Ecology Centre Museum Exhibits

The Ecology Centre is a nature museum, located in Lynn Canyon Park.

The Ecology Centre Museum building is designed in the shape of a dogwood, British Columbia’s provincial flower. In 1971, the District of North Vancouver decided to celebrate British Columbia’s Centennial with a project that would contribute to the District over the decades to come. At that time, the interest in the integrated science of ecology was beginning to move into the public consciousness. The District of North Vancouver created the Lynn Canyon Ecology Centre to focus attention on our local ecosystems and educate people about local and global environmental concerns.

Have fun learning about British Columbia’s natural history and local and global environmental issues through our interactive exhibits. The Ecology Centre features four galleries full of displays about the connections between plants, animals, and people.

Plant Gallery

Exhibits in our Plant Gallery showcase the fascinating world of temperate rainforest plants. The beautiful mushroom models, displayed in our Fungi Kingdom Exhibit, allows visitors to easily identify the common mushrooms they see in Lynn Canyon Park. Also, discover the amazing history of an ancient wildlife tree. Learn how farming practices can support or undermine soil and water quality. Test your knowledge, take the west coast forest quiz and learn more about the plants and animals of the temperate rainforest.

Animal Gallery

Go Wild in our Animal Gallery! Discover the world of the black bear, listen to bear sounds, and see a bear skull in our Black Bear exhibit. You’ll also learn about animal food chains and animal defences, and discover who eats whom in the animal world. Take a peek at some mighty sharp teeth, and touch an antler or a horn! In our storm drain exhibit, discover how you can help keep creeks healthy by ensuring that chemicals stay out of the drain.

Human Gallery

Make some connections to your environment in the Human Gallery. Learn how to create biodiversity in your backyard or reduce your ecological footprint.

Discover Lynn Valley’s recent past. Our historical exhibit features information about the people who lived here, early logging, and how Lynn Canyon Park and the Suspension bridge were developed.

Childrens’ Gallery

The Kids’ Nature Nook is a fun play area, complete with puppet theatre, animal sound machine, and giant insect exhibit. Don’t miss opening the Discovery Drawers to find an assortment of cool natural history items, from bird eggs to snake skins. Learn about Lynn Canyon Park’s slimiest resident in our slug display. The Nature Nook is also a great place to enjoy a quiet moment with your child, playing with the toys and puzzles, or reading a seasonal book.

Nature Theatre

Visit our theatre and choose from over a hundred nature videos that highlight ecosystems and animals from around the world. See our collection of nature films.