Are you a nature enthusiast, novice naturalist, or do you simply enjoy exploring the outdoors? Collecting and sharing our experiences in nature has come a long, long way. What began with pencils, notepads and sketches has evolved into an incredibly advanced tool that fits in your pocket—say hello to Alberta’s brand-new citizen science app, NatureLynx! [...]
Want to earn points for doing good things for the environment? Play Eco-earner, an ecosystem services game that promotes the concept of earning points for demonstrating good environmental management, using game principles and technology. When we think of ecosystem services we often focus on the biophysical aspects of the environment. However, an important aspect of [...]
For the second year in a row, the ABMI has been blown away by your entries into our annual photo contest. Our goal of celebrating the beauty of Alberta’s biodiversity through story-telling photographs of species, habitats and human land use was easily achieved thanks to your participation. The 2015 contest included submissions from 48 contestants, with 69 [...]
Above: Elk Island National Park by Yuyu Yao It’s time to dust off your camera lenses and start snapping images: the ABMI’s second-annual photo contest is back! Help us tell the story of Alberta’s species, habitats and human land use through the most powerful storytelling tool: photography. We want to see what your Alberta looks [...]
On June 21st, the grounds of the Calgary Stampede were literally underwater, submerged due to heavy and unrelenting rain in Southern Alberta. Amazingly, Stampede 101 opened “come hell or high water” on July 5th and was as fun and entertaining as ever. Flood recovery – at breakneck speed – set the dramatic context for the [...]
The ABMI is excited to announce its participation in Nature Alberta’s Young Naturalists Club Family Nature Nights in Edmonton this summer. The Young Naturalists Club is designed to provide (fun!) educational materials and field trips to youth and families who enjoy learning about nature and the wild outdoors. Registered YNC families receive resources through the [...]
Specimens go in – data comes out; but the ABMI Processing Centre is more than just a taxonomic sweat shop. Behind the scenes at the Royal Alberta Museum, ABMI’s taxonomic experts are conducting research and engaging with the next generation of young scientists. One of the Royal Alberta Museum’s strengths has always been its active [...]
Another hand shot up, the little girl squirmed, stretched and strained to get the attention of Jim Herbers, who was giving classroom workshops to Kindergarten and Grade 2 students at Edmonton’s Holyrood Elementary School on May 31. Finally… relief. The little girl was chosen to answer Jim’s question: “Does anyone know what this is?” Jim [...]