Aliens Among Us

This Week in History - Botany Collection

Explore the botany collection of the Royal BC Museum with curator of botany Ken Marr. With plant specimens dating to the 1800s, the collection is critical in understanding everything from climate change to invasive species. Season 11 Episode 4, Nov 15, 2022 Credit: RBCM and CHEK-TV (2022)

Behind the Scenes at the Royal BC Museum - Natural History

Beyond the walls of the galleries are the collection spaces, filled with specimens, objects, belongings, documents and images. Millions of items that help tell the diverse and dynamic stories of what it means to live in British Columbia. This video is a peek into the Natural History collection, meeting some of the people that help care for and activate through research what is there. Music by Konovalov Credit: RBCM

This Week in History - Season 8 Episode 6: Invasive Wall Lizards

“For the last 52 years, all we’ve had in Canada is the common wall lizard, but there’s a new player on the scene…the Italian Wall Lizard” says Gavin Hanke, curator of vertebrate zoology at the Royal BC Museum. “It’s our newest arrival here in British Columbia.” How do you identify this new species of wall lizard? And what does its arrival mean for British Columbia's ecosystems? Tune in to find out! Credit: RBCM

Wall Lizard Invasion

BC's Early Detection Rapid Response Program is responsible for identifying, containing and eradicating new invasive species. In the 1960s before the program was in place, 12 wall lizards were released on the Saanich Peninsula. Their population flourished and today there have been sightings in different places across BC, from Campbell River to Osoyoos. Curator of Vertebrate Zoology Gavin Hanke explains how he researches these invaders and studies their impact across the province. From This Week in History Season 7 Episode 6.

Scotch Thistle

The scotch thistle is bigger and flashier than its Canadian counterpart and some samples at the Royal BC Museum are among the oldest in the botany collection. They were gathered in the late 1800s by BC's first agriculture minister and their value in teaching us about invasive species may be even higher today. From This Week in History Season 3 Episode 3. Credit: RBCM

Invasive Marine Species

Sometimes, species are identified only years and years after they have been found. In 1995, an unidentified shrimp species was found at Fisherman’s Wharf in Victoria. Twenty years later, it has been identified as the Japanese Skeleton Shrimp (Caprella mutica). From This Week in History Season 4 Episode 16.

Credit: RBCM

Humboldt Squid

Sometimes animals extend their range on their own, without the help of people. The waters around Vancouver Island hold many mysteries, including that of the Diablo Rojo. Known as the red devil by fisherman in its native Mexico and Chile, this squid was captured by a fisherman here in 2004 and donated to the Royal BC Museum. This was one of the first specimens of the Humboldt Squid collected off the West Coast of Vancouver Island. From This Week in History Season 3 Episode 7.