RAM Blog

A thread-waisted wasp (Ammophila ferruginosa) from the Milk River Natural Area in southern Alberta. The wasp is thin and red coloured and is perched on green foliage.

Checklist of the Apoid Wasps of Canada, Alaska and Greenland now published!

One of the goals of the researchers at RAM is to document the biodiversity in our province, this new checklist of Apoid Wasps is a piece of that work.

RAM Blog

A thread-waisted wasp. The wasp is a long red wasp with a small waist. The wasp is perched on green foliage.

Checklist of the Apoid Wasps of Canada, Alaska and Greenland now published! One of the goals of the researchers at RAM is to document the biodiversity in our province, this new checklist of Apoid Wasps is a piece of that work.

Jean Wallbridge and Mary Louise Imirie sit on the deck of their home in Edmonton

On their own terms: the Legacy of Wallbridge and Imrie Meet Jean Wallbridge and Mary Imrie, trailblazers in the architectural industry and the 2SLGBTQ+ community

Black and white photo of 18 Japanese Canadian workers in a sugar beet field

Bringing Buddhism to Southern Alberta Learn about the history of Japanese Canadians who worked together to create the Picture Butte Buddhist Church

A close up of white lacey fabric on a black background

Mme Corbière`s Cutwork In honour of Francophonie Month, join us on a journey through the intricate Richelieu-style cutwork designs of Amandine Corbiere

A black and white photo of Lossie Lane and Ivy Beaver. The photo is super-imposed over a close-up of Lossie Lane's Wagon Wheel Quilt.

The Lossie Lane Quilt: A Testimony of Friendship Between Two Black Pioneer Settlers A story about Black Pioneer Lossie Lane, her love of quilting, and her friendship with Ivy Beaver.

A Tale of Two Curators Find out why an Ornithologist and Quaternary Palaeontologist are working together to study local nesting boxes.

Members of Quaternary Palaeontology walk along the river bank.

A Modern-day Mammoth Search Party Our Quaternary Palaeontology team recently explored the river valley.

A small black sawfly sitting atop a bright, green leaf. A small red arrow points to the sawfly's rear ovipostor (leg).

(Bio-)Diversity reloaded: the adventures of a citizen scientist in Edmonton How citizen scientists can help expand our knowledge of Alberta biodiversity

A brown piece of tanned hide featuring beaded flowers in blues, pinks and reds. The hide shape has a flat bottom and curved top.

Appreciation or appropriation? How do we know if we're appreciating or appropriating culture?

The Eastern Star Comes to Alberta For Francophonie Month, we dive into the story of early Alberta settler Diana Nadeau, and the special quilt she brought along for the journey.

An orange and green-coloured Western Painted Turtle swims under water

Meet Alberta's Turtle Meet the Western Painted Turtle this Reptile Awareness Day

Meet your new neighbour! There is a new lady beetle in Alberta called Hippodamia variegata, aka the Varigated Lady Beetle.

An illustration of small people building a wacky, train-shaped machine, standing on a platform, and holding a flag.

RAM Recommends: Science Literacy Week 2022 A list of resources to dig into Science Literacy Week

Historic black and white image of a gold panner using a sluice.

Buried Treasure – panning for gold in Edmonton’s river valley Dig into the history of gold panning in Edmonton and learn how to pan for gold yourself!

Uncovering natural treasures A new wasp discovery in Canada

Sliver scissors trimming a small green tuft

Indigenous Artistry Video Series Our new video series capturing the beauty of Indigenous artistry from beading and quillwork to tufting and fish scale art.

What can seeds teach us about forests? Seeds are essential pieces in a forest ecosystem.

Dr. Corlett stands beside a rock formation.

Women in STEM: Challenges and Barriers Despite the relative increase in women in science in Canada and around the world, they still face challenges and barriers.

A close-up image of beaded flowers from a Métis octopus bag

The artistry of an Octopus Bag Octopus bags, named for their eight legs, are a beautiful representation of love.

The Carillon Room, where RAM began. A domed roof hangs over a number of display cases housing artifacts

The History of RAM Take a look at some of the milestones the Royal Alberta Museum achieved over the years.

Collage of photos from drag queen events.

Telling the untold; preserving LGBTQ2S+ history in Alberta Highlighting work done by local historians across Alberta to preserve LGBTQ2S+ history.

A grouping of garter snakes hibernating together

Get to know garter snakes Learn about Alberta's most common snake species: the Garter snake

A rainbow Pride flag laid flat on a white table.

Stories to Tell: Collecting Alberta’s LGBTQ2S+ History Collecting Alberta’s LGBTQ2S+ History

Illustrated book cover for Compost Stew. Depicting a woman behind a large container. She has on gardening gloves and a hat. A dog and duck join her.

Science Literacy Week Resource List A resources list to learn more about this year's Science Literacy Week theme of climate change

A quilted piece of fabric depicting a white mammoth lays on a wooden table next to an antique sewing machine, thread, scissors and sewing pins.

How to Quilt a Mammoth Learn how to quilt your own mammoth! Plus, learn about the quilts in RAM's collection

Three cans of "tornado dust" with labels sharing statistics of the 1987 Black Friday tornado

Lightning in a bottle How can a museum capture the story of the devastating 1987 Black Friday tornado?

Script certificates were issued to many Métis applicants that could be redeemed for land or money to by land.

History comes to Life By Maria Nelson, former RAM Indigenous Student Museum Intern

Get to know: Jessica Sanderson-Barry My name is Jess Sanderson-Barry, a nêhiyaw-iskwêw and mother from Chakastaypasin Band, Treaty Six Territory.

Camels... in Alberta? By Kristine Fedyniak, Assistant Curator, Archaeology, and Chris Jass, Curator, Quaternary Palaeontology

Bella Twin and the Grizzly Bear Do you love a good story like we do?

Pride Month Reading List We reached out to The Pride Centre of Edmonton, and Calgary Outlink for their favourite book recommendations.

Are these invasive or just introduced? Why are invasive species harmful? And why don’t all introduced species become invasive?

Chinese Head tax: George Yee’s story By Julia Petrov, Curator, Daily Life and Leisure, And Matthew Ostapchuk, Acting Curator, Military and Government History

Challenging Women of Alberta In honour of this year's International Women's Day theme, we’re honouring seven women who challenged gender bias and inequality in Albert.

A black and white photo of FIl Fraser, Canada's first black broadcaster, sitting in a radio room. In front of him sits a cake with the words "the informer" in icing on top.

Fil Fraser, Canada's First Black Broadcaster Fil Fraser (1932-2017) was a pioneering Black Canadian broadcaster, journalist, author, producer, humanitarian, and educator.

How to make chocolate poops for Valentine's Day How about making these animal poop chocolates inspired by the real poop of iconic Alberta animals!

A black and white photograph of Hatti, owner of the Harlem Chicken Inn

Black History in Alberta These stories, while often underrepresented or unknown, are essential to seeing the full picture of Canada’s and Alberta’s history.

Build a banjo and jam out! Follow in the tradition of these musicians, and make your own instrument!

A close up photo of La Pouchine, a traditional Metis dish. This baked good is filled with raisins and covered with a sticky sweet topping

A Pudding by Any Name: La Pouchine Truly a pudding by any name, this Métis recipe varies, as well from family to family. It is incredibly easy to make.

Remembering Objects can be powerful sources for remembering.

Archie Calliou, age sixteen, holding a rifle at a training base in Ontario, probably Petawawa. Photograph courtesy of Dorothy Calliou.

"The legend lives on" By Emma Knight, Assistant Curator, Indigenous Studies, and Matt Ostapchuk, Curator, Military and Government History

From Rags, to Ringlets By Nancy Nickolson, Family Programs Coordinator, and Julia Petrov, Acting Head of History

It came from summer camp... My earliest memories of camp include rolling hills, the cool lake, quaint cabins, and the monster that terrorized it all: Goatman.

Squish it Flat! Read on to discover more about the botany collections at RAM, and how to start pressing your own plants!

Following the footsteps of bison By Mark Edwards, Curator, Mammalogy

Eat like a soldier Taste a piece of history by making some hardtack of your own!

Why are these yellow birds turning red? Join Dr. Jocelyn Hudon, RAM Curator of Ornithology, as he digs into this strange, colour-shifting phenomenon.

Buttons! Small but Mighty For as long as there has been clothing, it would seem that buttons were used to hold two pieces of fabric or fur together.

Nature's Weavers Weavers have been making cloth for thousands of years, but birds have been weaving nests for much longer.

Keeping language alive - there's an app for that! We’ve compiled a list of a number of Indigenous language apps and resources that reach across the generations.

Indigenous History Resource List Immerse yourself in the heritage, diversity and strength of Canada’s Indigenous Peoples.

Tiffany Mayne, Florence Shone and Nancy Desjarlais, Edmonton, March 1st, 2018

Sixties Scoop: Stories of Loss, Strength, and Hope By the Sixties Scoop Indigenous Society of Alberta, and Emma Knight, Assistant Curator, Indigenous Studies

"Time to go, George!" Have you ever heard of the goldfish club? What about the caterpillar club? If you're familiar with military or aviation history, these might ring a bell.

Indigenous Reading List Our list includes everything from books to introduce your children to the history of residential schools, to understanding the Indian Act and Indigenous Rights.

Na’h e’tse’ah: Dene Hand Game Have you ever seen the Dene Tha’ hand game?

An old-timey skill for a modern need Why not dust off your own sewing machine and make a face mask?

The mysterious gemstone button box During the move downtown, RAM staff discovered some strange – and extremely fancy! – boxes. Boxes with no keys, and no way to open them.

Honour Songs, Melissa-Jo Belcourt Moses, 2017

Honour Songs Featuring the work of Melissa-Jo (MJ) Belcourt Moses. MJ is a Métis artist of Cree, Mohawk and French heritage from Lac Ste. Anne, Alberta.

Making Do: Socks for Playtime Make your very own soft toy to keep you company at home!

Which dinosaur has the most unique teeth? You probably feel like you know what dinosaur teeth looked like, right?

A brunette woman stands holding a woven laundry basket. The words "An Alberta Invention. The fitted sheet (and how to fold one)

The fitted sheet - An Alberta invention, and folding nightmare Did you know the fitted sheet was invented in Alberta?

The Chief’s Daughter - Creations for the Generations Meet Karli Crowshoe of the Chief’s Daughter, and see her hat that is now a part of the RAM Collection

Illustrated animals stand around a sign that says "Moe's Big Adventure"

Join Moe on a Mammoth Adventure Download our activity book for museum fun at home!

Mysteries in Mudstone What could this mysterious discovery be?

Next stop: Nashville Meet Indigenous musicians Harry Rusk and Archie Calliou

Explore our collection – in 3D! Check out 3D models of artifacts, specimens, and dioramas from the RAM collection

RAM Curator Diana T and her daughter Sia sit in a lab talking about science

International Day of Women and Girls in Science Celebrate International Day of Women and Girls in Science with RAM Curator Diana Tirlea and her daughter Sia

Hatti Melton, owner of Hatti's Harlem Chicken Inn. Photo courtesy Debbie Beaver

Hatti's Harlem Chicken Inn Head into the famous chicken joint, Hatti's Harlem Chicken Inn

RAM Curator Chris J opens a cupboard in the RAM collections storage

Fossil Fanatic: explore Ice Age fossils with Dr. Chris Jass Head into the Quaternary Palaeontology collection room with Dr. Chris Jass.

Hooray for Hats! In honour of National Hat Day, come check out all the great hats in the RAM collection.

Fly through our ornithology collection January 5 is National Bird Day! Check out some of the great specimens in our Ornithology collection.

RAM Curator Matt O smiles toward the camera, holding a small box in his hands.

Unboxing! 7 new coins in the RAM collection [Video] Unbox some impressive new coins in the RAM collection.

Curating your ultimate RAM visit Whether you're a nature-lover, a history buff, or a kiddo with energy to burn, we'll help you plan your RAM visit.

Brown shelves hold stacks of vintage toys.

Intangible Alberta and the Magic Vintage Toys of Christmas Morning Remember your favourite toy when you were young? Remember how it felt almost magical?

A spooky shadowy face of a mannequin doll.

Ghosts in the Vault - An Intangible Alberta Halloween Special With a collection of 2.5 million objects going back millions of years, we’re bound to have a few ghosts in our cabinets, right?

Intangible Alberta: Be kind, please remind... me about video rental stores! Video rentals stores are slowly becoming relics of the past, but few still remain in Alberta.

Welcome to Intangible Alberta – the podcast! Dive into Alberta's stories beyond the exhibit cases.

Two hand-made birch baskets sit on a table

The Basket Tree (Part 2) In Part Two of this blog series, Skye teaches how to construct a birch bark basket.

Barking Up the Right Tree (Part 1) Follow along with former ISMI intern Skye and learn about harvesting birch bark to make baskets.

An Unexpected Partnership What happens when you combine museum objects, X-rays, and the bomb squad?

A black and white photo of a long, white building that once housed Hatti's Harlem Chicken Inn

The Chicken Inn across the road Go back in time to eat at Hatti's Harlem Chicken Inn

A historical photo of Paul beaver’s ancestral home, up the road from Campsie. His grandparents, Walker and Ivy Beaver, built the house in 1936.

A Well of History Travel back in time to visit the communities of Alberta's early Black settlers.

A close-up photo of a hand wearing an orange plastic glove, holding a long q-tip, wiping the cotton end of the Q-tip against a dark rock.

Museum’s famed “finger rock” gets a spit polish What's the best way to clean a concretion? The answer may surprise you...