Press release
New events and exhibitions for 2007
Ice Station Antartica
Antarctica is the coldest, windiest and most remote place on Earth - and it takes an amazing person to work there. Are you that person? Fancy camping on ice, experiencing 24-hour darkness or working in a penguin colony? Got the guts to leave home for a year? Find out if you’ve got what it takes to live and work in Antarctica... are you up for the challenge? Then come to Ice Station Antarctica.
Using a combination of stunning, high quality visual imagery, interactive activities and real Antarctic objects, the exhibition will create a series of mini-environments for visitors to explore. Families will get to grips with a variety of exciting Antarctic challenges (under the guidance of the Base Commander), from coping in sub-zero temperatures and riding a skidoo to collecting ice cores. They’ll meet Antarctica wildlife, experience some of the extreme nature of the continent and explore the skills it takes to work in, and care for, this frozen frontier.
The exhibition is being put together in partnership with British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and is one of the highlights of International Polar Year (2007/8). After the Museum, it will tour extensively throughout Europe and beyond.
Dates: 25 May 2007 - 6 April 2008
Admission: £7, concessions TBC
Systema Metropolis
Systema Metropolis is a new commission by renowned artist Mark Dion exploring the strange and surprising biodiversity of London. Dion uncovers the variety of life that exists in a modern city by sampling four very different environments within London, each reflecting the current and historical aspects of our vibrant capital.
Soil, water, air samples, and small invertebrates like worms and insects are amongst the materials collected in collaboration with Museum scientists. Dion uses these items as the basis for his artworks, giving an insight into how humans make order out of chaos by collecting and classifying.
The commission celebrates 300 years since the birth of Carl Von Linné, better known as Linnaeus, the father of modern classification. His ideas have influenced generations of biologists and his system for naming and ranking organisms is still used to interpret the natural world.
Dates: 15 June - 2 September 2007
Admission: Free
Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2007
Organised by the Natural History Museum and BBC Wildlife Magazine, the Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition is the most prestigious and longest-running event of its kind. The competition’s aim is to showcase the very best photographic images of nature to a worldwide audience, showing the splendour, drama and variety of life on Earth.
Open to both amateurs and professionals of all ages and nationalities, the competition last year attracted more than 18,000 entries from 55 countries. The winners are showcased in a stunning exhibition launched at the Natural History Museum, which then tours around the UK and the world.
Dates: 27 October 2007 - April 2008
Admission: TBC
Website:
www.nhm.ac.uk/wildphoto
Continuing events and exhibitions
Dino Jaws
What did dinosaurs eat - and how do we know? Featuring the most frighteningly lifelike moving dinosaurs ever created, this family blockbuster exhibition explores the sometimes gruesome, and often disgusting, subject of dinosaurs and their food.
From the infamous flesh-eating T.rex to the plant-munching Iguanodon, different dinosaurs ate different foods and often had unique ways of gathering or catching their dinner. This unmissable exhibition is designed for families with children aged four and over. You’ll become a dino-detective and study dinosaur jaws, claws, guts and even poo to discover what dinosaurs ate, using the same techniques as real scientists.
Bringing together intriguing fossil evidence, fun hands-on exhibits, scientific insights and the most realistic animatronics you have ever seen, Dino Jaws reveals everything scientists now know about what and how dinosaurs ate.
Dates: until 15 April 2007
Admission: £8, £5 concessions, free for children aged three and under, £21 family (up to five, minimum one adult)
Booking information:
www.nhm.ac.uk/dino-jaws or 0870 013 0731
Website:
www.nhm.ac.uk/dino-jaws
Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2006
Be inspired by incredible shots of nature, from a walrus whipping up sediment at the bottom of the sea or a treefrog caught in a snake’s jaws, to a seal poking its nose through the ice. Each image in the Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition is captioned to reveal the tale of how and why it was taken.
Organised by the Natural History Museum and BBC Wildlife Magazine and sponsored by Shell, the competition is the most prestigious and successful event of its kind in the world. It showcases the very best photographic images of nature to a worldwide audience, showing the splendour, drama and variety of life on Earth. The winners are displayed in a stunning exhibition launched at the Natural History Museum, and then toured around the UK and the world.
For many photographers, highlighting the richness and variety of life on Earth is just as important as capturing a wildlife moment with perfect composition and timing. Through this year’s new interactive displays, you can find out what the judges, scientists and the photographers themselves thought about particular images. In addition, you can vote for your favourite image and choose from a selection of prints to have at home.
Dates: until 29 April 2007
Admission: £6, £3.50 concessions, £15 family ticket (up to five people including at least one adult), free for Members, Patrons and children under five
Booking information:
www.nhm.ac.uk/wildphoto or 0870 013 0731
Website:
www.nhm.ac.uk/wildphoto
Events for families
Lyme Regis Fossil Festival
Discover remarkable remains and learn more about predators of the past with Natural History Museum experts at the Lyme Regis Fossil Festival 2007. Throughout the three-day festival, children, young adults, students and amateur palaeontologists will be able to join in a range of events to discover the secrets held by fossils.
Date: 3 - 5 May 2007
Exhibition Road Family Day
Join in exciting activities about the natural world, as part of a whole day of fun across Exhibition Road. There's something for everyone in the family, from three years and over.
Date: 24 June 2007
Diverse City Season
Experience fantastic free cultural events, for all ages, celebrating the ethnic diversity of multicultural Britain. Enjoy demonstrations, workshops, Nature Live events and family activities that highlight the important role many cultures play in increasing our understanding of the natural world. Black History Month events are included.
Dates and times: October 2007 - March 2008
Events for adults
Riverfly conference
The conference will launch a new national pollution monitoring initiative for rivers, asking anglers to act as neighbourhood watch teams for our waterways. Keynote speakers will include Jeremy Paxman and a spokesperson from the Environment Agency, one of the partners on the initiative.
Date: 8 March 2007
Visitor enquiries: 020 7942 5000
Admission: £45/£30 for corporate/private individuals respectively.
Lunch and delegates packs are provided.
Website: www.riverflies.org
Systematics INYS: International networking for young scientists
A three-day event offering seminars, personal development and networking for young scientists from the UK and Scandinavia. Organised in partnership with the British Council, this event accompanies the Systema Metropolis contemporary art exhibition.
Dates: 2 - 4 July 2007
Classification
A conference exploring current issues and opportunities in systematic science for 16-19 year old students, teachers and examination board professionals. This event accompanies the Systema Metropolis contemporary art exhibition.
Date: 6 July 2007
International Student Summit: Green Cities
A three-day summit for 16-19 year old students from the UK and overseas, exploring the ecological footprints of cities and their impact on wildlife diversity and the environment. Organised in partnership with the British Council, the event is part of a programme of activities surrounding Systema Metropolis.
Dates: 10 - 12 July 2007
Events and exhibitions at the Walter Rothschild Zoological Museum, Tring
Our sister museum in Tring, Hertfordshire, opened in the late 1800s to house the collections of Lionel Walter, second Baron Rothschild. Only a 45-minute train journey from the capital, it offers outstanding examples of nineteenth-century taxidermy at its very best, from walls lined with fish to a seated adult polar bear, and was bequeathed to the nation in 1938. It is now an annexe of the Natural History Museum. The public galleries have been modernised, but the fascinating character of the Museum has been retained.
Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2007
This international wildlife photography exhibition continues to stun its visitors with the best images from around the world. Don’t miss this chance to see the exhibition at one of its first stops outside London.
Date and time: December 2006 - January 2007
Admission: Free
Fossil Folklore
From dragons and griffins to angels’ money and slaves’ lentils, this family-friendly exhibition reveals the truth behind the myths that have grown up around fossils.
Date and time: 12 February - 8 July
Admission: Free
Rothschild
This exhibition is all about Walter Rothschild. Visitors can learn more about his work as a zoologist and the founding of the Museum.
Date and time: Mon 23 July - Sunday 2 December
Admission: Free
New books from the Natural History Museum in 2007
March
-
Natural History Museum Atlas of Bird Migration edited by Jonathan Elphick
This comprehensive reference uses the amazing results of new satellite tracking to trace the world migration routes of over 100 species from both north and south of the Equator.
£19.99, Hardback
April
-
Surviving Antarctica , David N. Thomas
Including a foreword by TV presenter and survival expert Ray Mears, this timely book explores how life survives the extreme conditions of one of the most sensitive and inhospitable parts of the planet.
£9.99, Paperback
Autumn
-
Great Caves of the World, Tony Waltham
Dwell in the awe-inspiring surroundings of over 20 of the most spectacular, challenging and varied caves from across the globe with this fascinating and accessible exploration.
£14.99, Hardback -
The Human Story, Charles Lockwood
From our seven-million-year-old ancestors to modern man, this captivating book reveals the complex history of our species and where we came from.
£9.99, Paperback
Visitor information
Opening hours
The Natural History Museum: Monday - Sunday, 10.00 - 17.50, Closed 24–26 December
The Walter Rothschild Zoological Museum: Monday - Saturday, 10.00 - 17.00. Sunday, 14.00–17.00, Closed 24 - 26 December
Where to find us
The Natural History Museum
Cromwell Road
London
SW7 5BD
The Walter Rothschild Zoological Museum
Akeman Street
Tring, Herts
HP23 6AP
Admission
Entry is free to the Natural History Museum and the Walter Rothschild Zoological Museum. Prices for major exhibitions are listed on previous pages.
Visitor enquiries
The Natural History Museum
General enquiries: +44 (0)20 7942 5000
School party bookings: +44 (0)20 7942 5555
Website: www.nhm.ac.uk
The Walter Rothschild Zoological Museum
Tel: +44 (0)20 7942 6171
Booking: for event booking forms, please call +44 (0)20 7942 6163 (lines open Monday–Saturday 10.00–16.00 and Sunday 14.00–16.00)
Website: www.nhm.ac.uk/tring
Access
The Natural History Museum is accessible to visitors in wheelchairs. For details, please telephone 020 7942 5000. Parking is also available, for details please telephone +44 (0)20 7942 5888.
The Walter Rothschild Zoological Museum has step-free access on the ground floor, café and shop. Parking is also available. For details please telephone +44 (0)20 7942 6171.
For further information on the Natural History Museum and the Walter Rothschild Zoological Museum, please telephone +44 (0)20 7942 5654 or email us.
For further information on Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year, please telephone +44 (0)20 7942 5156 or email us.
To further information about the Natural History Museum’s Publishing Department, to request a review copy or an author interview please telephone +44 (0)20 7942 5336 or email us.