Discover the story of the Museum's elephant, called Maharajah, and his 200 mile walk from Edinburgh to Belle Vue Zoo. Make your own elephant hat to take away with you.
Dates: 3 October 2010 to 4 October 2010

Times: 11:00 - 16:00
Venue: The Manchester Museum
OpenTo: All, Families
Organiser: Ros Helliwell
Organisation: The Manchester Museum
Public Contact: For booking and information, please contact
museum@manchester.ac.uk

PressContact: Ros
Helliwell
0161 306 1583
ros.helliwell@manchester.ac.uk

Take part in nature and animal themed games and activities linked to the Museum's collection.
Dates: 9 October 2010

Times: 11:00 - 16:00
Venue: The Manchester Museum
OpenTo: Adults, All, Families
Organiser: Ros Helliwell
Organisation: The Manchester Museum
Public Contact: For booking and information, please contact
museum@manchester.ac.uk
0161 275 2648

PressContact: Ros
Helliwell
0161 306 1583
ros.helliwell@manchester.ac.uk

The story of Mary Anning, from her finding of the first complete Ichthyosaur fossil at the age of 12, to her later years as a pioneering natural scientist, against the odds of class and gender.
Dates: 17 October 2010

Times: 14:00 - 15:00
Venue: The Manchester Museum
OpenTo: Adults, Families
Organiser: Ros Helliwell
Organisation: The Manchester Museum
Public Contact: For booking and information, please contact
0161 275 2648
museum@manchester.ac.uk

PressContact: Ros
Helliwell
0161 306 1583
ros.helliwell@manchester.ac.uk

Chinese technology, from rocket paper folding to silk weaving, a frog talk, knitted bees and more.
Dates: 25 October 2010 to 29 October 2010

Times: 11:00 - 16:00
Venue: The Manchester Museum
OpenTo: All
Organiser: Ros Helliwell
Organisation: The Manchester Museum
Public Contact: For booking and information, please contact
0161 275 2648
museum@manchester.ac.uk

PressContact: Ros
Helliwell
0161 306 1583
ros.helliwell@manchester.ac.uk

Andrew Gray, the Manchester Museum’s Curator of Herpetology, will give two highly interactive talks on the diversity of reptiles and amphibians found around the world. He will use a wide range of live animals from our Vivarium collection, including unusual snakes, lizards and frogs. During each talk you will be able to get up close to the animals and learn all about the many ways they have adapted to survive and contribute to the amazing diversity of life.
Dates: 26 October 2010

Times: 13:00 - 14:00
               14:30 - 15:30
Venue: The Manchester Museum
OpenTo: Families
Organiser: Ros Helliwell
Organisation: The Manchester Museum
Public Contact: For booking and information, please contact
0161 275 2648
museum@manchester.ac.uk

PressContact: Ros
Helliwell
0161 306 1583
ros.helliwell@manchester.ac.uk

Drawing together cutting edge research in evolutionary biology and historical studies, these talks explore the enduring appeal of pedigree dogs, tracing how different breeds physically changed over time and what this meant to the wider public, breeders and pet owners. The talks will also reveal Manchester's history of dog shows and dog skulls!
Dates: 27 October 2010

Times: 14:00 - 16:00
               11:00 - 16:00
Venue: The Manchester Museum
OpenTo: Adults, Secondary schools, Sixth form students
Organiser: Ros Helliwell
Organisation: The Manchester Museum
Public Contact: For booking and information, please contact
0161 275 2648
museum@manchester.ac.uk

PressContact: Ros
Helliwell
0161 306 1583
ros.helliwell@manchester.ac.uk

Ever wondered where today's museum collections come from? In Victorian Manchester there was a Geological Society and a Natural History Society. They shared a museum, but disagreed about the admission fee - and about everything else, including the museum's umbrella stand! Find out about these 19th century societies, and see how some of their collections ended up in The Manchester Museum.
Dates: 28 October 2010
                30 October 2010

Times: 12:30 - 13:30
Venue: The Manchester Museum
OpenTo: Adults, Secondary schools, Sixth form students
Organiser: Ros Helliwell
Organisation: The Manchester Museum
Public Contact: For booking and information, please contact
0161 275 2648
museum@manchester.ac.uk

PressContact: Ros
Helliwell
0161 306 1583
ros.helliwell@manchester.ac.uk

Explore the diversity of life on earth by working up close with real museum specimens and understand how that diversity came about.
Dates: 28 October 2010

Times: 13:00 - 15:00
Venue: The Manchester Museum
OpenTo: Adults, Families, Secondary schools, Sixth form students, University students
Organiser: Ros Helliwell
Organisation: The Manchester Museum
Public Contact: For booking and information, please contact
0161 275 2648
museum@manchester.ac.uk

PressContact: Ros
Helliwell
0161 306 1583
ros.helliwell@manchester.ac.uk

Biominetics is the science of taking ideas from nature and using these for engineering. Experts from the University of Bath will be on hand to explain more – with examples of biomimetic models such as unbreakable sunglasses, barbed tapes, flexible coupling without joints, and others.
Dates: 29 October 2010

Times: 11:00 - 15:00
Venue: The Manchester Museum
OpenTo: Adults, Secondary schools, Sixth form students
Organiser: Ros Helliwell
Organisation: The Manchester Museum
Public Contact: For booking and information, please contact
0161 275 2648
museum@manchester.ac.uk

PressContact: Ros
Helliwell
0161 306 1583
ros.helliwell@manchester.ac.uk

Come along and knit or crochet a bee and learn more about the importance of our small but crucial friend that pollinates the plants to help feed our world.
Expert knitters will ‘bee’ on hand to help novice knitters and a bee expert will be available to answer your bee-related questions. Activities are aimed at an adult audience, but accompanied older children are welcome too. This event has been organised to highlight the Year of Biodiversity, Nature in the North West and the Manchester Science Festival.
Dates: 30 October 2010

Times: 11:00 - 15:00
Venue: The Manchester Museum
OpenTo: All
Organiser: Ros Helliwell
Organisation: The Manchester Museum
Public Contact: For booking and information, please contact
museum@manchester.ac.uk
0161 275 2648

PressContact: Ros
Helliwell
0161 306 1583
ros.helliwell@manchester.ac.uk

Celebrate the opening of our exhibition Finding Manchester, lost in Bolivia in this day full of activities for all ages. Meet Liz Peel and Chris Smith and find out about their four month adventure in search of the South American village of Manchester, see some live frogs and take part in rainforest craft activities.
Dates: 13 November 2010

Times: 11:00 - 16:00
Venue: The Manchester Museum
OpenTo: All
Organiser: Ros Helliwell
Organisation: The Manchester Museum
Public Contact: For booking and information, please contact
museum@manchester.ac.uk
0161 275 2648

PressContact: Ros
Helliwell
0161 306 1583
ros.helliwell@manchester.ac.uk

Get comfy on our magic carpet and enjoy rainforest themed stories and activities.
Dates: 26 November 2010

Times: 11:00 - 12:00
Venue: The Manchester Museum
OpenTo: All
Organiser: Ros Helliwell
Organisation: The Manchester Museum
Public Contact: For booking and information, please contact
0161 275 2648
museum@manchester.ac.uk

PressContact: Ros
Helliwell
0161 306 1583
ros.helliwell@manchester.ac.uk

Come foraging in the woods, fields and hedgerows of Taf Fechan Nature Reserve, <br>
on a FREE walking Bushcraft Workshop.
<br>
Dryad Bushcraft will be giving a lesson in edible herbs, fungi & fruit, and their medicinal and practical uses.<br>

Meet us at Cefn Coed Community Centre
at 10am<br>
On Staurday 2nd October
<br>
Please wear sturdy shoes and be prepared for a moderate (and possibly muddy) walk. <br>
Supervised children very welcome.
<br>
For further information please contact Carys Solman on carys.solman@merthyr.gov.uk or 01685 726251

Dates: 2 October 2010

Times: 10:00 - 13:00
Venue: Taf Fechan Nature Reserve
OpenTo: All
Organiser: Carys Solman
Public Contact: Carys
Solman
01685 726251
carys.solman@merthyr.gov.uk

New Frontiers is a journey, an odyssey. Set against a back of spectacular imagery, Peter Cairns reveals not only some of the most memorable encounters from ten years as a professional wildlife and conservation photographer, but how those encounters have shaped his thoughts about our own, changing relationship with the natural world. From photographing birds in his own back garden, to his adventures with Wild Wonders of Europe, the world's largest photographic initiative, Peter has become an advocate for the communicative power of the visual image. In New Frontiers, he explains how his photography continues to change, but more importantly, how it has changed him.

For more information, please see http://www.wildconnections.org.uk/events_details.aspx?Event=142
Dates: 12 October 2010

Times: 19:30 - 22:00
Venue: Birnam Institute, Station Road, Birnam, Dunkeld
OpenTo: Adults, Families
Organiser: Tricia Fox
Organisation: Wild Connections
Public Contact: Tricia
Fox
0871 288 3220
info@wildconnections.org.uk

PressContact: Tricia
Fox
07989 955 039
t.fox@volpa.co.uk

A walk in the woods near Blair Atholl to look for red squirrels and some of their tracks and signs.

For more information please see http://www.wildconnections.org.uk/events_details.aspx?Event=143
Dates: 12 October 2010

Times: 14:00
Venue: Meet at Glen Tilt Car Park, by Blair Atholl, signposted from the B8079 in Blair Atholl
OpenTo: All
Organiser: Tricia Fox
Organisation: Wild Connections
Public Contact: Tricia
Fox
0871 288 3220
info@wildconnections.org.uk

PressContact: Tricia
Fox
07989 955 039
t.fox@volpa.co.uk

Find out about the secret world of trees, including the ABC of tree identification. A short walk designed to take a really close look at trees, which ones are which are which and what’s going on in their lives.

For more information, please see
http://www.wildconnections.org.uk/events_details.aspx?Event=141
Dates: 12 October 2010

Times: 10:30 - 12:30
Venue: Killiecrankie Visitor Centre, Killiecrankie, Nr Pitlochry
OpenTo: Adults, Families
Organiser: Tricia Fox
Organisation: Wild Connections
Public Contact: Tricia
Fox
0871 288 3220
info@wildconnections.org.uk

PressContact: Tricia
Fox
07989 955 039
t.fox@volpa.co.uk

Professional nature photographer Peter Cairns will take you through some of the basic steps of successful wildlife and landscape photography. Peter will explain how very often the best pictures are in your own backyard – it’s just a question of seeing them and adopting a few basic techniques. Suitable for beginners and those wishing to take their photography to a new level. The master class will involve a short talk and presentation and weather permitting you will then venture out into Birnam to try out your new found skills.

For more information, please see http://www.wildconnections.org.uk/events_details.aspx?Event=144
Dates: 13 October 2010

Times: 9:30 - 12:30
Venue: Birnam Institute, Station Road, Birnam, Dunkeld
OpenTo: Adults, Families
Organiser: Tricia Fox
Organisation: Wild Connections
Public Contact: Tricia
Fox
0871 288 3220
info@wildconnections.org.uk

PressContact: Tricia
Fox
07989 955 039
t.fox@volpa.co.uk

A guided walk through the heart of Big Tree Country, 2,000 sq miles of outstanding woodlands with the greatest concentration of Heritage Trees in Europe.

For more information, please see
http://www.wildconnections.org.uk/events_details.aspx?Event=161
Dates: 13 October 2010

Times: 10:00 - 12:30
Venue: Meet at North Car Park, Dunkeld
OpenTo: All
Organiser: Tricia Fox
Organisation: Wild Connections
Public Contact: Tricia
Fox
0871 288 3220
info@wildconnections.org.uk

PressContact: Tricia
Fox
07989 955 039
t.fox@volpa.co.uk

Red deer - a talk taking you through the rut and post rutting behaviour of red deer stags. An introduction to red deer ecology in Scotland.

For more information, please see http://www.wildconnections.org.uk/events_details.aspx?Event=160
Dates: 13 October 2010

Times: 19:30 - 22:00
Venue: Castle Menzies
OpenTo: All
Organiser: Tricia Fox
Organisation: Wild Connections
Public Contact: Tricia
Fox
0871 288 3220
info@wildconnections.org.uk

PressContact: Tricia
Fox
07989 955 039
t.fox@volpa.co.uk

A moderate walk, driving and scanning the landscape of Glen Cochill, Sma’ Glen and Glen Quaich. We will walk and drive to spot raptors and other upland birds and mammals of interest. This will be lead by expert members of Tayside Raptor Study Group who will help with identification and discuss various land use issues.

For more information, please see http://www.wildconnections.org.uk/events_details.aspx?Event=149
Dates: 14 October 2010

Times: 8:30
Venue: Pick up in Aberfeldy Town Square next to the Royal Bank of Scotland.
OpenTo: Adults
Organiser: Tricia Fox
Organisation: Wild Connections
Public Contact: Tricia
Fox
0871 288 3220
info@wildconnections.org.uk

PressContact: Tricia
Fox
07989 955 039
t.fox@volpa.co.uk