First developed in 1974 as the “Urban Gallery,” this visitor favourite has undergone some major changes over the last four years. The gallery was always meant to represent…

In profound sadness, we honour and remember Senator Murray Sinclair – “Mazina Giizhik” (the One Who Speaks of Pictures in the Sky), a towering figure in history, whose legacy of courage, resilience, and fight for justice will endure for generations.

What do you think of first when you think of a museum specimen? A taxidermy bison? A pinned butterfly? The skeleton of an entire pliosaur? A museum could answer with…

By the time you read this, Earth will have not just one but two comets visiting our corner of the solar system. These objects remind us that our planet is part of…

Manitobans will have a chance to catch a comet this October (2024). Comet C/2023 A3, a.k.a. Comet Tsuchinshen-ATLAS, will be visible in our evening sky beginning…

October is a great month for stargazing. Aside from the cooler temperatures and earlier sunsets, we have at least one reasonably-bright comet…

Manitoba’s native prairies are endangered because most of them have been cultivated for annual crop production. As a result, some of the rarest species of plants in the province are found in the prairies. The Manitoba Museum helps to document where the rarest plants grow by conducting careful surveys of the prairies that remain. Some of the rare plants are tiny and can only be seen by pawing through the thick grasses.

As we approach the annual National Day for Truth & Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day, folks maybe be curious about their role in Truth & Reconciliation. Many Indigenous leaders and community members have urged that truth needs to come before reconciliation, followed by action to create meaningful impact. Museums have a uniquely important role in changing past narratives and practices to move forward with ReconciliACTION.

We are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Grand Chief Cathy Merrick, and offer our sincerest condolences to her husband, children, grandchildren, her home community of Pimicikamak Cree Nation, and all her relations.

I lived in Yellowknife for ten years where the seasons are definitely pronounced. Downtown Yellowknife wraps around a small lake and I used to shop at stores on the other side. Shopping in winter was easier because I didn’t have to go around the lake – I could just walk across the ice. For the rest of the year, I faced a longer trek to reach my destination.

August brings the return of some planets to the evening sky, the most famous meteor shower of the year, and longer nights than we’ve seen…

Sometimes objects come in to the Archaeology lab that aren’t really artifacts, but are still interesting in their own right.

The Museum has a rich collection of Chinese-Canadian artifacts that have been donated over many decades.

A meteor (a.k.a. falling star, shooting star) looks like a bright streak across the starry sky that lasts for a second or two before fading away. Most people believe they are rare enough that you should make a wish when you see one, but they are surprisingly common if you watch the sky a lot. On any given night with no Moon, if you get away from city lights and watch the sky continuously, you’ll see up to a half-dozen meteors per hour. Any light sources – the Moon, city lights, you phone – will reduce that number to near zero.

There are many plant species with edible fruit in Manitoba. Wild fruits make a nutritious snack when you are out hiking…

Adapting to life in a new city or country can come with many challenges and successes. This video with Dr. Roland Sawatzky looks at how the experiences…

Celestial events as seen from Manitoba for July 2024.

Sometimes archaeologists find things in Manitoba that seem like they shouldn’t be here. We don’t have volcanos – how did obsidian get here?

Cedar Lake amber is from the Cretaceous era, which means that dinosaurs were roaming through the forests at the time that it formed…

We’re thrilled to announce the new project, Anishinaabemowin with Amik, with the support of Telus Friendly Future Foundation….

Here in Winnipeg we love a good celebration! Coming together for festivals, sports, and cultural events help us share what it means to be Winnipeggers.

Throughout this important month, the Manitoba Museum celebrates the tangible and intangible heritage of the First Nations, Metis, and Inuit communities of Manitoba…

Sometimes the storage drawers and cupboards that contain the Museum Collection need a little TLC to ensure they’re keeping specimens and artifacts as safe as possible.

This week is Museum Week and today’s theme, Water, coincides with World Oceans Day! Join Mika in the Science Gallery as she shares…

Toad surveying, mummifying carrots, hosting conferences, researching artifacts and specimens, and more! It’s the first day of Museum Week..

Water has been a major influence on the development of Winnipeg throughout its 150-year history. Learn about our rivers, floods, and drinking water…

Pronghorns are sometimes called Antelope because of their visual similarities, but recent research shows they’re actually more closely related to Giraffes! In this video,…

Many Museum visitors will remember Madame Taro’s room in the Winnipeg 1920 Cityscape, but do you know how many artifacts are in this room?

Picture this: You’re working alone in the collections room, inspecting the insect collection for evidence of pests, when you hear a noise…

This amazing Chinese alcove bed was donated to the Museum about five years ago, and we recently had a chance to set it up and get some beautiful…

What is a “brood parasite”? Find out in this video with Learning & Engagement Producer Erin, as he tells us about a ‘piggybacking’ bird.

Last year the Manitoba Museum piloted a new program to provide community members increased access to Museum collections…

Canadian armed forces are part of the historical fabric of Winnipeg. Join Dr. Roland Sawatzky to learn about some Winnipeg veterans…

Tashina Houle-Schlup is the Head of Indigenous Programming & Engagement and we love having her on the Museum team! …

The Manitoba Museum celebrated its 50th anniversary at its current Rupert Avenue location in 2020, but did you know that collecting and preserving artifacts and specimens in Manitoba started in an official capacity around 1879?

Cedar Lake amber is from the Cretaceous era, which means that dinosaurs were roaming through the forests at the time that it formed…

Winnipeg citizens have been fighting inequality and racism for over one hundred years. Join Dr. Roland Sawatzky in the Winnipeg Gallery.

Are you cheering on the Jets as they hit the playoff ice again tonight? In part two of our peek into the Winnipeg Jets collection,…

The Winnipeg Jets are going to the playoffs! Skate back through their history in this video to see some of the neat artifacts in the Jets Collection…

Every year on April 22, we celebrate our home, the Earth, and all the wonderful things it provides us – from the food that nourishes our body, the shelter and clothing that keeps us warm, to the air and water that allow us to live and breathe…

This stone in the entrance to the Prairies Gallery is more than just a big rock. It represents the bison rubbing stones that are icons of the prairies…

There’s a solar eclipse that will be visible from Manitoba taking place on April 8, 2024 and you won’t want to miss it! …

Join Dr. Roland Sawatzky in the Winnipeg Gallery to see some of the artifacts newcomers to Canada and Winnipeg brought with them…

The tools that conservators use to fix, repair, and clean objects are pretty unique, in that many of these items come from different professions…

Did you ever grab a meal at the C. Kelekis Restaurant during its time as a Winnipeg staple? Check out some Kelekis memorabilia in the…

On April 8, 2024, viewers across North America will have an amazing opportunity to experience the motions of the solar system in real time…

The tools Conservator’s use to fix, repair, and clean objects in a Museum collection are pretty unique …

Join Science Communicator Adriana in the Science Gallery to check out one of our newest exhibits – the magnetic ball wall…

Join Curator of History Dr. Roland Sawatzky in the Winnipeg Gallery to learn some of the early history of the city of Winnipeg…

Trilobites tend to be well-preserved in the fossil record, but some of the fossil trilobites in the Museum Collection look like pieces of their head are missing…

The many natural history specimens in our exhibitions are familiar to Museum-goers. The dioramas and displays introduce Manitoba’s incredible diversity of life…

Celestial events as seen from Manitoba for March 2024.

Details of the April 8, 2024 solar eclipse as seen from Manitoba…

In Manitoba there are many different types of fungus, some of which are even parasitic! Meet a few of the species that can be found here…

Winter in Manitoba is not generally a time for animals to breed. Resources are scarce – many species have migrated and those that remain…

Animals today are mindbogglingly diverse, encompassing flies and flamingoes, elephants and earthworms, sharks and snails, and of course, ourselves.

Join Dr. Roland Sawatzky in the Winnipeg Gallery to learn about some of the history of Winnipeg as an Indigenous homeland…

Do you know the history of valentine’s cards? Learn more about Valentine’s Day and check out some unique valentines cards from…

As you trek across the snowy landscape in a (typical) Manitoba winter, one of the last creatures you might expect to be sharing the trail with is an insect…

Badgers and coyotes sometimes use their unique adaptations to work together in hunting small rodents like the Richardson Ground squirrel…

This year is the 150th anniversary of the City of Winnipeg. In 1874 it promoted itself from a small village nestled within the larger Red River Settlement…

February skies usually mark a transition point between winter and spring, with…

Long winter nights are perfect for sky watching! In this video, Planetarium Astronomer Scott Young will show you how to find the constellation Orion…

Did you know that vibrations and gravity can change the dioramas in the Museum Galleries? These dioramas are cared for by our Conservation team,…

The city of Winnipeg turns 150 this year, with today being the anniversary of the first meeting of City Council! Join Dr. Roland Sawatzky in…

As you travel through the Manitoba Museum, you’re transported to various places and times by the dioramas in the galleries. These dioramas…

You may have visited a museum and wondered why some spaces are a bit dark, or have motion sensor lights. it’s because…

Working with youth always fascinates me. Their enthusiasm, creativity, and eagerness to learn are contagious…

Before the HBC Museum Collection was donated to the Manitoba Museum, it was displayed elsewhere…

Here in Manitoba when our roads and sidewalks get icy in the winter, we may put down various kinds of deicer…

As the Assistant Conservator at the Manitoba Museum, one of my main duties is the preservation and maintenance of all the dioramas …

December features the best meteor shower of the year, as well as the return of the winter constellations to early evening prominence.

Are you doing any baking this holiday season? Learn about the four main spices that go into a classic gingerbread…

You may have heard of spear points or arrowheads before, but have you heard of atlatl dart points? Curator of Archaeology…

December is the time of year when people tend to eat desserts with lots of spices in them, including…

Giving Tuesday is the world’s largest generosity movement, unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world.

A common human trait is to obtain and store our belongings. And, maybe without even thinking, storing them…

Does your house shift with the seasons? So does the Nonsuch! Learn how the Conservation Team tracks the expansion…

The Nonsuch is the largest artifact in the Museum and requires special conservation. Join Senior Conservator Carolyn…

Dearest Manitoba Museum friends, First, thank you for being here. I appreciate how much information we receive on any given day, and how overwhelming it can feel.

In 1973, the Nonsuch replica made its final resting place at the Manitoba Museum where it has become…

November brings colder weather, which quickly becomes the dominating factor for most sky observers…

The month of October is affectionately called ‘spooky season’ by many folks. While the word spooky…

October is when bats – or their silhouettes, at least – are hard to miss! You’ll likely come across multiple houses this month proudly displaying these winged wonders alongside jack-o-lanterns and witches. However, these fascinating flying mammals won’t be joining in on the fun of trick-or-treating. By the end of September, three of Manitoba’s bat species will have migrated south to find food, whereas the other three will be hibernating locally.

How do pulleys work? Join Adriana in the Science Gallery to learn about these simple machines exhibited in the pulley chairs!

On Saturday, October 14, 2023, worlds will align. The Moon will pass between the Sun and the Earth…

With Orange Shirt Day (National Day for Truth and Reconciliation) on the horizon, folks might be…

The Manitoba Museum is no stranger to cameras in our collection. We care for 103 of them, to be exact…

Have you ever seen the stars? Like, really SEEN them, from a dark place, far away from the lights of the city. If you have, you’ll know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t, you are missing one of the great beauties of the natural world.

Walking into the Manitoba Museum’s Earth History Gallery, you see an enticing undersea scene in the…

Early in my days working with the human history collection, I was searching for a medical-related artifact in…

Fungi grow just about everywhere and yet we are usually ignorant of their presence until they produce mushrooms in our lawns…

My first day at the Manitoba Museum began with a guided behind-the-scenes tour through the research labs…

It’s almost Valentines Day and the flower that most people associate with that holiday is bright red.

I recently wrote a fun little article with some facts about Nonsuch for the local newspaper, but I…

This November, all of Manitoba is treated to a total lunar eclipse. Totally safe to view, this event…

To celebrate Islamic History Month, I thought I would share this recent beautiful donation we have received at the Museum…

Last year the Rempel-Ong family donated the “Head Tax” Certificate of Yee Chung Yen, a distant relative. The family and Museum staff have…

As we pass through life we accumulate scars, each of which tells a story about an event that affected us. This white line on my hand shows where I fell hard…

This summer I went from Manitoba’s southern-most border all the way to its northern one within just a week. I was fascinated…

When the Ukrainian Canadian Legion Branch 141 building closed on Selkirk Avenue at the end of March 2022,…

August brings with it hot summer days, earlier sunsets, and the annual Perseid meteor shower. Here’s how to get the best view…

A current and ongoing problem for museums is collection storage space. Maximizing space for expanding collections requires…

After the Second World War, hundreds of branches of the Royal Canadian Legion were established across Canada where veterans of the war…

You may have heard the old saying that “nature abhors a vacuum”. To understand this expression, you probably…

When I tell people I am writing a book that describes all of the plants that grow in Manitoba, they are often incredulous…

When most people think of plants, they typically picture flowers: cherry trees in bloom, colourful tulips and…

One of our most popular exhibits at the Museum is the immersive experience of the “Winnipeg 1920 Cityscape”. Built in 1974,…

Like many of you, I am eagerly awaiting spring so that I can start planting my vegetable garden. There’s nothing better…

Bison rubbing stones are icons of the prairies. These large stones were originally transported south by Ice Age glaciers, then left behind on the prairies…

A Manitoba winter, especially this one, without the friendly, buzzy, “chick-a-dee-dee” calls of our neighbourhood black-capped chickadees…

Over the past two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has played a central, and disruptive role in all our lives. In the coming decades…

Insect specimens must be stabilized for storage and to make them safer to handle. This is where skill meets art, and a little luck!

On the surface, plant sex seems pretty simple. Birds and bees transfer pollen from one flower to another and voila…

We have all seen those lifeless mannequins looking sad and lonely in a store’s window front, longing…

At the edge of the solar system, there is a cloud of small, icy objects that are left over from the formation of the solar system…

Beginning in 2012, The Museum’s curators worked together to plan exhibits for the Bringing Our Stories Forward project (BOSF). As we travelled around the…

With the days growing ever shorter, I find myself thinking about light and how we tend to take for granted the hard work that plants do,…

This last summer the Museum installed a new permanent exhibit about William Beal in our Parklands Gallery. Beal was a settler from…

The Museum opened our newly renovated Prairies Gallery just last spring with spectacular new exhibits on the intriguing and…

In the 1930s the people of the Canadian prairies experienced both an economic collapse and an environmental disaster…

Doing biological field work always comes with challenges. Since I began working at the Museum in 2003, the summers…

Like many of you, I enjoy walking through my neighbourhood and smelling the sweet fragrances of the summer flowers…

More than 440 million years ago, during the Ordovician Period, northern Manitoba was at the edge of a sea near the equator…

August brings the Perseids meteor shower, an annual event that gets many people looking skyward. In recent years,…

In recognition and celebration of National Indigenous History Month, we’re featuring an artifact from Private David Thomas, a Peguis First Nation soldier…

On the morning of June 10, 2021, early risers across Manitoba will see a partial eclipse of the sun from most of Manitoba…

Plants and fungi were challenging organisms to include in our new Prairies Gallery because most of our…

If you’re an observant person, you may have noticed colourful things growing on Manitoba’s trees and rocks…

When the Museum opens to the public again, our visitors will be in for a pleasant surprise. The very first of our nine galleries,…

To celebrate Black History Month, I wanted to share an important collection that helps to illuminate Black history in mid-20th century Manitoba…

Whether professional or amateur, Winnipeggers love their sports. Winnipeg’s relationship with sports is part of the Winnipeg Gallery…

One of the most impressive plant specimens at the Manitoba Museum is a huge, preserved grass that shows the entire root system…

The Manitoba Museum is pleased to announce the launch of DOME @HOME: The Stars Belong to Everyone….

As you may have heard, on December 21, the planets Jupiter and Saturn will be very close together in the sky, an event called a conjunction.

I recently read that, thanks to Covid-19, there’s been a run on Christmas trees because so many people are staying home for the holidays this year.

Explore the stars from your own backyard! This page has resources for budding astronomers and scientists of all ages. Build your own star clock, track the International Space Station, connect with local Manitoba astronomy groups, and more.

Choosing a first telescope is bit like buying a car – there’s no “best” car, but there is the one that will work best for you. Find out what elements to consider with Planetarium Astronomer Scott Young.

The Winnipeg General Strike is central to Winnipeg’s collective consciousness; however, Black workers and union members are often overlooked in narratives of the strike…

Soil is sometimes called “dirt”, as if it is something completely devoid of value. But without healthy soil, there would be no food, and without food…

Closed Gentian was always a puzzle to me. When I first saw a picture of it in a field guide, I assumed that the photographer had simply…

In 1895 William and Isabel Brockinton had a charming Gothic cottage built on their homestead south of Melita, Manitoba. In our new Prairies Gallery we will be featuring a small touchable model and a full scale stone replica wall section of this now abandoned home.

Comet C/2020 F3 NEOWISE has become the brightest comet in years, and it will be getting better this week. The comet is best seen…

A week ago I posted a blog about a rare plant that I had been searching for in the West Hawk Lake area: climbing fumitory. Since then I’ve had several people ask…

There’s a pretty bright comet in the morning sky right now, with the poetic name of NEOWISE C/2020 F3. The NEOWISE satellite…

Eighty years ago, Manitoba botanist Charles W. Lowe collected a plant from the West Hawk Lake area, not realizing that it would be the last time…

We share our world with billions of other organisms and they play a crucial role in our survival, providing the ecosystem services that keep us alive…

In October 2019 the Manitoba Museum opened the Winnipeg Gallery, a permanent new exhibition space about the history and people of Winnipeg. The gallery features a large stained glass window that displays the old city crest.

It is pretty well known that plants differ from animals due to their ability to make their own food using just carbon dioxide, water and sunlight through a process called photosynthesis…

International Astronomy Day is Saturday, May 2, 2020, and we’re celebrating with online programming and a virtual telescope party.

Amongst the many and varied Natural History Collections at the Manitoba Museum, is a most unusual collection of ‘cases’. These unique display cases…

As a repository for over 2.8 million artifacts and specimens, the Manitoba Museum possesses a collection…

Canada’s trees have developed some resistance to native diseases and insect pests. However, climate change has been facilitating more forest damage.

With changes happening throughout the museum, we sometimes find opportunities to update existing exhibits and breathe new life into old favourites…

Welcome to spring! Or at least it’s supposed to be… astronomers tell us that spring in the northern hemisphere began on March 19…

Winnipeg residents have been reporting some unusual sightings in the night sky over the past few days. Bright star-like objects have been seen moving across the sky…

Throughout its history, the Hudson’s Bay Company had a tradition of recruiting young men from Scotland to serve as clerks, traders,…

We humans tend to think that diseases affect only animals but plants suffer from them as well. Diseases are caused by microscopic animals, fungi,…

One of the most significant contributions that America’s Indigenous peoples have made is with respect…

This month brings skywatchers a rare sight: a total eclipse of the red planet Mars by our Moon. The event is visible across much of North America…

It’s time for the sweaty part of the blog – not the panicky sweating type of emotion I first experienced…

Many plants use the wind to disperse their seeds. But what if a plant lives somewhere that isn’t very windy? How do they encourage their children to “launch”?

Just like all creatures, plants want to reproduce themselves. But they typically don’t want their offspring hanging around for too long, eating all the food in the fridge…

Thursday, November 20, 2019 may provide a rare meteor outburst – but only for a few minutes. The annual Monocerotid meteor shower normally produces about 1 or 2 meteors per hour – and that’s if the sky is dark with no moon. But this year, an outburst is predicted to occur at 10:50 p.m. Central Standard Time, and southern Manitoba is predicted to be cloud-free. So what’s going on?

This summer I spent some time doing what badgers do: digging. What was I digging for? Plant roots. Usually when I collect plants for the Museum I take only a few stems of the above ground portion so that the plant doesn’t die. But this time I needed roots: long ones.

Water-saturated bogs and burning hot, cactus-covered sand dunes are not the kinds of habitats that you would expect to find…

Now that the weather is nice and warm, you’re probably seeing pollinators flying about. The main insect pollinators in Manitoba are…

The loss of biodiversity and plight of wild pollinators has been all over the news lately. If you’re interested in doing something to make life easier…

Dioramas are incredible works of “science meets art”. Planning the layout, construction, and content often takes years,…

If you want to see the blood pressure rise in a conservator, display really big, historically significant,…

The incredible diversity of the Museum’s herbarium can only be credited to the dedicated collectors of botanical specimens, both modern and historical…

I personally feel a little sorry for plants. When plants want to have sex they can’t just go to a bar to meet someone…

Before artifacts go on exhibition in the galleries, they come to the conservation lab for assessment and treatment if necessary…

During the Great War, 8,579 people were sent to internment camps in Canada. Over 5,000 of them were Austro-Hungarian, or Ukrainian,…

During the Great War Canada interned thousands of German and Ukrainian immigrants. Internment camps were set up across the country….

Visitors to the Manitoba Museum are currently enjoying two hockey themed exhibitions examining the meaning of hockey in the lives of…

The Manitoba Museum receives calls daily inquiring if we are interested in receiving artifacts or specimens for our collections…

This year, our Museum foyer has featured an exhibit of unusual fossils in the New Acquisitions Case. This exhibit, Finding the Impossible: Unique Tropical Fossils from William Lake, Manitoba, included a video “slide show” that documented the expeditions during which we collected these fossils. My colleague remarked to me the other day that this slide show should be shared widely using the Museum blog; this post, and some subsequent ones, will do just that!

I’m a landlubber I admit it. How could I not be? I’m from Saskatchewan. That’s the driest place in the country! …

This home chemistry set came into the conservation lab for treatment after being selected for display…

This summer, I was given the amazing opportunity to work at the Manitoba Museum through the Young Canada Woks program…

Last week I spent some time looking for rare and under-collected plants in the “Turtle Mountains” of Manitoba…

This classic tale of “boy meets girl, Dad doesn’t approve”, has been told since the 2nd century B.C.E. and celebrated in summer festivals in China, Japan, and Korea…

The highlight of August sky observing is the Perseid meteor shower. A meteor shower is a high occurrence of shooting stars over several days…

For the last 13 years I have spent part of my summer studying beautiful plants; plants with big displays of nice-smelling flowers…

I was watching an old episode of “The Big Bang Theory” and Sheldon asked Stephanie what her favorite fruit was…

Fifteen year old Eleanor Geib and eighteen year old James “Jimmy” Brady met at a dance hall on Strood Avenue in North Kildonan…

Water-lilies have the largest flowers of all Manitoba plants. Unfortunately, because they grow in deep water, the only time you can usually see these…

Most of the plants in the Museums’ dioramas are real plants that have been preserved and often painted. However, in some cases…

When people come to the Museum and see our dioramas they are usually impressed with the majestic, taxidermied animals in them…

This January what I like to call the Museum’s “Charlie Brown Christmas Tree” in the Arctic/Subarctic Gallery, got polished up with some new…

Although Christmas is considered to be a “Christian” holiday, many of the rituals we associate with it, such as kissing under mistletoe, are actually pagan in origin. European mistletoe (Viscum album) was considered to be a magical plant by Druidic priests because it mysteriously grew on the branches of trees without its roots reaching the soil.

You may have heard the old adage, attributed to either Napoleon or Frederick the Great, an army travels on its stomach…

When people find out I’m a botanist they always start asking me about their houseplants. Unfortunately, I really don’t know much about houseplants as they are pretty much all tropical or desert plants, not native species, which is where my expertise lies.

We humans are not the only ones who like to dress up; sometimes animals disguise themselves to look like something else, like we do at Hallowe’en. They may be trying to…

Our human history collection is full of special objects, highlighting significant points in Manitoba’s past –like Cuthbert Grant’s medicine chest or the replica of the Nonsuch…

One of the first papers on pollination I tried to publish got rejected because I had data from only one field season. So I withdrew the paper and did another year of research. But why is having two years of data so important? It is mainly because the world is a messy place.

It has been an exciting summer as the Collections and Conservation Assistant summer student at the Manitoba Museum. This is not my first job in a museum…

Legacies of Confederation: A New Look at Manitoba History, tells many inspiring stories and is supported by several amazing artifacts and specimens. Most visitors…

As many people have heard, there is a solar eclipse occurring on Monday, August 21, 2017. On that day, the Moon will pass in front of the Sun from our point of view here on Earth…

Usually when I do field work I’m by myself. But sometimes I get the feeling that I’m being watched. The main things that have been watching me this year are the cows.

Where do all the dead animals come from? People sometimes think that Museum staff regularly go out and kill birds and other animals for displays. This is not the case…

Once again I am studying pollinators at the Nature Conservancy’s Yellow Quill Prairie Preserve just south of Canadian Forces Base Shilo. Last year I made the mistake of starting my field surveys too late…

This is a blog about pollination. It’s gonna be great! You’ll love it. I write the best blogs. There’s this one plant—it’s a Goldenrod—it is THE best plant for pollinators…

Have you ever seen an uprooted tree while walking in a forest? If so, you might have noticed strands of white thread-like structures attached to the tree roots and running through the soil. What you were seeing were mycorrhizal fungi.

When the weather turns cold many of us pull out handcrafted quilts and afghans. The comfort they bring often goes beyond the mere physical and can make us feel as if…

Have you ever wondered why the only fresh mushrooms you can get in stores are button, cremini and portabello? Or why the fancy mushrooms, like morels and chanterelles are generally only available dried?

When Manitoba became part of Canada in 1870 the stage was set for one of the largest land transformations in history. In the last 150 years nearly all of Manitoba’s wild prairies…

Medals that commemorate important events in a nation’s history fill every history museum collection around the planet. Collectors and antique traders adore medals, but let’s be honest…

After Manitoba entered Confederation in 1870 and the Canadian government negotiated Treaty No. 1 with First Nations leaders, Canada began to actively engage…

Tasting is something we do everyday but many of the things we think we know about taste are actually wrong. So let the debunking begin!

At the Museum’s recent Surviving the Apocalypse Night participants were asked a variety of questions about the nutritional value of certain foods. Sadly, very few people…

This summer I spent three glorious weeks exploring museum collections, historic ships, archaeological…

Late fall is when a number of interesting Canadian fungi produce mushrooms. Some are edible, some are smelly, and some are deadly…

It was with some sadness that I finished my last field work of the season at the Nature Conservancy’s Yellow Quill Prairie. It will be many long, cold months before I get to go…

A new planet has been discovered outside our Solar System. That wouldn’t normally be big news, since astronomers have discovered about 3,200 exoplanets…

Usually cow pies are extremely uninteresting features of a prairie landscape (and one to usually avoid) but this month something funny was happening with them…

Every year, the annual Perseid meteor shower occurs around August 11 and 12. However, 2016 is predicted to be a much more active shower than in previous years. What can we expect, why is it happening, and how can you see it yourself?

Wetland plants are the least commonly collected and photographed plants in Manitoba for good reasons. For starters they’re protected by the most vicious gangs of thugs you can imagine…

Last week I started my field season by getting down on my hands and knees to collect plants and pollinators at the Yellow Quill Prairie Preserve, which is owned…

This Monday, Manitobans can witness a rare astronomical event that at once demonstrates some of the most important principles of the Universe. All you need is clear skies… and a special telescope….

Compared to colourful birds with elaborate mating rituals, the sex lives of plants and fungi seem downright boring. Thus I am pleased to bring to you my list of Canada’s sexiest plants…

As we have worked our way through the pliosaur exhibit project, we have come up against a series of problems that have required novel solutions. About a month…

Recently I became aware of a 100 year old collection of seeds located not in the Botany collection, but in the History collection. What were 100 years old seeds doing in the history lab…?

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, flower sales are set to soar. Men give flowers to women to increase the chances that they’ll get some lovin’…

This has been a busy week for solar system news. For early risers, you can see all five of the naked-eye planets at the same time before sunrise. This week also saw…

Last year an interview I did for the BBC Northern Ireland documentary Brave New World – Canada aired on television. This documentary, by journalist William Crawley…

If you think about how Museum paleontologists get fossils, you might guess that we go out and find where the fossils are, extract all of them from the rock and…

Those of us who live in Winnipeg know that fossils are never far away. Many Winnipeg structures feature surfaces clad in Tyndall Stone, a fossil-rich…

At some time or another, we have all experienced a really satisfying day at work, or perhaps more…