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Nature Unleashed Exhibit at the Museum of Nature Opens Friday – Win Free Passes!

Nature Unleashed Exhibit at the Museum of Nature Opens Friday – Win Free Passes!

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I was lucky enough to attend the media preview today for the new exhibit hitting The Museum of Nature. Opening at The Canadian Museum of Nature on September 28, NATURE UNLEASHED focuses on four types of disasters—Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Hurricanes, and Tornadoes.

Scroll down further in the post to find out how you can win free passes!

THE EXHIBIT
The exhibit is very, very well done. I was impressed by the entire thing and actually spent a good hour in there, reading the walls, looking at the items on display and trying out the interactive features. You probably need a good hour or two to focus just on this exhibit as there is so much to see and read.

When you first walk in, the feeling of the exhibit is very earthy. There are metal bars and metal siding holding up most of the exhibits and everything is in really great shades of oranges, blues, etc. It sets the tone as you walk through and learn about Earth’s power. The items they have on display are fantastic and really made me step close to take a good look. Items from the homes of Katrina victims, from a Kansas tornado and from a volcano – items that actually were covered over with lava.

The image above is of their “Build Your Own Volcano” feature. This is a really cool feature where you can build your own volcano by choosing how much gas and how much “goo” you want in your volcano mixture. When you are done, you push the button and a volcano is simulated on the big screens with the volcano you just created. It is a very hands-on part of the exhibit and perfect for kids!

In this exhibit, visitors can check out the earthquake simulators to see how plates in the ground shift during the vibrations caused by the earthquake. It is also a very hands-on exhibit that is perfect for children and a much more fun way to teach them about these natural phenomenas. Although I didn’t get too crazy in the earthquake shaking demos or stomp on the ground to see how powerful my seismic activity could be (I was wearing heels!), I thought that these exhibits in particular would be really exciting for children (and non-heel-wearing adults too!).

Be sure to also check out Tornado Alley, which is essentially a nearly round bank of screens that you stand in and you watch as a tornado passes over a camera (placed in a field by storm chasers) and you get to experience what it would be like if you were standing right in the middle of the tornado as it passes. Very cool!

The exhibit will be open from September 28 until May 5, 2013 so make sure to check it out!

WHAT WILL I SEE?
Museum visitors can simulate what happens when standing inside a roaring tornado; trigger an underwater earthquake and simulate a tsunami; create a virtual volcano; touch and examine real rock and lava specimens that relate past geologic events; learn about the shifting effects of tectonic plates; discover how people adapt to living at risk; and be inspired by the resiliency of disaster survivors.

  • “Tornado Alley” – You step into a space surrounded by 5 large screens and a tornado approaches, surrounds you and moves away.
  • Volcano simulation – Three “stations”, three big screens: mix goo and gas and see what happens.

WHAT’S NEW?
For its stop at the Canadian Museum of Nature, the museum has added a display about the 1998 Ice Storm that walloped Ontario and Quebec, as well as a timeline of significant natural disasters in Canadian history.

WIN FREE PASSES
The Canadian Museum of Nature has provided us with two passes (each good for two people) to the new exhibit – Nature Unleashed. To win, you simply need to comment below telling me why you’d like to go and see the new exhibit and who you would bring with you!

Giveaway will close on Sunday, October 5, 2012 and winners will be announced on our Facebook page and here on this blog post.

ABOUT THE MUSEUM OF NATURE
The Canadian Museum of Nature is Canada’s national museum of natural history and natural sciences. It promotes awareness of Canada’s natural heritage through signature and travelling exhibitions, public education programmes, on-going scientific research, a dynamic web site and the maintenance of a 10.5 million-specimen collection. A founding member of the Alliance of Natural History Museums of Canada, the museum is working with partners to expand its national service and presence.

Thank you to the Canadian Museum of Nature for inviting me to the media preview of this exhibit – I can’t wait to check it out with my family!

All images from the installation at the Field Museum in 2008, Chicago.
Credit Field Museum, copyright 2008.

 
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Comments (22)

  1. Karla Wednesday - 26 / 09 / 2012 Reply
    I would want to go because I think it would be so interesting to learn all about all of the natural disasters that have occurred over time. I find the history of it all so interesting. I would definitely bring my daughter with me so she could learn that mother nature isn't always so friendly :)
  2. Kim Wednesday - 26 / 09 / 2012 Reply
    OMG! I would love to go see this exhibit! I love all things nature and weather related ... beautiful, destructive and in between (seriously, I make my kids watch t-storms with me!) . I would love to take my whole family! There's 5 of us total (Momma, Daddy & 3 boys). Would happily use the pass for two of us and loosen the purse strings for the rest. :D
  3. Shannon Fraser Wednesday - 26 / 09 / 2012 Reply
    I would gift these passes to my mother-in-law and father-in-law because they were just talking about this exhibit, although I would love to attend it would be nice to send them to do something <3
  4. Erin Wednesday - 26 / 09 / 2012 Reply
    I would love to see this exhibit I haven't been to the museum of nature since I was in grade school would love to re-experience it with my husband and son!
  5. Colleen
    Twitter:
    Wednesday - 26 / 09 / 2012 Reply
    Create your own volcano? Sign me up! I would take my three year old, and his baby sister too.
  6. jp Wednesday - 26 / 09 / 2012 Reply
    Hello, I would love to go see different scenarios brought by mother nature. Free passes will be very much appreciated since I am in maternity leave this year. I will bring my baby girl with me. She may not fully understand what is going on yet but for sure she will enjoy the scenery. It will give us bonding time outside of home.
  7. Esther Wednesday - 26 / 09 / 2012 Reply
    I would love to go with my kids. We've been to the Nature Museum before but we always go see the same thing. This will give us a great opportunity to see something new, a new learning opportunity for my son.
  8. Christy
    Twitter:
    Thursday - 27 / 09 / 2012 Reply
    I would love to go - it sounds like a fantastic exhibit! I would bring my kids, they love museums!
  9. Shaunacey Peplinski Thursday - 27 / 09 / 2012 Reply
    I would love to go. I would take my kids. They would love it.
    • Crystal Friday - 05 / 10 / 2012 Reply
      Congrats! You are 1 of the lucky 2 winners for a pass for 2 to see Nature Unleashed!! Please email to find out how to claim your prize!! :)
  10. Liane Friday - 28 / 09 / 2012 Reply
    I would LOVE to win these tickets and I would bring my husband. We rarely get alone time from our little one and we're such nerds and weather freaks that this would be the perfect night out for us!
  11. KL Saturday - 29 / 09 / 2012 Reply
    My daughter just watched an episode of Finding Stuff Out which was about making a volcano and she loved it. I would take her so she could create her own volcano.
  12. Marcie Saturday - 29 / 09 / 2012 Reply
    I'd take my dad! He *loves* this kind of stuff.
  13. lena Sunday - 30 / 09 / 2012 Reply
    I would love to take my girls! My daughter is learning about nature in school!
    • Crystal Friday - 05 / 10 / 2012 Reply
      Congrats Lena! You are 1 of the lucky 2 winners for a pass for 2 to see Nature Unleashed!! Please email to find out how to claim your prize!! :)
  14. Joy Tuesday - 02 / 10 / 2012 Reply
    I would bring my 11-year-old daughter - we don't get to this wonderful museum very often - this would be a great opportunity, and a very cool exhibit to see!
  15. Jennifer H Friday - 05 / 10 / 2012 Reply
    I would LOVE to take my 3.5 year old son to this exhibit. He is obsessed with the weather and I could only imagine his excitement if we won passes. Win or not, this is an exhibit we will be going to view. I am excited for his little face already!
  16. Jacinta Cillis-Asquith Friday - 05 / 10 / 2012 Reply
    I would love to take my children. Several of them are very interested in volcanoes and tornadoes...one kid is very scared of them. Thought if they know more about the subject and the frequency it would satisfy those that need to know how these disasters occur ...and might calm the one that is so scared. The ice storm is something I have told them about but only the older ones were born then and don't remember. So, yes I would definitely go and take whomever I had passes for realizing I will have to pick and choose among the tribe as I have nine kids!
  17. Angie Friday - 05 / 10 / 2012 Reply
    I would love to go because I've never been and I love museums
  18. Angie Friday - 05 / 10 / 2012 Reply
    I would love to go because I've never been and I love museums I would bring my husband
  19. Shannon
    Twitter:
    Friday - 05 / 10 / 2012 Reply
    I would take my kids. They love the "Force of Nature" snippets on the Weather Network so I know they will enjoy this. Thanks for letting me know about this exhibit!!
  20. Crystal Dubeau Friday - 05 / 10 / 2012 Reply
    I would love to take my kids (I have 4) and hubby - they love to tour museums! :D

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