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
Sofia Dartnell, PhD student in the Department of Zoology, writes: You’ve heard of honeybees, but who are those big, fluffy bees taking flight as it gets warmer each spring? These are bumblebees, a group of about 260 species that are the larger cousins of honeybees. Bumblebees are known for their ‘buzz pollination’ abilities, physically buzzing flowers at a different frequency than other bee species to … Continue reading The life of the cuckoo bumblebee
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
To celebrate World Bee Day 2021 our staff and volunteers have been filming the bees they see. Watch our video below to see what they found: Observing bee behaviour There’s lots of different types of bee behaviour, even in this short video. From hairy-footed flower bees digging to honey bees collecting pollen. Did you see the nomad bee trying to cut a blade of grass? … Continue reading World Bee Day 2021
Join us online for this year’s Zoology Live! Festival. We were live on YouTube at 7pm every evening from Wednesday 30 June to Friday 2 July. Missed it? Fear not – you can still catch up on all the livestreams. Just scroll down and you can find them in this blog post. You can also take part in our challenges all summer. This year we … Continue reading Zoology Live! 30 June – 2 July 2021
Dr William Foster, Emeritus Curator of Insects, writes: It is the world of smells that is most cruelly crushed by the cold of winter. Even on the chilliest days our eyes and ears have something to feast on. The bare branches still pattern the sky, the holly berries glow against the glossy leaves, and the blackbirds sing. But for our nostrils the diet of odours … Continue reading Five minutes in nature: The Joy of Winter Fragrance
It’s easy to think of ways animals need plants. We need them for food and shelter, and they provide us with oxygen to breathe. But plants need animals too, and one way they need animals in for pollination. What is pollination? How does it work? Why is it important? Find out in this week’s Nature Classroom. These activities support learning in the following areas: Identify … Continue reading Pollinators
Have you seen any bumblebees this summer? They often look more round and furry than other bees. They visit flowers to collect nectar and pollen, helping to pollinate plants as they go! Learn more about bumblebees from Ed Turner in the video below, or scroll down to get started on your Crafty Creature: Creating your bumblebee… You will need: Cardboard Wool or string(we’ve used yellow … Continue reading Create a Bumblebee
Bumblebees are among the best pollinators of any flower-visiting insects. This is for several reasons. Firstly, they are quite large and can fly long distances between flowers, transporting pollen. Secondly, they are covered with long hairs that help the bee to gather pollen but also transfer it from flower to flower. The third reason is because of a special buzzing technique the bees have (sometimes … Continue reading Early morning bumblebees
May 20th is World Bee Day. But why should we care about bees? Museum Research Assistant Matt Hayes explains why we should celebrate these amazing insects. Continue reading World Bee Day
Museum of Zoology Blog 