The Beaty Biodiversity Museum is Vancouver’s only natural history museum, dedicated to creating a shared sense of community and wonder. The museum puts UBC's natural history collections, with more than two million specimens, on public view for the first time. Among our treasures are a 26-metre-long blue whale skeleton suspended in the Djavad Mowafaghian Atrium, the third-largest fish collection in the nation, and myriad fossils, shells, insects, fungi, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and plants from around British Columbia and the world.Come visit us - we’re located at 2212 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC. You can find more info at beatymuseum.ubc.ca

Evolution explains how amazing organisms came to be and links us all together on one giant tree of life. But how does evolution happen? How long does it take? And how does it help us better understand and explore the biodiversity that we see today? Get hands-on with museum specimens in the lab, learn about current biodiversity research, and participate in daily programming that highlights relationships among species.

Bake a Cake for Darwin Contest

Friday, February 8, 2013  |  Set up 3:30 p.m. & Judging 4:00 p.m.

Upper Atrium and Niche Café

Win prizes for the best evolution-themed cakes celebrating Darwin’s 204th! Bring your decorated cake to the Beaty Biodiversity Museum as early as 3:30 p.m. Judging by special guests from the research community will begin at 4:00 p.m., you are welcome to participate or watch. The first place cake may be held for public viewing in the museum. Call it natural selection!

Note: All of the cakes are prepared by volunteers; therefore, the Beaty Museum has no control over and takes no responsibility for taste, contents, or food-safe handling procedures.

Scientist Saturday

Saturday, February 9, 2013  |  1:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Special Programming Schedule (See below for event descriptions)

10:15 a.m. – Museum Tour

10:30 a.m. – Raising Big Blue

11:00 a.m. – Puppet Show

12:00 p.m. – Museum Tour

1:00-1:30 p.m. – Rapid Fire Research

1:30-2:30 p.m. – Meet the Researchers

2:30 p.m. – Puppet Show (Special Location: Under the whale)

3:00-4:00 p.m. – Meet the Researchers

4:00 p.m. – Museum Tour

4:00 p.m. – Raising Big Blue

Rapid Fire Research

What is evolution? What do biodiversity scientists study? How do they study evolution? Researchers from the Biodiversity Research Centre will showcase their areas of expertise in 5-minute presentations. (Suitable for visitors of all ages)

Meet the Researchers

Through informal discussions with biodiversity scientists, gain insight and knowledge into the world of evolution. Bring your burning questions, and learn from the experts. Explore DNA extraction, learn about speciation, and the ways that current researchers study evolution. (Suitable for visitors of all ages)

Special Daily Programming

February 8-17, 2013  |  10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Puppet Shows (weekends only) – Darwin's great-great-granddaughter finds some mysterious boxes in the attic. Help figure out what these specimens taught Darwin about how organisms change over time to better survive in their environment.

Museum Tours – Tour the museum through the lens of evolution, and hear stories that reveal what we know about past biodiversity, change, heritage, and adaptation.

Evolution Activities – Explore the collections as you search for evolutionary stories and complete a scavenger hunt. Other fun activities are waiting for you too!

Special Activity – Join us on weekdays at 12:30 p.m., and weekends at 12:45 p.m. for a DNA extraction demonstration. Learn more about our genetic blueprint and how it is passed down from generation to generation.

For more information on FestEVOLVE, please click here

INVOKING VENUS, Feathers and Fashion

February 7 - May 5, 2013

An exhibition of photo-based images by Catherine Stewart and accessories from the clothing collections of Claus Jahnke and Ivan Sayers. Using bird specimens from the Beaty Biodiversity Museum, Vancouver-based Stewart explores the role colour, patterning and adornment play in courtship and attraction. Through the juxtaposition of images of bird plumage with images of vintage fabrics and actual feathered fashion accessories, the parallels in human and bird behaviour become apparent. The lush and sensuous images magnify details in avian plumage and vintage fabrics, revealing a multitude of rich and varied hues that combine to create the colours, textures and patterns observed when viewing birds and humans at their finest.

For more information on INVOKING VENUS, Feathers and Fashion and upcoming artist talks, click here