Expeditions

Beyond our regular exhibits, programs, and planetarium shows, the Bell is also home to over a million specimens used for research by scientists across the world. The process of obtaining these specimens is certainly an intriguing one, yet it is often unseen by the public eye. 

Last month, we hosted our annual event Expeditions. During this week-long event, Bell scientists gather on the Learning Landscape to demonstrate how to measure, catalog, and prepare natural history specimens. Visitors are invited to ask questions and experience science firsthand as scientists prepare fish, bird, plant, and mammal specimens. One of the goals of this event is to highlight the fact that we’re more than a museum—the Bell is an important resource and an active research institution used by scientists across the globe. 

At this event, scientists set up tables outside and bring all the tools they need to prepare specimens—scales, notebooks, tweezers, and scalpels, for example. Then, they get to work preparing specimens. This process looks different if you’re preparing a red-wing blackbird versus a dandelion specimen, and the researchers are there to demonstrate the nuances and answer questions.

Here are a few quick stats on what was featured this year, the team: 

• Prepared 35 birds
• Prepared 25 mammals
• Collected 3 sets of embryos from mice and shrews
• Found 1 tick
• Collected 2 vials of lice
• Collected 1 vial of parasitic roundworms from a bird’s abdominal cavity
• Prepared a total biomass of ~87 lbs from the Bell’s freezers!

The team included many curators and students from across the Bell. These included Sharon Jansa, Keith Barker, Faith Kelly, Anya Auerbach, Oz Oong, Bri Ilard, Kassandra Ford, Tim Whifield, Anna Fowler, Clare Tan, Sean Barker,  Simone Maddox, and Melody Truong. The team was led by Salvage Wildlife Technician Samantha Getty and Zoological Collections Manager Angela Hornsby.

A few notable specimens from this year included a trumpeter swan, river otter, turkey, black-footed albatross, and porcupine. Luckily, no one was stuck in the process of preparing the porcupine! There were a number of smaller—yet equally important—specimens. These included red-wing blackbirds, mice, and project Bird Safe birds collected by Audubon Society volunteers. Additionally, Herbarium Manager Tim Whitfield and Curatorial Technician Anna Fowler demonstrated how to prepare herbarium specimens by helping visitors create their own pressed plants. 

While this is an annual event, it was the first time fishes made an appearance. Curator of Fishes Kassandra Ford demonstrated how to handle and identify fish specimens. Ford, along with Faith Kelly, RC Hoover, and Brian Whelen, all brought Minnesota fish to Expeditions with 10 trays of native and invasive fish. They also provided fun coloring sheets featuring Gar and Bowfin!

Thank you to everyone who visited us for this year’s Expeditions—we hope to see you next year!