Day 2021
A Paddle of Platypuses
What do you call groups of different animals? In this Puggle Club story we explore some of the collective nouns for different animals, from a pride of lions to a shiver of sharks… Want to see more of the Museum of Zoology? Check out our Animal Alphabet for under 5s and go on a tour of the animal kingdom from Aardvark to Zebra: Continue reading A Paddle of Platypuses
Behind the Scenes at the Museum for Open Cambridge 2021
We have a special treat for you as part of the Open Cambridge Festival 2021: not one but three virtual tours of the Museum. Go behind the scenes for a tour of the Bird Room with Curator of Ornithology Dr Daniel Field and a tour of the Insect Room by Research Assistant Matt Hayes. Then follow Assistant Director Jack Ashby as he guides you around … Continue reading Behind the Scenes at the Museum for Open Cambridge 2021
Recycled Rockpool
Did you make a rainforest with us last summer? With the end of the summer holidays coming, why not relive seaside memories and make your own rockpool habitat out of recycled materials? We have some inspiration and ideas for you here, but you can let your imagination run wild and make creatures from crabs to sea anemones, starfish to periwinkles… Read on to discover rockpool … Continue reading Recycled Rockpool
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