For those of you who have enjoyed my blogs on the creation of the Birch Bark Canoe you will be interested in seeing the video of how it was made. During the intensive 7 days we spent making the canoe Lakeland Public Television documented the construction of the birch bark canoe step by step. Scott Knudson filmed much of the activity and interviewed each of us about the canoe and what it meant…
Monthly Archives: May 2012
Planning the North American Prairie Conference
For the last several months I have been helping to organize the 23rd North American Prairie Conference (NAPC) (http://www.napc2012.org/) which will be held at the University of Manitoba from August 6-10. This is first time that this conference has been held in western Canada (it is usually held in the mid to western U.S.). I’m looking forward to learning more about prairie conservation and restoration initiatives from other Canadians as…
Posted in Botany Comments closed
Replicating rex
The Manitoba Museum is home to many unusual and unique specimens. Among the most remarkable is the world’s largest complete trilobite, the holotype specimen of the species Isotelus rex. Over the years we have occasionally received requests from other museums for replicas of this striking fossil. More than a decade ago, before the specimen ever went on exhibit, we had a mould prepared by an outside contractor who also made…
Posted in Collections & Research, Exhibit, Geology & Paleontology Tagged Churchill, fossils, museum, paleontology, trilobite Comments closed
The virtuous dandelion
On occasion I’ve met people who would ask, in reference to a plant that I was studying, “what good is it?” I was initially somewhat baffled because I assumed that most people knew that plants are needed for an ecosystem to function properly, and that since ecosystems provide humans with clean water and air, they are important. But sadly many people view species from a complete utilitarian viewpoint, assuming that…
Posted in Botany Comments closed
Step 5 Birch Bark Canoe
On day 7 Myra and I awoke to another beautiful day. We decided that we would complete all the sewing, attaching the gunwale caps and final triming but would not pitch the canoe. Grant had offered to complete this last stage after we returned to Winnipeg. We all marvelled at the beauty of the canoe now that it has the final shape. It is amazing that in one week we could…
Posted in Archaeology, News Comments closed
