In the intervening year since I last wrote a blog post here, many things have occurred! One of which is that I have purchased a hurdy-gurdy and have begun to learn how to play this instrument. Bein…| History Research Shenanigans
I love the historian’s craft. I love doing research. And I particularly love it when I find a new source that provides information from a new angle about an event that I already know about. R…| History Research Shenanigans
The recording of the recent season finale live show episode of the Let’s Find Out podcast that I was on is now live! Check out the show’s blog post here and give it a listen! It was a truly engaging evening with some knowledgeable co-panelists and an incredibly thoughtful audience. There are always so many … Continue reading Lost National Parks of Canada| History Research Shenanigans
Hello everyone! Do you have plans for Thursday September 21st, 2023? Why not join us for an interesting evening for nature nerds and history afficionados alike? I’ve been invited to be a part of a panel for a podcast live show. The Let’s Find Out podcast is a podcast that explores the ins and outs … Continue reading How to Make a National Park: Let’s Find Out Podcast Live Show| History Research Shenanigans
One of my favourite questions is “how do we know what we know?” This fascinates me both as a historian and as an environmental educator. I love seeing range maps for different species. I really enjoy using iNaturalist, and clicking on the profile of a species to see where else other users have logged seeing … Continue reading Jack Miner’s Bird Sanctuary and the Early History of Bird Banding in Canada| History Research Shenanigans
Over the last several months, I’ve been working my way through Christopher De Hamel’s book Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts: Twelve Journeys into the Medieval World, and I just finished reading the final chapter today. I’m not a medievalist – I’ve often found books on medieval history that I’ve been exposed to are very focused on … Continue reading Fascinating Details of Medieval Manuscripts| History Research Shenanigans
Earlier this week I was up early (5:45am or so) and I was able to watch the most amazing aurora borealis event I’d ever had the chance to witness. In person, they largely looked like grey-green wispy clouds with the occasional hint of purple or blue, but the colours really came out in the photos. … Continue reading Historical Descriptions of Aurora Borealis: “those who did not see it missed a rare sight”| History Research Shenanigans
One of the books that’s been on my shelf for a while is Jennifer Westwood and Jacqueline Simpson’s hefty work The Lore of the Land: A Guide to England’s Legends, from Spring-Heeled Jack to the Witches of Warboys. It’s almost an encyclopedia of folklore from across England, peppered with references to the primary material from … Continue reading A few tales of historical spooks for you this All Hallow’s Eve| History Research Shenanigans
One thing I’ve been doing this past year is experiment more with my hair. I am inspired by historical hairstyles partially because I enjoy the aesthetic, and partially because I have waist-length hair and the majority of women’s hairstyles prior to the 1920s (and even some popular hairstyles during the 1920s) are designed with my … Continue reading Hair Pins and Hair Nets for Sale in 1918-1919| History Research Shenanigans
I always seem to find the best gems while looking for something else. I was delighted to stumble across this 1919 promotional video about national parks in Canada on Library and Archive Canada’s youtube channel. Let’s take a closer look! One thing that a lot of folks don’t realize is that national parks can in … Continue reading A Glimpse into Two Canadian National Parks in 1919| History Research Shenanigans
