

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

Portals to the World: Exploring Breaking Point
Please note that the Breaking Point exhibition has now ended. These resources remain here to be stand-alone and hope to still spark conversations around conservation, plastics and the natural world. Explore our Breaking Point exhibition with dementia friendly resources. These resources have been created in partnership with Dementia Compass, for adults with dementia and their care partners in mind. While they were initially created for participants … Continue reading Portals to the World: Exploring Breaking Point

Pondwatch: Rockpools
It’s the summer, and so in the last of our posts celebrating National Marine Week we are having a go at our favourite beach holiday activity: rockpooling. Join Learning Officer Dr Roz Wade as she explores the animals living in the rockpools of the west coast of Scotland. Watch the feeding tentacles of sea anemones, the slow but steady movements of sea snails, darting fish, … Continue reading Pondwatch: Rockpools

How to Study: Whales
Anna Guasco: Interdisciplinary Methods to Study Stories Told About Whales I’m Anna, the author of the blogs in this series for National Marine Week and a PhD student in the Department of Geography. I’m from the United States. What do I Study, why do I study it, and how did I come to study it? I study the stories people tell about historical and contemporary … Continue reading How to Study: Whales

How to Study: Pearls of the Past
In this blog series for National Marine Week, Geography PhD Student Anna Guasco describes the many ways Cambridge postgraduate researchers study life in the ocean. Here she interviews: Tamara Fernando: Marine Historical Ecology and Archival Methods Tamara is a PhD student in the Faculty of History. She is from Sri Lanka. Using a historian’s tools to explore these stories of underwater change, ecosystem variance, and … Continue reading How to Study: Pearls of the Past

How to Study: Seabirds
In this blog series for National Marine Week, Geography PhD Student Anna Guasco describes the many ways Cambridge postgraduate researchers study life in the ocean. Here she interviews: Lily Bentley: Seabird Movement Ecology Lily Bentley is PhD Student in the Department of Zoology. She is from Australia. “We can’t hope to conserve or manage populations of animals that travel vast distances unless we know where … Continue reading How to Study: Seabirds

How to Study: Coastal Ecosystems and Conservation
In this blog series for National Marine Week, Geography PhD Student Anna Guasco describes the many ways Cambridge postgraduate researchers study life in the ocean. Here she interviews: Frédérique Fardin: Mangroves, Fisheries, and Conservation Frédérique is a PhD student with the Department of Geography and the UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre. She is an affiliated researcher with the Nippon Foundation Nereus Program and a … Continue reading How to Study: Coastal Ecosystems and Conservation

How to Study Marine Life in the World’s Changing Seas
In this blog series for National Marine Week, Geography PhD Student Anna Guasco describes the many ways Cambridge postgraduate researchers study life in the ocean: Cambridge isn’t exactly known for marine life. Instead, when thinking of Cambridge, you might picture cows grazing in Midsummer Common or along the River Cam. Pathways winding along the Backs of the old Colleges. Weeping willows and wildflowers. Swans and … Continue reading How to Study Marine Life in the World’s Changing Seas

Crochet a Nautilus: beginners guide
Volunteer Natasha says: This quick and easy little crochet shell is a brilliant way to use up those leftover scraps of yarn and would look great as a decorative addition to any crafty project, like on a cosy blanket or hanging on a mobile! You can use any fibre/material yarn of your choice but be aware that thicker yarns will produce larger shells and the … Continue reading Crochet a Nautilus: beginners guide

National Moth Week 2021
July 17-25 is National Moth Week 2021. To celebrate, we are revisiting a moth trap from 2020, and finding out more about some of the British moths in our collections with Research Assistant Matt Hayes. Why not join us at the BioBlitz in the Cambridge University Botanic Garden on Friday 23 and Saturday 24 July to find out more about moth surveying and see some … Continue reading National Moth Week 2021

The Duke of Burgundy Butterfly
Conserving an endangered butterfly into the future: long term requirements of the Duke of Burgundy. Research Assistant at the Museum of Zoology Matt Hayes writes: Seeing butterflies on the wing is usually a sure-fire sign that warmer weather has arrived and for most of us, I hope they are a common sight on sunny days in spring and summer. In fact, one of my favourite … Continue reading The Duke of Burgundy Butterfly

BioBlitz Cambridge 2021
We are working again with the Botanic Garden to try to count as many species as possible in 24 hours, and we would love you to join us. This year’s BioBlitz is taking place from 5pm on Friday 23 July to 5pm on Saturday 24 July. From hands-on wildlife surveying activities to natural history walks with experts at the top of their field, there is … Continue reading BioBlitz Cambridge 2021