Site of the Week
The Canadian Museum of Nature http://www.nature.ca/
It’s a pity the entire population of the world can’t live in Ottowa, because then we’d all be able to visit the Canadian Museum of Nature. But what’s this? You mean to say that by the miracles of modern technology, we can see the museum’s collection from the comfort of our own homes…?
Yes, hello, welcome to the 21st century, where geography means nothing, and natural history is everything. At least for this site - it’s filled with articles and pictures, along with information about the CMN and it’s collections. At first it’s a bit of a job to find the interesting content, rather than the sections advertising exhibits that can only really be appreciated offline, but as soon as you see the ‘Discover Nature’ section, you’re heading in the right direction. Here you can delve into articles about paleontology, butterfly biodiversity, and how scientists work in the field. Best of all, the ‘Amazing Treasures’ section gives you virtual access to some of the museum’s collection of specimens - everything from burying beetles and lichens to diamonds and fossils, all with high quality photos and info to explain why they deserve to be exhibited. The Natural History Notebooks section is also worth a look - it’s a large collection of illustrations and info from the museum’s archives.
As a whole, the site is not as extensive as, say, the Natural History Museum website, but it’s a handy peek into the goings on at a top museum. There’s a lot you can do with the internet, but this site is really designed for those within good old-fashioned geographical range of 240 McLeod Street, Ottawa.
Richard Northover
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