Brandon - B. J. Hales Museum of Natural History

Worth a visit is the B.J. Hales Museum of Natural History in Brandon University on 18th St. On exhibition here are items which belonged to the Sioux and Plains Indians, such as pipes, ceramics, arrowheads and tools. There are also 250 stuffed specimens of local birds in models of their natural habitat. The exhibition is completed by a collection of mammals, such as animals from the North in their "icy" surroundings. Jack Lane was curator of the museum for many years. The legendary "Bluebird Man" saved many species of birds from extinction, such as the American Robin. In the 1930s the number of those birds had reduced to a few dozen. With children's help Lane set up nests around the town and the number of birds increased to 15,000