Two new features at the Biodôme LiveEvents December 17, 2024 167 Espace pour la vie presents Two new features at the Biodôme: A Close-knit Nature and Mégaceta A Close-knit Nature, the Biodôme’s all-new permanent exhibition, takes us into the world of keystone species to better understand how they maintain the balance of ecosystems. Among the naturalized specimens carefully selected from the Biodôme’s natural history collection are a collection of hummingbirds nearly a hundred years old, a cyanobacteria fossil, and an impressive series of birds of prey. The visit concludes with the immersive Mégaceta experience, in which visitors discover the behaviour of humpback whales through life-size digital projections of wondrous beauty. These two new experiences are the perfect complement to a visit to the Biodôme’s ecosystems. They allow us to reconnect even more with the tightly woven nature on which we depend! A delight for curious minds A Close-knit Nature can be explored at each visitor’s leisure. One thing is certain… curious minds are in for a treat! This very fine exhibition explains the role keystone species¹ in the wild—including the grey wolf, the Canadian beaver, the polar bear, lemmings, woodpeckers, corals, hummingbirds and even whale carcasses—play in the fragile balance of their ecosystems. How does the beaver alter the environment in order to settle in? How are snowy owls and lemmings related? Why are coral reefs so essential to biodiversity? It’s all connected! Apart from being a feast for the eyes, this exhibition appeals to all our senses as we discover the animals’ scent, sight and sound signals. Come and hear the sound of the piranha, smell the fox, or check out the knobbed hornbill and the pencil urchin. An outstanding natural history collection To mount this exhibition, the Biodôme team meticulously selected the most fascinating and educationally relevant specimens from the 5,000 or so that make up its extraordinary natural history collection. Of great heritage and scientific value, this collection allows visitors to get up close and personal with meticulously restored naturalized animals. The wandering albatross, the wolverine, the lithodid crab, the giant laughing kookaburra and many other animals can be examined in minute detail, among the other treasures unveiled in A Close-knit Nature. You can even admire a passenger pigeon. This native North American species, now extinct worldwide, was very present on our territory just over 100 years ago! Before exhibiting these specimens, some of which rare or of great heritage value, it was necessary to bring them up to showroom condition. To achieve this, the Biodôme relied on students from Collège Montmorency’s Techniques de Muséologie program. Their restoration work, at the crossroads of art and science, is also explained in this exhibition, which will give the public a better understanding of taxidermy and its scientific value. “Dive” with the whales The immersive Mégaceta experience then takes us to the heart of an experiment in humpback whale behaviour. Through realistic, life-size projections and an underwater atmosphere, you’ll enjoy an unprecedented view of whales, while developing a greater sensitivity to these magnificent animals. Will you fall under their spell? Highlights – A Close-knit Nature A Close-knit Nature showcases 975 specimens (80 heritage), including 521 shells, 32 tropical hummingbirds, numerous birds of prey and all the owls of Québec. The oldest specimen is a cyanobacterial fossil: a 2.7 billion-year-old stromatolite discovered in Abitibi. The visit to A Close-knit Nature and Mégaceta are included in the Biodôme ticket. For more information, including opening hours and ticket prices, visit: www.espacepourlavie.ca/en/biodome Biodôme de Montréal 4777 avenue Pierre-De Coubertin, Montreal ¹The term “keystone species” refers to species that play a crucial role in maintaining the structure and health of an ecosystem. Their presence or absence can have disproportionate effects on the ecosystem as a whole.
