The Survey: Year V
On the cover page of each Annual Report of The Geological and Natural History Survey of Minnesota, a list of the “Officers of the Survey” is printed. The first year, the only name that appears is that of State Geologist…
March 2014
Friday Flora: Exploring British Columbia’s Cultural History
You may have read the title of this blog post and wondered, “What? I thought this was the Exploring Minnesota’s Natural History blog?” It still is. However, the title of this post addresses an unanticipated outcome of our project. By…
Special Delivery!
University Archives underwent an office remodel last week. File cabinets were moved across the room, cubicles were deconstructed, shifted, and rebuilt. At one point during all of the commotion, one of the movers found an interesting item… – Envelope from…
Wednesdays with Walter: Preparator, Curator, Director, and Herpetologist
In addition to preparing specimens for exhibits and giving talks to museum visitors about mammals and birds during his tenure as curator and director of the Bell Museum of Natural History (1926-1970), Walter J. Breckenridge was also involved with academic…
Snow (in name)
It is snowing again in Minneapolis today. In order to take our minds off of this perpetual never-ending winter, let’s think about snow in a different context – plant names! – Orchis spectabilis (Galearis spectabilis), Snowy Orchis, Orchidaceae – Euphorbia…
Friday Flora: I’d like to sell a vowel Pat
Occasionally after I arrive home from work, I turn on WCCO to watch Wheel of Fortune. It’s nice to unwind after a long day and likely delayed commute via public transit to the sounds of the rat-i-tat-tat of a spinning…
Spring Flowers
On this day, the first day of spring 2014, let’s remind ourselves of what will soon be sprouting up… – Erythronium albidum, White Dog-Tooth Violet, Liliaceae, 1943 – Calypso bulbosa, Fairy Slipper, Orchidaceae, Itasca State Park, 1937 – Cypripedium parviflorum…
Tuesday Tweet: Falconry
In his autobiography, My Life in Natural History, former Bell Museum preparator and director Walter Breckenridge provided a description of the Peregrine Falcon and an introduction to the sport of falconry: “One of my favorite birds is the peregrine falcon….
Destination: UMedia Archive
Remember back in August when we shared a profile of C.J. Hibbard, photographer for the Department of Botany? Through the use of a ledger titled “Receipts and Disbursements of the Geological and Natural History Survey Funds from August 1, 1872…
Friday Fuca: Origins of the Minnesota Seaside Station
Were you reading carefully? This Friday we’re not featuring Flora or Fungi. This Friday is all about Fuca – the Strait of Juan de Fuca to be exact. Why are we featuring a strait off of the Pacific Ocean in…