Beaty Biodiversity Museum

         This past weekend- this the out of town cousins in tow- we decided to check out the Beaty Biodiversity Museum at the University Of British Columbia. A few months ago the Mr. and I caught a documentary on the old television about a blue whale skeleton found in P.E.I- called Raising Big Blue- we were surprised to discover that the final destination for Big Blue was our very own city.  Saturday was the perfect day to engage in some tourism and education at the same time!

       The Beaty Biodiversity Museum is a gem- when we walked into the main hall we were immediately impressed with the blue whale skeleton spanning the length of the entire museum- this was what we had come for and it did not disappoint! Heading down the ramp to the lower level- under the giant maw of Big Blue - we were not sure what to expect- turning the corner we discovered a most amazing biological collection.

       It is difficult to capture in words the extensiveness of the collection found at the Beaty- cases and cases of taxidermy specimens to be observed at the viewers leisure. Everything from the tiniest of hummingbird eggs to the largest of Ostrich eggs are displayed- along with specimens from our own natural back yards. Many of our questions regarding tidal pool finds from over the summer were answered! 

        The Beaty engages both adults curiosity as well as the young- with interactive displays- drawers to open and discover at all levels of sight. A kid's area with crafts put on by volunteers is located at the back of the museum- as well as a discovery area, movie theater playing Raising Big Blue and regular tours offer something for everyone.

           We all loved our visit to the Beaty Biodiversity Museum- it was fun watching the Littles discover things they had never seen before. Personally I can hardly wait to get back there with a sketch book in hand on my own- do a bit of life drawing and engage my inner naturalist!