Winter Visitors in Hands-on Biodiversity

Posted: December 28, 2011 - 12:38 , by Sarah Elliott

It’s that time of year!  ROM for the Holidays is finally here, and we’ve been hard at work in the Keenan Family Gallery of Hands-on Biodiversity (HOB for short) getting some new hands-on activities ready to go.

First up is the brand-new, never-before-seen touch table that we put together in honour of our lost baby bison.

The skull is the highlight of the table. Can you spot the non-bison object?

In this touch table, you can touch and explore real bison bones. Discover how bison shaped the prairies we know and love today, learn why some toads can’t survive without bison, and find out why we should be thanking bison every time we sit down to a healthy bowl of cereal.

Next, we have my favourite seasonal activity. It’s the return of the new and improved Winter Touch Table!

I'm cold just looking at it, aren't you?

This table explores how various Canadian animals survive the winter.  By working with our team of facilitators, you can discover whether an animal relies on migration, hibernation, or adaptation to survive the cold winter snows in Canada.

Say hello to my little friend!

Come face-to-face with this charming fellow, and make observations to deduce what he has that make him a hardy winter survivor. Or perhaps CSI: HOB is more your style:

YEAAAAAAH!

Use the clues on this skull to figure out what this animal was and how he gets through the long winter months. Take a closer look at the picture above and submit your guess online in the comments below.

These tables are just the first of our activities that will be coming in the next few weeks, so stay tuned and come on over to the gallery to check them out!  And if the cold is getting you down, you can still get a free seed kit with the secret word, POLLINATOR, and fill your holiday home with some new greenery.