This Week in History - Researchers Discover Camel-like Mammal in Southern BC
UVic student, Andrea Valcourt may have identified a rare, to Canada, Merycoidodon. Andrea Valcourt is studying at the Royal BC Museum and believes the 35-million-year-old skull fossil she’s been analyzing is that of a sheep-sized, grazing mammal.
Season 12, Episode 11 (Jan 2024)
Credit: RBCM and CHEK-TV (2024)
This Week in History - Bird and mammal specimens provide insight into the past
The Royal B.C. Museum has been collecting bird and mammal specimens for scientific research since the 1800’s. The carefully preserved animals, and accompanying data, provide a tangible glimpse into the past and how animals have been affected over time.
Season 12, Episode 8 (Dec 2023)
Credit: RBCM and CHEK-TV (2023)
Hibernating Animals of BC
Imagine going to sleep and not waking up for months. This is what certain animals do in order to be safe, dry, and warm during the coldest time of the year.
During this session, we will explore animals like bears and marmots, and gently elbow our way (so to speak) into their dens to learn why and how they hibernate.
This digital program is designed for Grades K-3
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
Deaccessioning
We explore what items the museum retains, which can be better used by other museums, and how that is decided. This Week In History - Season 10 Episode 15. Jan 26, 2022
Credit: RBCM and CHEK-TV
RBCM@Home (Summer) Orcas, Orcas Everywhere!
For this special session of RBCM @ Home (Summer), we are partnering with NatureKids BC to celebrate all things Orcas. We'll explore the many different ways museums try to understand this amazing animal, while wondering about the many different parts of the world they roam.
Credit: RBCM
This Week in History - Season 8 Episode 7: Protecting Our Collections
Even after a specimen arrives safely at the Royal BC Museum, there are a number of threats that can harm it: ultraviolet light, incorrect relative humidity, incorrect temperature, disassociation—just to name a few. Luckily, highly skilled preservation specialists like Katie McEvoy catch and prevent these threats from harming the many sensitive objects in our collections.
Credit: RBCM
Gray Whale Update
In 2015, the body of a nine-metre long gray whale washed up on the coast of Vancouver Island. Three years later, the whale's skeleton came into the museum's collection after a stint in a landfill site near Tofino. Gavin Hanke, Curator of Vertebrate Zoology, explains why the skeleton spent time at the landfill site and how it has been catalogued to be made available to researchers across the world. From This Week in History Season 7 Episode 16.
The Loss of Southern Orca Resident J-32
Some of the most magnificent specimens in the Royal BC Museum’s collections are the skeletons of orcas that have died along our coastline. Curator of Vertebrates Dr. Gavin Hanke tells the story of southern orca resident J-32, nicknamed “Rhapsody”, and her calf. From This Week in History Season 6 Episode 5.
Credit: RBCM
The Hoary Marmot
The Hoary Marmot, also known as "The Whistler", is commonplace in parts of BC. The species is, in fact, what gave Whistler Mountain its name. The Hoary Marmot skull in the Royal BC Museum collection, though, is most decidedly uncommon. From This Week in History Season 3 Episode 25.
Credit: RBCM
Locked Moose Antlers
Watch Former Birds and Mammals Collections Manager, Lesley Kennes unravel the mystery of these entwined moose (Alces alces) antlers.
Credit: BC is Awesome
Gray Whale
Specimens in the Natural History collection of the Royal BC Museum are like a biological time capsule, preserving DNA and tissue for future scientific research. On April 20, 2015, a nine metre Gray Whale washed ashore in Tofino. This is the story of how its carcass was prepared so that its skeleton could be added to the vertebrate collection, which includes most species of whale found in BC's waters. From This Week in History Season 4 Episode 4.
Credit: RBCM
