Budding scientists set to discover Auckland Domain’s “heaving with life”

European green bottle, American cockroach, plant-cased caddis, lacewing, Chinese wax scale, muscid fly, longtail mealybug, green orbweb spider and citrus whitefly.

It sounds like the exotic line-up for a miniature zoo but it is actually a tiny fraction of the insects living in the Auckland Domain.

This weekend Auckland Museum is running Explorama with curators and visiting experts from around the city helping the public uncover life in the Domain and examine some of the incredible specimens in the museum’s collections.

In 2005 local scientists and the Museum’s curatorial staff worked with the public to survey life in the Domain and turned up over 1700 species across butterflies, moths, bees, wasps, ants, beetles, spiders, fish, birds, frogs, mammals, plants, conifers, ferns, mosses, algae, mushrooms and micro-fungi.

“The survey was confirmation of what we suspected from our own smaller investigations – that the Domain is heaving with life. This weekend we’ll be joined by geologists, entomologists, ichthyologists, bryologists, lichenologists, mycologists and general botanists who will help identify some of the species making their life in the park and invite groups of the public to join them on exploratory tours,” says Auckland Museum botany curator Ewen Cameron.

“We’re also taking groups behind the scenes to see the museum collections that aren’t on display. There’s only so much space in the galleries so the specimens on display are just a fraction of what we have here at the museum.”

“For children and families, or keen amateur scientists, Explorama is a great way to experience the thrill of discovery – which in the end is really what keeps all scientists going.”

Tours of the Domain and scientific activities inside the Museum will run throughout the weekend.

Explorama
Auckland Museum (Atrium & Domain)
Sat 25 & Sun 26 February
Saturday 25 February 2012

Sunday 26 February 2012

Spaces are limited and bookings can be made on the day at the Explorama ticket desk in the Atrium. Minimum age for tours is 7 and children 14 & under must be accompanied by an adult.

ENDS

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