MONTREAL, Nov. 6, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - This year, the Montréal Space for Life ushers in winter with a creative, lively program of activities, shows and events to delight every one of your senses! The Biodôme's exuberant mascot parrot, Commander Macaw, leads you on a Tropical Adventure, along with many of its other colourful inhabitants. At the Botanical Garden, the exhibition greenhouses celebrate the Holiday season in Québec with flair, while a Christmas Fair offers a plethora of original, nature-inspired gift ideas. The Insectarium reveals the secrets of insects adapted to survive our harsh winters. And let's not forget to mention the two spectacular adventures in the stars waiting at the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium!
BOTANICAL GARDEN - December 6 to January 5
December 6 to 8 and December 13 to 15, for a third consecutive year, the Garden hosts a Christmas Fair with some twenty artists, artisans and merchants offering plants as well as organic and ecological products for sale.
Who says nature sleeps through winter? The Botanical Garden celebrates the festive season with a trail through all the exhibition greenhouses concluding in the Main Exhibition Greenhouse with plenty of panache! Magnificent wreaths and huge frames show off original specimens from the botanical collections. In the Main Exhibition Greenhouse, an enormous panache composed of plants and branches sets the tone, leading the gaze up to a flight of reindeer decorated with natural materials. Superb Christmas trees adorned with plants round off the scene, complete with choirs singing carols in the afternoon during the first three weekends of December. At the end of the greenhouse trail, sip on warm herbal tea at the Biodiversity Centre's 1000 Days for the Planet Base Camp while learning all about these passionate people who have the preservation of nature at heart, weekends from December 7 to 22.
BIODÔME - December 21 to February 9
When the cold settles in, that's the signal: the Biodôme's mascot parrot invites the whole family on a Tropical Adventure! The tropical theme continues with a puppet show for the little ones called What's That Egg—a captivating adventure centred on a mysterious egg discovered in the forest. The Tropical Express, a small train, then leads to the Beaks and Bandaids discovery area, where kids have a great time playing trainee vet for the day. They can then visit the Eggs exhibition and discover the myriad shapes and colours of the eggs laid by different birds.
Two new additions also warrant a stop at the Biodôme! Before you start exploring the ecosystems, pop in to Biorama: An Introduction Zone, created by Moment Factory. Our financial partners, the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation and the Secrétariat à la région métropolitaine, take you into this new dimension, bringing visitors closer to nature. You will swap your urban mindset for one more in tune with nature, thanks to a multimedia experience designed to awaken your sense of observation. Also, families will be offered a free app Génial! au Biodôme based on the Télé-Québec show of the same name—an exclusive virtual adventure in which they team up with hosts Martin Carli and Stéphane Bellavance to take control of the Biodôme and re-establish the delicate balance of ecosystems in danger.
INSECTARIUM
The Insectarium team adds a new hands-on experience to its exciting program of activities: Naturally Well Made: Insects in Winter. Discover insects' remarkable ability to adapt to the harsh Québec winter. You'll be blown away by some of the things they do! Challenge your preconceptions by observing some 3,000 insects from all over the world in the Insectarium's naturalized collection as well as many living insects, such as scarab beetles, stick insects and scorpions.
RIO TINTO ALCAN PLANETARIUM
Haven't visited the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium yet? Prepare for a highly emotive and creative experience among the stars and beyond with the show Continuum. Next, explore the season's night sky, guided by an educator who will show you the marvels of our galaxy—planets constellations and more! This winter's headliners are Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, and Comet ISON, which will be passing very close to the Sun in late fall.
To make sure you don't miss any of the activities or events happening at the Montréal Space for Life, choose one of our packages—you will have 31 days to explore every one of our spaces!!
Information (packages, rates, schedules): espacepourlavie.ca
SOURCE: Ville de Montréal - Biodôme de Montréal
Karine Jalbert, Communications Coordinator
514 872-1453/ 514 250-3230
[email protected]
Nadine Fortin, Communications Coordinator
514-868-3053/514-250-7753
[email protected]
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