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Bell Museum

@bellmuseum.bsky.social

Minnesota’s official natural history museum, serving learners of all ages by igniting curiosity for the natural world

41 Posts172 Follower21 Folgt
Bell Museum@bellmuseum.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Statewide Camps are back, and you can still sign up! Hosted in partnership with University of Minnesota Research & Outreach Stations in Grand Rapids, Waseca, Lamberton, and Crookston, today marks the first day of science learning and fun for statewide campers. Register your camper on our website!

Children are hidden by bright green corn stalks as they run past.A girl sits at a table, writing in a journal. An oak leaf sticks out from her headband, covering her forehead. Behind her, a tablecloth on a table reads "Bell Museum."An older woman and a young girl look together at a large grub, preserved in a jar. Next to them is a case of preserved butterflies.A group of kids jumps up and down in a classroom, excited. Most of the kids wear orange Bell Museum camp shirts.
Bell Museum@bellmuseum.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Photo dump! Luke Tonsfeldt spent the past two years searching for bullfrogs across Minnesota, testing water samples for frog DNA. The project, funded through @mnenrtf, shows an expansion in bullfrog range and answers questions about the origin of Minnesota's largest frog. Read more on the Bell blog!

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Bell Museum@bellmuseum.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Happy fishing-opener, Minnesota! Did you know that the Bell Museum is home to Wilma the Walleye, the second-largest walleye recorded in the state? Say hi to Wilma next time you are visiting the Touch & See Room at the museum, and visit our blog to hear more about how this lake monster was landed.

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Bell Museum@bellmuseum.bsky.social · 3mo ago

When is the last time you said hello to the mammoth at the Bell Museum? Video description: a mammoth mascot faces the camera and then turns toward a larger, life-sized mammoth.

Bell Museum@bellmuseum.bsky.social · 3mo ago

A special day at Split Rock Lighthouse! Bell Museum staff led bird-themed activities at our recent community science day at the Minnesota Historical Society's Split Rock Lighthouse. Missed us on Saturday? No worries! We have a host of statewide activities on deck for this summer.

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Bell Museum@bellmuseum.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Meet us on the North Shore this weekend! The Bell is excited to partner with Split Rock Lighthouse on May 2, as we celebrate the birds that are migrating through the state. Borrow some binoculars, check out specimens from the Bell Museum collections, or work on bird-themed crafts!

A man and woman lean together, looking closely at a craft. Behind them is a map of Minnesota.A Bell Museum employee looks at an iPad, with a telescope nearby, as several members of the public look on. Behind the employee is the bright blue water of Lake Superior.
Bell Museum@bellmuseum.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Statewide Bell Museum camps are now enrolling! Hosted in partnership with University of Minnesota Research & Outreach Centers, our camps bring field trips, science experiments, and hands-on fun to Grand Rapids, Crookston, Lamberton and Waseca. Sign your camper up on our website!

Three children in a science lab show off a clear jar that contains two large grubs.Two children look out over a flowering prairie. One child holds a white net, the other holds binoculars.A group of children walks across pavement, holding aloft stalks of corn.Two girls sit at a table, writing in notebooks. One girl has attached an oak leaf to her headband, covering her face.
Bell Museum@bellmuseum.bsky.social · 5mo ago

When solar-powered GPS trackers were losing power prematurely, researchers studying green herons headed to the Bell Museum collections to problem solve. In this blog post (link in bio), learn why tracking bird movement is essential for conservation and how UMN researchers are studying green herons.

Three researchers look closely at two preserved birds, sitting on a green countertop. White shelves and bones are in the background.A preserved bird with a brown neck, a long beak, and shiny feathers, sits next to other birds in a drawer.A preserved Heron, with a white tag attached to its leg, and a small antenna placed on its back.A woman hands a small, preserved bird, down to a man. They stand in front of white drawers holding many preserved birds.
Bell Museum@bellmuseum.bsky.social · 7mo ago

This week, the staff at the Bell will be taking some time to reflect on the past year and prepare for the exciting things in store during 2026. This means that the museum will be closed to the public January 5–9. Visit our website for more information on our hours and admissions.

A person with a baby in a carrier and a young child looking intently at a museum exhibit.
Bell Museum@bellmuseum.bsky.social · 8mo ago

It's planting season! While most gardens are bedded down for the winter, many native plant species require a cold period to germinate. Plus, the melting and thawing of snow works seeds into the soil. Last week, Learning Landscape Gardener Alex Wegrzyn helped students spread new seed at the Bell.

A woman in a flannel shirt extends her hand, releasing invisible seeds between her fingers. She is surrounded by brown, dead plants.Tiny black seeds rest in the hand of a student.A man in a yellow vest directs others toward brown plants with nodding stems full of seeds.A man in a yellow vest and glasses hands paper envelopes of seeds to students.
Bell Museum@bellmuseum.bsky.social · 9mo ago

We're so proud of Bell Curator of Birds Dr. Sushma Reddy, featured at the British Ornithologists' Union conference this year. Check out her thread! #BOUasm25

SSushma Reddy@sushred.bsky.social · 9mo ago

1/ 🧵 I'm at #BOUasm25 A day at the museum to talk about using natural history collections to build inclusive community. Natural history #museums are undergoing a renaissance of novel research. However -who has access to collections? -who is being left out of biodiversity research? #ornithology

Bell Museum@bellmuseum.bsky.social · 9mo ago

For a few brief and beautiful minutes last night, Minnesotans across the state stopped what they were doing to step outside and catch a glimpse of the aurora. These photos were taken at the Bell by Planetarium Manager Sally Brummel. Did you experience the aurora last night? Send us your pictures!

Night view of the Bell Museum with aurora visible in the sky, featuring an informational sign with a map in the foreground.A vivid display of the Northern Lights in a night sky, featuring streaks of pink and green above the Bell Museum.A vivid display of the Northern Lights in a night sky, featuring streaks of pink and green above the Bell Museum.A vivid display of the Northern Lights in a night sky, featuring streaks of pink and green above the Bell Museum.
Bell Museum@bellmuseum.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Salvage Wildlife, Statewide! Bell curatorial staff Dr. Keith Barker and Sam Getty recently visited Salvage Wildlife partner Concordia College to teach a crash course on bird-prepping. Volunteer specimen preppers learned the ins-and-outs of turning a salvaged bird carcass into a scientific specimen!

Two women lean in, smiling, while pulling apart the red carcass of a small bird. The woman holding the bird wears blue gloves.A man sits at a table, holding a brown and white dead bird. Students stand in a circle around him, with faces of interest and mild disgust. Leaning over a tray of gray feathers, Bell staff member Sam Getty helps a student dissect a bird. A book that reads "Manual of Ornithology" rests on the table.A student with long red hair hits the "dab" pose, in front of a mounted black bird wing.
Bell Museum@bellmuseum.bsky.social · 9mo ago

The climate is changing, but where do you fit in? Join us for Spotlight Science: Climate Action and YOU! on November 15 to find tips on how you can make large and small changes to build your climate action footprint. https://www.bellmuseum.umn.edu/event/spotlight-science-climate-action-and-you/

Spotlight Science: Climate Action and YOU! - Bell Museum

Join us November 15 to learn resources and tips on how you can make large and small changes to build your climate action footprint.

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Bell Museum@bellmuseum.bsky.social · 10mo ago

Come see us at ConFluence 2025! This year, the Bell Museum will be at ConFluence: Futures in Color. This 2-day convention in NE Minneapolis celebrates art, sci-fi, futurisms, and fantasy centered on content by and for Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color. www.confluencemn.com

Graphic for 'Confluence: Futures in Color' featuring colorful floral patterns against a dark background with text overlay.
Bell Museum@bellmuseum.bsky.social · 10mo ago

Something to chew on while you read... patrons at the Austin Public Library get to "check out" a real mammoth tooth, thanks to a loan from the Bell Museum! Specimen loans are just another way we bring natural history education statewide. If you're in Austin, go say hello to the big tooth!

Mammoth themed books sit on a table, next to newspaper clippings. In the background are shelves of books.A brown fossilized tooth on a white platform. The tooth is large, with ridges on top.A sign reads "mammoth tooth" outside of a building.
Bell Museum@bellmuseum.bsky.social · 10mo ago

This past week, we were honored to host the GLPA+WAC conference! The GLPA+WAC conference is the largest gathering of planetarium experts in the Great Lakes region. The week included informational sessions, planetarium shows, & a constellation shootout, where attendees tested constellation knowledge.