The Biodôme Turns 25 - Get a Peek Behind the Scenes, Starting June 15

MONTRÉAL, June 7, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - Are you curious about how white birch syrup might taste? Or do you wonder, every time you see staff feeding the animals at the Biodôme, what goes on in the kitchens? Well, here's your chance to find out, because to mark the Biodôme's 25^th birthday Montréal Space for Life is putting on a very special program of activities to celebrate life and the natural world around us.

Summer program of activities at the Biodôme – starting June 15

Tastes of the Forest and Sea focuses on natural products developed in Quebec from a sustainable development perspective. Would you like to taste some pine jelly or seaweed from the Gulf? Our tastings will introduce you to a wide variety of edible plants and condiments, and you can take home some recipe ideas from the boreal forest. Daily, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

All summer long, the Biodôme will also be offering Express Behind-the-Scenes Tours, daily at 4 p.m. Join one of our nature interpreters and visit the animal kitchen, the filtration systems or the animals' night quarters. 

And if you're at the Biodôme on Saturday at 10:30 a.m., follow one of our employees Behind the Scenes and see where they work, how they keep the animals in good health, and share their passion for nature! Reserve online, through our website, montrealspaceforlife.ca.

Special 25^th birthday weekend – June 17 and 18
Come on a Behind-the-Scenes Rally to celebrate the Biodôme's 25^th birthday. It's a fun experience that will show you everything it takes to create and maintain a "house of life." Get your "passport" stamped at the different stations explaining different aspects of what goes on in the institution's hidden spaces. How do we care for the 4,500 animals and 500 plant species? How do we manage the seawater filtration system? What goes into preparing the animals' meals? The Behind-the-Scenes Rally will answer these questions and many more! The unusual tour leads visitors through the ecosystems and continues behind the scenes. Here, in these very busy spaces, you'll meet the experts hard at work maintaining the health of the Biodôme's residents and their living quarters, while others conduct research into biodiversity. Step into the veterinary clinic and see how the staff cares for an amazing variety of animals. Near the basin, our divers will talk about their underwater work – a fascinating and very unusual job!

Some interesting facts about the Montréal Biodôme

• The Biodôme was opened in 1992 in the former Velodrome built for the 1976 Olympic Games. This bold statement by architect Roger Taillibert is part of Montréal's architectural heritage.
• Its rounded shape is evocative of a fossilized shell called a trilobite.
• It is one of Montréal's most popular paid tourist attractions, with close to 22 million visitors since it opened.
• Its name means "house of life." It is a member of the US Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and of Canada's Accredited Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA), and is renowned for the quality of its environments, its impressive biodiversity and the remarkable expertise it has developed.
• The Biodôme will be closing temporarily starting in February 2018 to renew its spaces and scenography, and create a more immersive, participatory and innovative experience. It is scheduled to reopen in May 2019.

TIPS

• SKIP THE LINE-UPS! Buy your tickets online (montrealspaceforlife.ca) and walk right in.
• Easily accessible – Just 15 minutes from downtown. Get off at the Viau metro station.
• Multi-attraction packages: Buy a package to visit the Biodôme, Botanical Garden, Insectarium and Planetarium. Great fun all summer long!

About Montréal Space for Life
Montréal Space for Life is made up of four attractions on the same site: the Biodôme, Botanical Garden, Insectarium and Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium. These four prestigious municipal institutions form Canada's largest natural science museum complex. Together, they are launching a daring, creative urban movement, urging everyone to rethink the connection between humankind and nature and cultivate a new way of living.

Photos and videos: http://bit.ly/25Biodome

SOURCE Espace pour la vie Montreal

For further information: on the Biodôme's 25th birthday: Karine Jalbert, Communications Co-ordinator, Montréal Space for Life, Tel. 514 872-1453 / Cell: 514 250-3230, karinejalbert@ville.montreal.qc.ca