Science Uncovered 23 Sept. 2011

Beds Essex and Herts Branch members were pleased to attend the Science Uncovered event hosted by the Natural History Museum at Tring on 23rd September, to promote Careers in Biology. This was part of the wider European Researchers night and was funded by Marie Curie Actions.

Our stand, which featured rolling powerpoints from SB about careers and post graduate opportunities, a chance to talk to working biologists with a range of experience, a graffiti wall summarising members working experience and careers and opportunities to look at various microscopic preparations, both through a microscope and projected onto a monitor, attracted  more than 50 potential Biologists  We also enjoyed the interchange with other members of the public and the Museum staff about the topic. We distributed information and membership packs to interested parties.

Branch members who manned the exhibit were also free to visit the displays and activities that were taking place which included bird art through the ages -  how natural history illustration has changed over 500 years, from woodcuts to modern colour printing and an opportunity to meet live snakes, lizards, birds and invertebrates with Siouxsie Gillett, herpetologist and Manager of AmeyZoo Exotic Pets.

The members who came also found time to get to know one another better and generally agreed that it had been well worth the effort.  

The programme for the evening was as follows.

Bird art through the ages
Find out how natural history illustration has changed over 500 years, from woodcuts to modern colour printing.
20-minute sessions at 18.15, 18.45, 19.15, 20.15, 20.45 and 21.15
Limited places – free tickets from the Museum Shop on the night.

Live animals with AmeyZoo
Meet live snakes, lizards, birds and invertebrates with Siouxsie Gillett, herpetologist and Manager of AmeyZoo Exotic Pets.
30-minute sessions at 18.15, 19.00, 19.45 and 20.30
Limited places – free tickets from the Museum Shop on the night.

Activities (running throughout the evening)

These events do not require tickets

Biology: a growing future?
Find out where biology could take you – from The Anatomical Society to The Zoological Society of London. Hear from members of The Society of Biology about the tools and techniques they use in their work.

Evolution of white-eyes in the sky islands of East Africa
White-eyes are a rapidly evolving group of birds. Research on their evolutionary history, based partly on Museum specimens, shows that their morphology (appearance) and their DNA don’t seem to tell the same story. What’s going on?  

From fossils to artistic reconstructions: the dodo and other extinct birds from Mauritius
The dodo was just one species that became extinct on the island of Mauritius. But how many other bird species once shared Mauritius with the dodo, and how do we know what they were?

Preparation in progress!
Take this rare chance to watch curators prepare skin and skeleton specimens and find out about bird anatomy. Please note these demonstrations involve dissection of bird specimens.

The case of the large-billed reed warbler: Museum collections shed light on an unknown species
The large-billed reed warbler was described from a single specimen in 1867. But it’s only in the last 10 years that the species’ life cycle has been revealed. Find out how Museum specimens have played a critical role in making this happen.

The cuckoo’s counterfeit eggs: a bird’s-eye view
Can you spot the impostor egg? See for yourself how challenging it is to spot the cuckoo egg in a clutch of eggs laid by the host species. The Museum’s egg collection plays a key role in our research into this behaviour. 

Under the microscope: identifying birds from feather fragments
Whether it’s identifying a food contaminant or working out what damaged an aircraft engine, discover how we identify tiny feather fragments.

What do curators do?
How does a fragment of an old egg help us understand the bird that laid it?  What makes an egg collection important and how do we identify our specimens?

Venue : Natural History Museum at Tring
The Walter Rothschild building
Akeman Street
Tring
Hertfordshire
HP23 6AP