APRIL - What’s on at the Canadian Museum of Nature
HOURS: Open for the long weekend of March 29-April 1!
Closed Tuesdays until May 17. Visit nature.ca for more information.
NEW SPECIAL EXHIBITION – NOW OPEN!
Until October 14, 2024
Experience the world as bugs do! This spectacular, dramatic and fantastical exhibition features immersive bug chambers, larger-than-life bugs, and interactive surprises around every corner. The amazing superpowers of bugs are revealed —from fast flight to powerful exoskeletons, camouflage, swarms and more. Visitors can also discover how these tiny wonders are inspiring human innovation. Bug Adventure was developed and presented by the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, working with Weta Workshop (the design team involved in Avatar and The Lord of the Rings). On weekends and Thursday evenings until the end of June, and then daily throughout the summer, a museum science interpreter will be in the gallery to engage visitors with the rich hands-on content in the exhibition, as well as with live bugs! A special exhibition fee in addition to museum admission applies.
TICKETS ARE GOING FAST!
Solar-eclipse viewing event (included with museum admission)
April 8
Join us for a much-anticipated event: the solar eclipse—where the Moon’s orbit will position it directly between the Earth and the Sun.
In Ottawa, the eclipse will begin at approximately 2:10 pm and continue until about 4:40 pm, peaking at approximately 3:25 pm with 98.5% of the sun eclipsed by the moon at that time.
During the eclipse we will facilitate safe viewing for participants*. Eclipse glasses will be provided in the Rotunda between 2 to 4 pm, one pair per person, free with museum admission, while supplies last. A livestream of the eclipse will also be available in the Rotunda. Throughout the day, science interpreters will demonstrate the use of LightSound, an accessibility device, which translates the visual experience of the eclipse into sound.
From 10 am to 4 pm, visitors can join us in the Rotunda for Sun Trivia. They’ll also be invited to add colour to a collaborative art mural created by Emilie Darlington and view a solar eclipse display made out of Lego by ParLUGment.
*Safety Warning: Solar Eclipse
Looking directly at the sun without appropriate protection can lead to serious problems such as partial or complete loss of eyesight.
Sunglasses are not sufficient protection.
Special eclipse glasses must be worn at all times when viewing the eclipse and are used at your own risk.
Eclipse glasses will be provided free with museum admission, while supplies last. Pick yours up in the Rotunda on your way outside to view the eclipse.
The Canadian Museum of Nature is not responsible for any injury or damage due to eclipse viewing.
Parents and guardians are responsible for the safety of accompanied children.
If you’re uncertain, it’s best to watch the live-streamed event inside.
PUBLIC TALK (free, but reserve tickets in advance)
A tiny lake with a big environmental story
April 11, 6:30 pm
Tiny Crawford Lake near Milton, Ontario, is revealing a motherlode of information—from records of human settlement to traces of pollution, signs of a changing climate, species changes and even nuclear fallout. Hear from scientists studying this important reservoir of human disturbance. The presentations will be in English, with simultaneous translation available. Following the talks, there will be a discussion and question-and-answer session with the researchers. Registration required. Attend the event in person at the museum or online (using Zoom).
SPECIAL SCREENINGS (included with museum admission)
Planet Earth III
April 19 to 22
Celebrate Earth Day with us. Join us for a special screening of the episode, Ocean, from Planet Earth III. The ocean covers two thirds of the planet and is home to 80% of all animal life, yet much of it remains unexplored. In this episode, join renowned broadcaster and natural historian Sir David Attenborough on a journey through the vast and changing ocean to reveal the extraordinary behaviours and remarkable adaptations required for life to survive here. Included with museum admission. Duration: 50 minutes.
Schedule: English screenings at 11:30 AM and 2:30 PM.
ALSO SHOWING!
Dino Dana: The Movie (included with museum admission)
Until May 22
From multiple Emmy award-winning Sinking Ship Entertainment comes an action-packed dinosaur adventure aimed at kids and their families. Based on the popular TV series, Dino Dana: The Movie follows 10-year-old paleontologist-in-training Dana as she imagines dinosaurs into the real world to solve her dinosaur experiments.
Duration: 25 minutes.
English screenings (regular schedule): Hourly from 10 am to 3 pm, and until 7 pm on Thursdays (subject to change without notice).
Schedule from April 19 – 22: English screenings at 10 AM and 1:00 PM.
NATURE NOCTURNE
Tickets are on sale for Nature Nocturne—Ottawa most memorable night out for adults! Different themes for each event. The first one (Solar) on April 5 is sold out, but tickets are available for June 28 – Underwater Dream, Nov. 1 – Rebirth, and Feb. 14 – Après-Ski.
OTHER EXHIBITIONS (included with museum admission)
Wolves! Shapeshifters in a Changing World
Until September 2, 2024
Learn about wolf evolution and adaptations through specimens, cultural stories, video and scientific research that highlights studies by museum experts Kamal Khidas, Ph.D., and Danielle Fraser, Ph.D. Eleven stunning, large images by the renowned wildlife and landscape photographer, Michelle Valberg, feature wolves from the Pacific coast and Yellowstone National Park.
Pacific Discovery Tank
Museum interpreter at the tank: Thursday evenings; Saturdays and Sundays 10 am – noon and 1 pm – 4pm; as well as Friday, March 29 and Monday, April 1. Encounter live sea stars, sea cucumbers, tentacled anemones and spiky urchins. Our special saltwater tide-pool tank brings a bit of the Pacific coast right to you!
Owls Rendez-Vous– closing April 1
April 1 is the last day to this exhibition of live owls and an eagle. Stand in awe before a Great Horned Owl, Snowy Owl, Eurasian Eagle Owl, Barred Owl and a Bald Eagle. These magnificent birds will be returning to their home at Little Ray’s Nature Centres.
Bugs Alive
Leafcutter ants—busy little farmers that work around the clock—are the star attraction in our renewed and permanent exhibition of live insects and arachnids. Tarantulas, Horrid king assassin bugs, millipedes, cockroaches, and death-feigning beetles are also some of the other fascinating species you can examine up close.
GENERAL INFORMATION:
TICKETS: Advance tickets are recommended, and are for a specified entry time. Book now.
