Logo saying Tangled Planet in green intertwined with vines and flowers

Tangled Planet

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

Wildflowers blooming in front of Kings College Chapel

Zoology Live! Goes Urban

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

Mosaic of multi-coloured flags created by children with messages about the importance of nature

Helping Nature Help Us

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

A Children’s Anthology of Insect Recipes

Have you ever eaten a worm? Maybe a locust? Many insects provide more protein per bite than the types of meat and fish that we usually eat. They also take up far less resources to farm, with less land, water, feed, transport and labour going into their production, giving insect protein a much smaller carbon footprint than farming livestock. Caterpillars for dinner? The caterpillar of … Continue reading A Children’s Anthology of Insect Recipes

Frog and snail at the surface of a pond

Zoology Live! 2022: Supporting Wildlife Today

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

Reed warbler in long grasses

Zoology Live! 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

Illustration of ant hill with ants

In with the Insects Trail

For the Cambridge Festival 2022, follow the trail around the Museum to find out about insects and plants and how they evolve together. Follow the trail on your device below, or download and print to take with you here: Follow on your device… Flowering plants often need the help of insects to share pollen to create seeds. Insects carry pollen from one flower to another, … Continue reading In with the Insects Trail

Bird display at the Museum of Zoology

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

Duke of Burgundy Butterfly

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

Red admiral butterfly, Vanessa atalanta. Image credit Andrew Bladon

Butterfly Challenge 2021

Recording butterflies is a great way to engage with wildlife and what’s more, it can help us monitor the health of the environment. Butterflies are sensitive to change, so recording where we see them and what they are doing can help us keep track of the natural world. Please note that our Butterfly Challenge 2021 competition has now ended, but you can still record and … Continue reading Butterfly Challenge 2021

map of Cambridge city with 'spots' showing where to discover wildlife. Illustrations of animals sit on top of map Sticky post

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

Portals to the World: resources for adults with dementia and their care partners

Join us as we explore five species with Museum staff and Department of Zoology researchers, then have a go at a different art activity inspired by the featured animals. These videos and 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, … Continue reading Portals to the World: resources for adults with dementia and their care partners