This time yesterday I was in probably the greatest zoological establishment on the planet. My placement organisation, the Clyde River Foundation, decided on an educational alternative to the staff Christmas party this year, so we all went down to London with the primary aim of gaining some information and inspiration from the Natural History Museum.
I’ve been to the museum several times before, but it always impresses. We had a good chance to look around the public part of the museum. Naturally, as a devoted entomologist I went to check out the invertebrate section. But it was a bit disappointing, so instead I went to look at some great big dinosaurs (!), an even bigger blue whale (!!) and a cross section of a sequoia trunk taken from a tree even bigger than that!!! This is one of my favourite displays in the museum, felled in 1891 it was about 1,334 years old. Picked out on its growth rings are labels depicting well known historical events that the tree outlived.
The other really inspirational exhibition was that of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year. I doubt there’s a better display of photos anywhere in the world; it’s definitely worth checking out this year’s winning images if you haven’t already.
But we weren’t there just to run around looking at everything massive, shiny, colourful, or with really big teeth. Our contact on the inside was Paul Clark, who has been working for many years on Chinese Mitten Crabs – invasive crustaceans that are spreading up several of Britain’s river systems, causing major ecological concerns. There aren’t any known in Scotland yet, but reports of them from Tyneside and south Cumbria should be a cause for concern. We were privileged to have Paul deliver a seminar on the subject for our benefit. We then got to see some pickled crabs among the vast collections housed in the museum. They’re very aptly named, they have mats of setae (it’s not fur, they’re not mammals) across the lower part of their claws, looking exactly like they’re wearing fluffy mittens.
We were also given a look around some of the other animals stored deep in the working part of the museum. We visited the most popular room for guided tours of the collections. A room largely full of the most amazing array of pickled fish, some of them centuries old, in huge jars warped by the gradual flow of the glass. In one corner are specimens collected by Darwin himself, in another is a Coelacanth. But, as things should be, they are completely overshadowed by an invertebrate. In the middle of the room, in a tank about 10m long and filled with about 3,500 litres of saline solution mixed with formalin, is a very big beastie. It’s called Archie, and is an 8.62m long Giant Squid. Seriously impressive (although actually about 10m short of the biggest specimen ever found, and actually the Giant Squid itself is only the second biggest invertebrate species that we know of, after the Colossal Squid … in case you weren’t aware, invertebrates are AWESOME!).
I’m looking into the possibility of going back sometime next year, perhaps to help out in the entomology department for a couple of weeks if somebody will have me. The only downside to the visit was not getting the chance to look around the new entomology building, designed to look like a giant cocoon. Its secrets will have to wait for next time.
All in all though, as Christmas parties go I think that was a pretty good one. Now bring on the next, as Natural Talent hits Edinburgh tonight!
(Photos to follow when I get around to it …)