'Night at the Museum' in Rossland to feature Dr. Gavin Hanke of the Royal BC Museum in Victoria
By Rossland Telegraph
“Night at the Museum” on August 10, from 7:30 to 8:30 pm, will feature Dr. Gavin Hanke of the Royal Museum of BC, and the opportunity to speak with him informally. He will have with him some exhibits — and a vast store of knowledge on vertebrates: that’s all the creatures with backbones, though he doesn’t include humans in his studies. He will be focusing particularly on species at risk, as will the next exhibition at the Rossland Museum.
Hanke posts informative blog entries, accessible here. The most recent one (at time of writing) documents a population of invasive lizards in the City of Victoria. Invasive lizards — who knew?
The night will also include a movie (or more than one) in the Museum’s Cominco Theatre, activities for kids (besides the opportunity to ask questions of an expert), special displays not usually available for viewing, and — if there’s no campfire ban — perhaps a campfire and S’mores. Admission is by donation.
Then, from August 15 to 19, the Roslsand Museum will host a travelling exhibition on “Species at Risk.”
“We created Species at Risk to tell a story that is of critical importance to this province,” explains Prof. Jack Lohman, CEO of the Royal BC Museum. “We are extending our research and expertise to communities around the province to explain better what we do.”
The Royal BC Museum’s travelling exhibition Species at Risk highlights flora and fauna from each region of BC that are at risk of extinction. Every community visited will get to learn about local plants and animals that are at risk and what they can do to help.
Vancouver Island Marmots, Coastal Giant Salamanders, Lewis’ Woodpeckers, White Sturgeon, Marbled Murrelets, Northern Sea Lions, Sockeye Salmon, Pallid Bats and Caribou are just a few of the species at risk discussed in the pop-up exhibition.
The exhibition is animated by two interpreters – one from the Royal BC Museum and the other from The Robert Bateman Centre. Tablets, powered by TELUS, connected to the Royal BC Museum’s Learning Portal (learning.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/pathways/species-at-risk/) allow visitors to read, watch, listen and look at species at risk both onsite and from home.
Species at Risk is housed in an inventively modified trailer produced in-house by the Royal BC Museum. The project is funded in part by the Government of Canada, Quality Foods, The Robert Bateman Centre, and the John and Joan Walton Innovation Fund. TELUS is the official telecommunications partner for Species at Risk.
