Follow us into the galleries.

We all have our favourite parts of the Royal BC Museum- that cozy corner, or that diorama that feels so real. Throughout the summer we'll meet community members, volunteers and staff that will show us their top spot.

Through Instagram Live, we'll bring you into the museum and chat about what it is about that space that is so meaningful, special and dynamic to them. From youth to grown-ups and everywhere in between, each week will be a new special guest. 

It’s a well known fact—kids LOVE getting messy! Making slime is a great way for kids to learn about the science of polymers while reaping the benefits of sensory play. Polymers are made up of long, bendy molecules that are kind of like spaghetti. There are lots of good examples of polymers, like plastic cups, balloons, and even skin.

During this session we'll create our own sea slime and use that slime to make a tide pool and beach scene, just like the one at the Royal BC Museum. 

This session will be guided by educator Anu Shant. 

Materials needed:

What better way to get ready for Canada Parks Day than to visit one of BC’s newest parks? Join learning program developer Liz Crocker and BC Parks community liaison officer Natasha Ewing for a virtual summer visit to rainforests in two BC provincial parks: Goldstream Provincial Park on Vancouver Island and the Ancient Forest/Chun T’oh Whudujut Provincial Park east of Prince George. Established in 2016, the Ancient Forest / Chun T’oh Whudujut has a dramatic history and is co-managed by the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation and the Province of B.C.

The Royal BC Museum is filled with specimens of animals of all kinds. Some are big and some are small. Some are furry and some are scaly. Some have two legs, and some have six. Some can be found deep in the ocean and some high up in trees. 

For this session we’ll read a book about animals, then look at a few of the animals within our museum collection and sketch them.

Get your paper and pencil ready for a wild journey among the wild animals of BC.

RBCM @ Home (Summer) is hosted by Chris O'Connor. 

Click on the Zoom link to join:

Music For Natural History with Tina Pearson and Paul Walde

Follow us into the galleries.

We all have our favourite parts of the Royal BC Museum- that cozy corner, or that diorama that feels so real. Throughout the summer we'll meet community members, volunteers and staff that will show us their top spot.

Through Instagram Live, we'll bring you into the museum and chat about what it is about that space that is so meaningful, special and dynamic to them. From youth to grown-ups and everywhere in between, each week will be a new special guest. 

Orca Speak

In many ways, orcas and humans are not that different. Both orcas and humans are social animals and rely on communication to express love, frustration and even let each other know where there is a good place to grab a snack. For this session we'll be joined by Bridget Penner, youth learning facilitator here at the Royal BC Museum, as she explores how orcas vocalize and what it can tell us about how they live and interact with each other.

During the session we'll also play a fun listening game and create a short craft.

Of all the ocean's mysteries, none are more confounding than the orca. What are they? Where did they come from? What do they want?! Join infamous Field Zoologist Brad Gooseberry as he reveals the secrets of these majestic beasts of the deep.

From the creators of Fake Ghost Tours, Abdul Aziz and Shawn O'Hara bring you a "lecture" by "world-renowned" and totally "qualified" field zoologist Dr. Brad Gooseberry.

When a grade 2 class from Discovery Elementary School (in Shawnigan Lake, BC) heard about the environmental problem of plastics in the ocean, they decided it was time to take action by making art from trash.

Of all the ocean's mysteries, none are more confounding than the orca. What are they? Where did they come from? What do they want?! Join infamous Field Zoologist Brad Gooseberry as he reveals the secrets of these majestic beasts of the deep.

From the creators of Fake Ghost Tours, Abdul Aziz and Shawn O'Hara bring you a "lecture" by "world-renowned" and totally "qualified" field zoologist Dr. Brad Gooseberry.

When a grade 2 class from Discovery Elementary School (in Shawnigan Lake, BC) heard about the environmental problem of plastics in the ocean, they decided it was time to take action by making art from trash.  

Orca Dining with the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea

What's on the menu? Food webs are complex and connect all living things in an ecosystem. Explore the links in one chain of the Salish Sea food web — the orca food chain. The coast of BC is home to three ecotypes of orca, all making different selections off the menu. Learn through creating a craft with the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea.

Materials needed:

The Saturna Island Marine Research and Education Society is a community-based non-profit organization building awareness of marine life and ecosystems in the Salish Sea. Martin Wale will give an update on new, evidence-based research and education from SIMRES.

Register in advance for this webinar:
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5kCf0yuuQ-26FjIFoLDwzw

Join host Liz Crocker and Tina Kelly, Director of Learning and Communications at the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea as we try our luck whale watching from land! No guarantees that we’ll see any orcas, but you never know. Tina will share tips on what to look for and we’ll dive into a discussion of the beautiful Salish Sea that our southern resident killer whales call home.

Create a Watercolour Resist Orca Painting

Let’s have some fun experimenting with watercolour resist while learning to draw an Orca. First we’ll draw and colour our Orcas while learning about the different relationships they have in our waters. Then we will have some fun discovering what happens when we apply watercolours to create the many blues of the ocean.

This session will be led by arts educator Jeri Engen, from Kudzu Studio.

Materials needed: 

Meet two members of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Whale Protection Unit in Victoria. Morgan Van Kirk and Willi Jansen will update us all on efforts to protect cetaceans and answer your questions. More information about the 2021 Management Measures to support Southern Resident Killer Whales can be found here. 

Class Act- Eco Art for a Cleaner Future

When you notice a problem, what actions can you take to start making things better? 

The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world's oceans. Surfrider Foundation Vancouver Island Volunteer and UBC Graduate student Zoë Melanie Minnaard will share how technology is being put to use to encourage and help with beach clean ups. Find out how you can use the Beach Clean Up app to help. 

Accessibility is a dynamic subject. Our understanding of its best practices continues to evolve, in large part thanks to feedback from community members and accessibility professionals. In that spirit, and to celebrate National AccessAbility Week, the Royal BC Museum will be hosting a virtual panel on the future of accessibility in the galleries, libraries, archives and museums (GLAM) sector.

Join host Liz Crocker and author Mark Leiren-Young (Orcas of the Salish Sea), for an outside conversation about orcas. Why should we be paying closer attention to their plight? What do humans have in common with orcas and where do our lives intersect? Our conversation will take place at the beach, where we’ll keep a look out for whales!