Events
January/ 023W hat’s
on this
month?
DINO DIG, 14-15 JANUARY, GLASGOW
Whizz back in time to when the dinosaurs
roamed the earth with this kid-friendly
workshop, part of the Glasgow Science
Centre’s Little Explorers Days. Tailored
for three- to five-year-olds, in particular,
dino-enthusiasts can be an archaeologist
for the day, try different activities such as
making their own fossils to take home, and
meet super-tough animals with unparalleled
survival skills. Adults: £11; children under 5:
free. Visit: glasgowsciencecentre.orgSEE THE UNIVERSE IN ALL ITS LIGHT,
21 JANUARY-23 APRIL, NEWCASTLE
UPON TYNE
This travelling exhibition on the use of space
telescopes now comes to the Life Science
Centre in Newcastle. See scale models of some
of the world’s biggest and most sophisticated
telescopes, discover what they can tell us about
the early life of the universe and learn about the
UK’s earliest astronomer, Thomas Harriot, who
drew the first image of the moon. Adult: £14;
children 5-17: £8. Visit: life.org.ukTEENTECH, 11-12 JANUARY, LONDON
For youngsters dreaming of a career in science,
TeenTech can open doors to a dream job. Started
by BBC presenter Maggie Philbin, the show
includes interactive workshops with fun-filled
experiments around the UK. At TeenTech City
of Tomorrow, held at the Emirates Stadium in
London, there will be hands-on challenges for
primary- and secondary-school pupils, as well
as a career session for students in years 10-13,
where they can meet employers and find out about
apprenticeships. Free. Visit: teentech.comA VERY FINE SWAN INDEED: ART, SCIENCE
AND THE UNFEATHERED BIRD, 11 JANUARY,
LEICESTERSHIRE
Birds are eye-catching because of their plumage,
but artist-cum-ornithologist Katrina van Grouw is
interested in the bone structure underneath. She
has spent years mounting the bones of (naturally
deceased) birds and creating finely detailed drawings
of them that have a stark and striking beauty. Hear
van Grouw talk about her work at Woodhouse Eaves
Village Hall – a must for anyone with an interest in
wildlife art or bird anatomy. £3. Visit: lrwt.org.uk
STARGAZING AT EYCOTT HILL NATURE
RESERVE, 26 JANUARY, CUMBRIA
Grab some binoculars if you have them and head to
the Sportsman Inn in Troutbeck, near Penrith, where
experts from the Border Astronomical Society will
introduce budding astronomers to the wonders of
the night sky at this time of year. Everyone will then
head up to Eycott Hill, a spectacular vantage point
from which to put theory into practice. Free. To
book please visit: cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk
Find talks, workshops
and more, countrywideAre you involved with an event of interest to readers of
BBC Earth magazine? If so, please let us know. Email
Words: Yashi Banymadhub. Photographs: Shutterstockdetails to: [email protected]MONKEY BUSINESS, 9 DECEMBER-
23 APRIL, EDINBURGH
This new exhibition at the National Museum
of Scotland brings you up close to more than
50 different primates in a lifelike recreation of
their habitat, and looks at our common bonds.
Featuring taxidermy specially created to show
accurate expressions and poses, alongside
ambient sounds and smells, the show reveals
how primates’ communication and social
structure has evolved. Adults: £10; children
5-15: £7. Visit: nms.ac.ukMICROSCULPTURE, UNTIL 29 JANUARY, OXFORD
Often overlooked, or treated as an annoyance,
insects are fascinating creatures of incredible beauty- as seen at this macrophotography exhibition at
Oxford University Museum of Natural History. Levon
Biss’s insect images – some of them 3m across –
are each created using 8,000 high-magnification,
high-resolution photographs, together revealing
amazing colour and detail that will leave you
mesmerised. Free. Visit: oum.ox.ac.uk
ORCHIDS, BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
LECTURE, 5 JANUARY, WORCESTERSHIRE
There are 25,000 species of orchid around the world, but these beautiful
plants are actually endangered due to deforestation and commercial
harvest for traditional medicine. In this lecture at the Lyttelton Rooms
in Malvern, Philip Seaton from the Orchid Seed Stores for Sustainable
Use talks conservation and shows some stunning photographs of
specimens. Adults: £2.50; children: free. Visit: worcswildlifetrust.co.uk
SPLENDIFEROUS SCIENCE LECTURES WITH JON CHASE,
14-15 JANUARY, WINCHESTER
If you want to know what Wonka puts in his gobstoppers to make
them everlasting, or would like the recipe for George’s marvellous
medicine, join BBC Bitesize Science presenter Jon Chase for some
fun, Dahl-inspired experiments at Winchester Science Centre.
Adult: £12; children 3-16: £8.40. Visit: winchestersciencecentre.org