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
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
This year we explore the winter wildlife that lives in and around trees, with wildlife films, sustainable crafts and more. We look at the trees around us in the city, trees across the collections in the University of Cambridge, and some of the animals that rely on trees through the winter months. For our livestream on November 27 we were joined by Kenny McGregor, Arboricultural … Continue reading Winter Wildlife in the Trees
In April 2024, a group of 29 Year 12 students from schools and colleges across the UK attended a residential programme run jointly between the Museum of Zoology, Clare College and the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology to create a temporary exhibition for display in the two museums. Trodden Earth was the result. The title and all the text you can see on the blog … Continue reading Trodden Earth
We are excited to announce our Zoology Live! festival for 2024! This year we are exploring the connections between animals in their habitats, and the connections between people and the natural world. Join us online on Wednesday 19 June from 7pm as we broadcast live from the Museum exploring the collections, and get your questions ready for our wildlife experts. You can find on our … Continue reading Zoology Live! Animal Connections
Join us for our celebration of urban wildlife in the colder months. We will be online on Wednesday November 29th from 7-8pm exploring the nature in and around the Museum and our curator of birds, Prof Daniel Field, will be answering your questions about our feathered friends. Then on Saturday December 2nd you can join us in person in the Museum for poetry workshops, hands … Continue reading Winter Wildlife in the City
An exhibition by Cambridge Future Museum Voices Explore the Tangled Planet temporary exhibition at the Museum of Zoology with extended information and images. This exhibition was co-curated with a group of Year 12 students from schools and colleges across the UK. The title, content and text all came from them, created during a week-long residential at Clare College and the Museum of Zoology in April … Continue reading Tangled Planet
It’s that time of year again: time for our Zoology Live! festival. For Zoology Live! 2023 we are exploring the wildlife in our towns and cities. Zoology Live! Online Thursday 29th June 2023, 7pm-8pm Join us live on our YouTube channel as we take a deep dive into the wildlife of the city of Cambridge, jump across the world to find out about urban wildlife … Continue reading Zoology Live! Goes Urban
For Earth Day 2023, the Museum of Zoology worked with schools and families to create displays all about what nature does for us and what we can do for nature. Read on to see these wonderful creations, and for top tips on helping nature and letting nature help you. Helping Nature Help Us with The Grove Primary, Nelson Academy and Lionel Walden Primary School Beginning … Continue reading Helping Nature Help Us
Explore our Butterflies Through Time 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 of our Portals to the World course, we hope that they may be used by you at home and in the Museum too. Printable exhibition guide: This guide has … Continue reading Portals to the World: Butterflies Through Time
In the Zoology Live! livestream on June 22 we explored how we monitor wildlife today, with Dr Julia Mackenzie from Anglia Ruskin University showing how she monitors the nesting birds in Cambridge University Botanic Garden, and Professor Ed Turner of the Museum of Zoology sharing his research into arthropod biodiversity in Southeast Asia: You too can get involved with monitoring wildlife. Get a taste at … Continue reading Zoology Live! 2022: Supporting Wildlife Today
Join us at the Cambridge University Botanic Garden as we search for as many species as we can find in 24 hours. Starting at 5pm on Friday 24 June, we will be joined by a team of experts exploring the plants, animals and other wildlife living in the Botanic Garden. And you can get involved too. We have a whole load of wildlife walks, workshops … Continue reading BioBlitz Cambridge 2022
It is that time of year again – time for us to celebrate our Zoology Live! festival at the Museum of Zoology. We have an exciting line up of livestreams and activities, culminating in the BioBlitz at the Cambridge University Botanic Garden, where you can put what you have learnt about local wildlife to the test. Our Zoology Live! YouTube livestreams are taking place on … Continue reading Zoology Live! 2022
A word-based puzzle game where the answer is always a species of British bird. This can include migrant and visiting birds, or birds that stay all year-round. Have a go and share with your friends! How to play Guess the Birdle in 6 tries. Each guess must be a valid word, the answer will be the name of a bird that lives in the UK. … Continue reading Birdle: wordle for bird-lovers
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
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