Some years ago, I was invited to see the Beaty Museum of Biodiversity on the University of B.C. campus. I never got there, but I always regretted not making more of an effort.
This week, Spring Break, I decided to remedy that and visit the museum with my grandchildren, Maya and Banks.
Maya and Banks at Beaty Museum
At the entrance, the first thing you see is a superb and huge skeleton of the world’s largest creature – a 26 metre long blue whale. It’s a spectacular sight.
Within a minute, you learn a lot – that this whale has the heart the size of a car and that it is the length of two school buses and much more.
Blue Whale at the Beaty
The skeleton is positioned as if the whale is about to dive into the depths. Its huge mouth is wide open. Astonishing size.
You might think, what else could there be to see after this. I mean, it does seem as if the museum has given away its most striking exhibit in the first minute, even before you pay your admission.
Looking at herbarium fern specimens.
But, no, there is indeed more to see and many more wonders, treasures and surprises waiting to wow you down in the heart of the museum.
My grandchildren loved the first aisle of animals – everything from a black panther to African antelopes to majestic big-horned mountain goats.
50 million year old fossil.
The kids also loved seeing a 50 million year old fossil (no not me) – one of an extinct fish (Phareodus testis) that was discovered in Wyoming.
They got just as big a kick out of seeing giant dinosaur footsteps and a specialty showcase containing boots made out of snake skins. (They don’t do that any more, I told them.)
Warthog
I enjoyed seeing a warthog with its magnificent tusks. I once saw one run across a lawn in Africa but it all happened so fast, I didn’t get a chance to look at its face and features closely. With a specimen preserved precisely by the magic of taxidermy, it’s possible to get a close look at this and many other spectacular species, including all sorts of exotic birds.
Big horned sheep
The herbarium, with its vast collection of preserved plant species, is less accessible, but we were fortunate to have one of the museum’s staff show us a drawer full of fern specimens, all superbly preserved and displayed and catalogued for study and research.
Black panther
Surprisingly, the kids understood the purpose of this collection and were soon marvelling at the extent of the museum’s more than 650,000 specimens, from roses and moss to lichens, algae and fungi. It’s good to stretch the mind every now and then, yes.
Snake books
The museum’s gift shop is amazing – one of the best I have been in. I found some terrific educational posters – at half price – including one that I just spent four time as much ordering from Amazon. Grrrr.
The Beaty opened in 2010, so it is still a very young museum and has yet to really hit its stride.
Exhibit at the Beaty
It could easily become a hugely popular destination for parents with young children and school groups, especially once the staff perfects the art of story telling using its first-class specimens. I’m sure this is done already but I would definitely take kids if show-and-tell were a regular feature.
London has its wonderful Natural History Museum, but we, here in Vancouver, can be very proud to have such a splendid natural history museum of our own in the Beaty.
I will be back again to show more of my grandchildren around . . . and to buy more goodies at the gift shop.
DETAILS
The Beaty Biodiversity Museum is located at 2212 Main Mall on the UBC Campus.Admission is $14 for adults, $12 for seniors, $12 for students and youth (13-17), $10 for children (5 – 12) and free for children under 4. There is a family rate of $45 for two adults and four children or $30 for small family (one adult and two children) but you may find it cheaper to buy a membership if you plan to come back a few times. Still have questions? Give the museum a call at 604.827.4955 or email them at info@beatymuseum.ubc.ca.
