Author Archive: Jaclyn Qua-Hiansen
Monthly Archive: December Jacl
Troy, Magnus, and the ROM: The Road to Independence
Did you know that an estimated 1 in 68 children are on the autism spectrum? Individuals with autism experience the world differently, and bustling cultural attractions like the ROM can be overwhelming for some of them. We want to improve that experience, and provide the tools necessary to help ensure that a visit to our museum inspires wonder and nurtures discovery, regardless of how you experience the world.
International Volunteer Managers Day: Meet Ann Macpherson
![Volunteers help kids dig for dinosaur bones in the Hands-On Galleries at the ROM Volunteers help kids dig for dinosaur bones in the Hands-On Galleries at the ROM](https://www.rom.on.ca/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/blog_post/thumbnail/discoverygallery.jpg?itok=IbYZgSfR)
Behind every great team of volunteers is a Volunteer Manager who ensures that their team reaches their full potential. In honour of International Volunteer Managers Day this November 5th, the ROM turns the spotlight on some of the staff who activate our many fun and exciting volunteer programs.
Meet Ann Macpherson, Assistant Coordinator, Hands-on Galleries. Ann has been managing volunteers for approximately 11 years now. She currently works with more than 200 volunteers within the Hands-On Galleries.
International Volunteer Managers Day: Meet Mark Peck
![Mark Peck, Ornithology Technician Mark Peck, Ornithology Technician](https://www.rom.on.ca/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/blog_post/thumbnail/peck_profile_0.jpg?itok=lQiUbJGM)
Behind every great team of volunteers is a Volunteer Manager who ensures that their team reaches their full potential. In honour of International Volunteer Managers Day this November 5th, the ROM turns the spotlight on some of the staff who activate our many fun and exciting volunteer programs.
National Volunteer Week | Volunteer Spotlight: Rebecca Beayni
![Rebecca at the Hands-on Biodiversity & Discovery Galleries Rebecca at the Hands-on Biodiversity & Discovery Galleries](https://www.rom.on.ca/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/blog_post/thumbnail/img_0042web.jpg?itok=DsG3DAo6)
How can a museum volunteer change the way we view the world? This National Volunteer Week, we invite you to meet Rebecca Beayni, a volunteer in the Hands-on Biodiversity & Discovery Galleries, who was recognized for her contribution to the museum at the 2014 Ontario Volunteer Service Awards.
National Volunteer Week | Volunteer Spotlight: Helen Hatton
![Helen with artist Arturo Buenrostro and his dinosaurs, in his shop Imagine at the Artisan’s Market in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Helen Hatton with wooden dinosaurs in Mexico](https://www.rom.on.ca/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/blog_post/thumbnail/helen_dinoweb.jpg?itok=i6fbUq_B)
After one of her shifts at the Hands-on Biodiversity Gallery, ROM volunteer Helen Hatton said to her husband, “Honey, do you want to hear about the sex life of hissing cockroaches?” Her husband, whom Helen describes as “a delightful retired geek,” calmly replied, “Let’s have a drink first.”
He later observed that Helen and her colleagues at the ROM were all “a bit around the bend.” “He’s right,” Helen admits. “And that’s what I love!”
National Volunteer Week | Volunteers cataloguing backyard biodiversity
![A young participant holds up a spotted salamander in their hands for closer inspection. Photo by Tallie Garey. A young participant holds up a spotted salamander in their hands for closer inspection. Photo by Tallie Garey.](https://www.rom.on.ca/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/blog_post/thumbnail/tallie_garey_3_rom-ing.jpg?itok=7oi_3jen)
Volunteers at the Royal Ontario Museum are an integral element throughout our galleries and supporting a wide variety of our public programs throughout the year, including holiday programming, ROMKids camps, Sleepovers, and more!
But this National Volunteer Week, we also want to recognize, and sincerely thank, the host of volunteers who come from all across Ontario to support a major community program of which the ROM is an important partner: the Ontario Bioblitz.