Quinte Museum of Natural History

06/21/2026

June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day!

Celebrated annually on the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, this day recognizes and celebrates the rich cultures, traditions, languages, and contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples across Canada.

For generations, many Indigenous communities have held cultural gatherings, ceremonies, and celebrations during this time of year, making the summer solstice a meaningful date for this national observance.

First proclaimed in 1996, 2026 marks the 30th anniversary of National Indigenous Peoples Day in Canada.

National Indigenous Peoples Day provides an opportunity to learn about Indigenous histories, cultures, and contemporary communities, while recognizing their enduring contributions to Canadian society.

To learn more about the day and discover events taking place in your area, visit the National Indigenous Peoples Day website at: https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1100100013718/1708446948967

06/16/2026

Happy Seniors Month! This year's theme is Ontario Seniors: Let’s Get Moving, and what a perfect theme that is for the summer. The seniors' programming we’ve been presenting aims to promote wellness, social engagement, and education for seniors and older adults in our community! Some of our recent workshops have included a pinch pot-making workshop, watercolour painting, orchard outings, and speaker discussions with local professionals!
Was there a piece of seniors programming we’ve hosted that you’ve loved over the past year? We would love to hear about your favourite parts, or what other kinds of programming you might be interested in!
As a reminder, while our seniors' programming is designed with older adults in mind, it’s absolutely open to anyone interested in participating.

The Quinte Museum of Natural History is located at 99 Dufferin Ave. Trenton, ON. The museum is currently open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 am - 5 pm.
For more information, check out our website quintemuseum.ca, or contact us at (613) 955-1802 - [email protected]

06/09/2026

There are only a few days left to fill out our survey and help inform our next steps! 🌿 Take 7 minutes to let us know what you want to see from the Quinte Museum of Natural History in the future before the survey ends on June 12th: https://www.surveymonkey.ca/r/HT82VW2

We want to hear from you! 🎤

In partnership with Loyalist College’s Center for Healthy Communities, we are asking for feedback from you on a potential museum expansion project. We need members of our community to fill out a short survey (it should take about 7 minutes) to help us gauge interest in a larger museum, and input on what future offerings people would be most interested in. Your feedback will directly affect our next phase at the museum, so let your opinions be heard!

Take 7 minutes and help shape the future of your museum. Click here to participate: https://www.surveymonkey.ca/r/HT82VW2

06/08/2026

🪸June 8th is World Ocean Day!🌊

We may have said fare-whale to our fin-tastic whale exhibit earlier this year, but that doesn't make the ocean any less important to us!
The ocean is such a vital part of our blue world. In Canada, we’re bordered by 3 defined ocean basins: the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Arctic Ocean to the North.

So why is there no “s” on World Ocean Day when we’re surrounded by so many?

That’s because it’s all interconnected. The singular “ocean” reflects the fact that there is only one, interconnected global ocean despite the different names given to its basins. World Ocean Day represents the fact that we share one ocean and one future that we all need to work to improve and maintain. Like the ocean, we are all one, and we are all connected!

What can you do to help our ocean?

📚Learn Ocean Literacy: Changing the language we use every day to refer to the ocean helps us disconnect from the idea that the ocean is a vast thing that belongs to us. Simple changes include dropping the "S" on oceans, implying it's more than a single connected body, or referring to the ocean as “the ocean” instead of “our ocean”, implying that we have an ownership and entitlement to the ocean.

🦞Be Conscious of Seafood: Are you eating sustainable seafood? Make sure to follow the Seafood Watch guide to ensure the seafood you’re purchasing is sustainable for the ocean! You can check the seafood watch guide here https://www.seafoodwatch.org/

🛍️Shop local: There are already so many amazing reasons to shop local, but did you know it can also help the ocean? Shipping across the ocean can cause significant environmental issues, including water and air pollution from ships. It even causes noise pollution that affects ocean animals' ability to communicate with one another and causes massive stress on these innocent creatures. When you shop locally, you can avoid all this excess pollution and make a huge difference!

To learn even more about World Ocean Day and what you can do to support the ocean, check out their website https://worldoceanday.org/

We would love to hear about what you’ve done recently to celebrate and protect the ocean!

06/07/2026

June is National Zoo and Aquarium Month! It’s the perfect time to go and visit some accredited zoos and aquariums! These facilities are accredited by Canada’s Accredited Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA), the national organization responsible for reviewing and accrediting zoological facilities across Canada. The CAZA, along with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), works to ensure that all accredited zoos and aquariums operate to the highest standards of animal care, conservation, and education! This means that all accredited zoos and aquariums meet or exceed the rigorous standards set by the CAZA and are regularly reviewed to ensure they continue to meet the CAZA’s animal welfare standards. Supporting CAZA-accredited zoos and aquariums means supporting organizations that put the welfare of their animals, education and conservation above anything else.

The closest CAZA-accredited zoo to our museum is the Riverview Park and Zoo in Peterborough, Ontario! You can check them out at https://www.riverviewparkandzoo.ca/
The Riverview Park and Zoo is Canada's only free CAZA-accredited zoo. They’ve even won a Colonel G. C. Dailley Conservation Award from the CAZA for their success in breeding the critically endangered Sulawesi Forest Turtle! We love this incredible zoo and its extensive conservation work, as well as the plethora of information they provide!

Looking for some other CAZA zoos and aquariums? Some of our local favourites include
🪼Ripley’s Aquarium - https://www.ripleys.com/attractions/ripleys-aquarium-of-canada
🦎Reptila Zoo and Education Centre - https://reptilia.org/
🐘Toronto Zoo - https://www.torontozoo.com/

To find even more accredited zoos and aquariums, check out the CAZA accredited members list at https://caza.ca/accredited-institutions/
To find more zoological institutions accredited by the AZA, check out their accredited members list at https://www.aza.org/inst-status

The Quinte Museum of Natural History is located at 99 Dufferin Ave. Trenton, ON. The museum is currently open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 am - 5 pm.
For more information, check out our website quintemuseum.ca, or contact us at (613) 955-1802 - [email protected]

06/06/2026

🌿 Celebrate Canadian Environment Week! 🍁
This week, we recognize the importance of protecting and preserving the natural spaces that make Canada unique. From local parks and forests to lakes, rivers, and wildlife habitats, every small action can make a difference.
Each year during the week of June 5, Canadian Environment Week focuses attention on conservation and preservation of natural and precious resources. The observance encourages awareness and action to protect the natural environment. It also draws attention to environmental issues such as marine pollution, air pollution, and deforestation. We'd love to hear about how you've celebrated our beautiful Canadian environment this last week!

06/06/2026

Today is National Trails Day! Whether you're heading out to the Sager Conservation Area, checking out the Bata Island Trailhead, or just exploring nature, remember to leave the trails better than you found them! What local trail are you exploring this weekend? 👇 🥾🌲

06/05/2026

World Environment Day is celebrated each year on June 5 and was established by the United Nations to encourage global awareness and action for the protection of our environment. This important day highlights pressing ecological challenges such as climate change, pollution, habitat destruction, and biodiversity loss, while inspiring people around the world to make positive changes for a healthier planet.

From reducing waste and conserving energy, to protecting wildlife and supporting sustainable practices, every action, big or small, can help create a greener future. World Environment Day serves as a reminder that caring for the environment is a shared responsibility and that together we can make a meaningful difference for future generations.

🌱 This year's theme encourages individuals, communities, businesses, and governments to work together to protect and restore the natural world. Every step toward sustainability helps build a healthier, more resilient planet. 💚

06/02/2026

June is National Indigenous History Month in Canada, a time to recognize and learn about the diverse histories, cultures, languages, and contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples.

National Indigenous History Month encourages Canadians to deepen their understanding of Indigenous histories and their local communities, and is a perfect opportunity to learn more about local Indigenous groups!

One way to celebrate is by attending the Indigenous Artisan Fair on June 6 and 7 in Centennial Park in Trenton, which takes place 11am-7pm both days. Events such as artisan fairs provide opportunities to learn about Indigenous arts, crafts, and cultural traditions while supporting local Indigenous artists and businesses.

06/01/2026

Happy Pride Month! 🏳️‍🌈

Pride Month is an annual celebration of how far LGBTQIA+ rights have come, and the work still left to do. This month reminds us to reflect on the fluidity of our world and how we can use lenses, such as q***r ecology, to examine our natural world from a unique and less-rigid perspective.

But why is Pride Month important?

Pride Month is so important because it’s a time for us all to reflect on the ongoing struggles that affect the LGBTQIA+ community and how this affects all of us. It serves as a reminder of the perseverance and resilience of q***r communities. We see how far our world has come and the ways in which we still need to work to improve the lives of and advocate for acceptance of marginalized communities.

What is Q***r Ecology and why does it matter?

Q***r Ecology is a field of study that focuses on questioning heteronormative assumptions in our scientific research! It’s important that we don’t make assumptions about scientific research based on what we deem to be “normal”. Same-sex pairings and relationships are incredibly common in many different ecosystems, yet due to our own biases, we may overlook and completely misunderstand what's truly going on in the world around us. It also helps challenge the thought that homosexuality is “unnatural” as we see it frequently in different ways in our natural world!

Interested in learning more? Check out some of these links below!
🔗Q***r Ecology, Explained. By Ingrid Bååth https://www.climateculture.earth/5-minute-reads/what-is-q***r-ecology
Exploring q***r ecology on Alberta’s Eastern Slopes
🔗https://y2y.net/blog/exploring-q***r-ecology-on-albertas-eastern-slopes/
Canada: Pride Month and Beyond
🔗https://amnesty.ca/human-rights-news/pride-month-canada/

The Quinte Museum of Natural History is located at 99 Dufferin Ave. Trenton, ON. The museum is currently open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 am - 5 pm. For more information, check out or website quintemuseum.ca, or contact us at (613) 955-1802 - [email protected]