The University of Calgary Biodiversity Collections
Our Collection
Invertebrate
Approximately 1.45 million specimens, of which about 1.25 million are in alcohol and 200,000 are dry pinned insects. The Alberta bee collection is growing and is currently the third largest collection in Canada.
Vertebrate
About 8000 specimens, of extant fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. It has strong osteology (bones) focus with smaller holdings of skins, taxidermic mounts, and alcohol-preserved material, with a good representation of the Alberta fauna. In addition, there is a significant collection of vertebrate fossils.
Herbarium
Over 100,000 specimens of vascular plants and much smaller holdings of non-vascular plants, fungi, and lichens. The emphasis of this collection is on western and northern Canada as well as southern Alberta, in addition to non-vascular and vascular plant specimens from permafrost areas around the world.
Collections Database
Explore the specimens available in our complete biodiversity collections - herbarium, vertebrate, and invertebrate.
Biodiversity Resources
View a collection of biodiversity resources generated and compiled by University of Calgary undergraduate students.
Community Science
Community science, also known as citizen science, involves collaboration between the scientists and the public to collect and analyze data. Learn more about local projects you can get involved in!
