Join me on a trip back in time through millions of generations Peterborough Examiner – November 29, 2024 – by Drew Monkman There’s something captivating about tracing our roots back through time and learning what we can about our ancestors. I’m very fortunate in that both my parents did extensive genealogical research Read more…
Make a habit of asking why species look and behave the way they do As much as we delight in nature’s beauty, there’s an equally wondrous dimension to every species that usually goes unappreciated: the evolution story behind what we’re looking at. From an organism’s appearance to the way Read more…
A tale to share with children of how the Universe and all living things came to be Peterborough Examiner – July 15, 2022 – by Drew Monkman Every culture has its own origin story. They are often elaborate narratives that help explain the mysteries of our existence. “Big History”, however, is an origin Read more…
Engaging activities to help kids grasp the basics of evolution The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes. Marcel Proust One of the greatest gifts you can give children is a sense of wonder in the natural world. At the same time, Read more…
From finches to cacti, the fingerprints of evolution are everywhere in the Galapagos Over the year leading up to my Galapagos trip, I read just about every available book on the islands. My favourite by far was “The Beak of the Finch”, by Jonathan Weiner. Now a nature classic, the Read more…
An unforgettable trip to the “laboratory of evolution” and the inspiration of Darwin’s earth-shaking theory The shadowy form appeared out of nowhere in the turquoise water. It made a bee-line towards me, swimming just above the bottom. What is this? Within seconds, however, its dark back, white underparts, and stout Read more…
“There is no fundamental difference between man and animals in their ability to feel pleasure and pain, happiness, and misery.” Charles Darwin, The Descent of Man A decade or so ago, I came upon a considerable mystery. It was a fall afternoon and, while walking down the road toward my Read more…
February 12 is a day to reflect on the principles of perpetual curiosity, scientific thinking, and hunger for truth as embodied in Charles Darwin. With the arrival of February – a time I like to call ‘pre-spring’ – bird sound is slowly returning to the natural world. A week ago, Read more…
Every culture has its own origin story. They may be short anecdotes or elaborate narratives that help explain the mysteries of our existence. “Big History” is an origin story unlike any other. Instead of being rooted in a specific culture or geography, it presents a science-based perspective and is therefore Read more…
One of the greatest gifts you can give a child is a sense of wonder in the natural world and how everything in nature can be explained by science and critical thinking. And nowhere is there a better example of the power of critical thinking than when it comes to Read more…
Kids make great amateur scientists. They love to ask “why” questions. “Why is the monarch butterfly so colourful? Why does it start life as a caterpillar? Why does it migrate? Thanks to Charles Darwin, we now understand that questions such as these are entitled to an evidence-based answer – and Read more…
“The woods are wide and full of wonders, but we boys were mere counters, nibblers and sniffers at her mysteries. Just two skinny lads roaming fields like foxes searching for whatever we could find. Here a quartz rock, there an emerald snake, and over there a woodcock’s nest.” Local author Read more…
The lovely spring weather we’ve enjoyed this past week has caused an explosion of plant growth. Buds are swelling, grass is turning green, and a half-dozen species of wildflowers are in bloom. The blossoms are already attracting the first bees. Although I’ve witnessed this rebirth of nature over too many Read more…