The Work of the Royal BC Museum

Explore the museum's bird collection. Learn how to help birds through citizen science.

This pathway examines the displacement and dispossession of thousands of Japanese Canadians in Canada in the 1940s.

For thousands of years, Indigenous people have shared the Great Bear Rainforest with wolves, eagles, sea otters, salmon and herring, as well as many other animals. It is the only home of BC’s provincial mammal, the Spirit Bear.

British Columbia has high mountains. Lots of them. In fact, more than 12 per cent of the province is alpine tundra—land above the trees. The alpine tundra is a land of extremes. Trees can’t grow at such high elevations because of cold temperatures. The growing season is brief, and some areas are covered by snow…

To celebrate its 100th anniversary, the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory (DAO) partnered with Royal BC Museum. Discover how this place of science helped the world understand astronomy and our place in the universe.

The Royal BC Museum and BC Heritage Fairs both work to engage youth with BC’s history. Find out how and be inspired by student projects in this pathway.

This pathway is especially for teachers who want to use object-based learning in the classroom. Includes lesson ideas and online support.

Explore interviews from the Centre for Indo-Canadian Studies at the University of the Fraser Valley. Learn more about the experiences of early Punjabi immigrants to Canada.

Marine invertebrates are animals without backbones that live in the ocean. These creatures make up most of ocean animal life. Learn about the incredible diversity beneath the waves.

The study of insects (entomology) is alive and well at the Royal BC Museum. Go behind the scenes to discover how we learn about the diversity of insect life in this province.

The Royal BC Museum fish collection is varied and wonderful. Explore the astounding diversity of British Columbia fishes through the collection and scientific illustration.

Jack Webster was a well-known British Columbian journalist. BCTV donated all of the Webster! episodes to the Royal BC Museum. What will you discover about BC's recent past from the Jack Webster collection?

We're all in this together. An ecosystem is a natural community. When species disappear it can throw an entire system off balance, with far-reaching consequences for ecosytems, for the planet, and for us. What can we do about it?

Emily Carr is British Columbia’s most famous artist, but she was also a colourful woman who lived a life full of adventure. Learn about Emily’s love of animals and explore her life through some of the museum’s vast Emily Carr collection.

Did you know BC is a language hotspot? Over 34 distinct indigenous languages are spoken here. Explore sounds, images, words and video about First Nations languages.

Canada’s oldest Chinatown is in Victoria, BC. The Royal BC Museum exhibition Tradition in Felicities used video, photographs and the written word to celebrate the community of this national landmark. Teachers look for lesson plans in Watch!

Some of the oldest fossils in the Royal BC Museum collection are some of the oddest looking too. Learn about the strange forms of early life on Earth.

Documentary film and photographic images held in the BC Archives help us to remember the First World War. Watch video, see photographs and read about the war sometimes called The Great War.

American botanist Mary Gibson Henry collected plants in northeastern BC in 1931. Her pioneering journey was recorded on film. Lucky for us, BC Archives has a copy.

With all the choices for recording images these days, the art of illustration is still valued by scientific researchers. Explore the work of gifted biologist and illustrator Dr Hart.

Listening for birds is a skill that takes patience and perseverance. Grace Bell used her skill and love of birds to record British Columbia bird calls and songs.

The role of the British Crown in Canada is mainly ceremonial, but the lieutenant-governor still plays a key part in the governing of British Columbia.

The mammal collection is as diverse as the mammals of BC. Mammal specimens at the museum are preserved, stored and made available for research.

You might be surprised at what a seemingly simple piece of paper can reveal. The BC Archives holds paper documents such as birth, marriage and death certificates. These and other records are important resources for family history researchers.