Natural History Centre

Wild Cortes, Natural History Centre & EcoLab

Located at Linnea Education Centre, Wild Cortes is the permanent off-site Natural History Education Centre of the Cortes Island Museum & Archives. 

Wild Cortes and the EcoLab are part of the Cortes Wild! partnership which works together to create exhibits and provide extensive educational materials, microscopes and promotes greater awareness about ecology and environmental challenges facing Cortes Island and surrounding regions.

Taxidermy by Laurel Bohart Photo by Tayu Hayward/BC Museum Portraits, 2022

Location & Accessibility


The entrance is down the stone steps on the left to the Linnaea’s front door with a wheelchair accessible entrance down the library ramp. 

Our Partners

Wild Cortes is managed by the Cortes Wild! partnership: Linnaea Farm SocietyCortes Island Museum & Archives SocietyFriends of Cortes Island Society (FOCI), Discovery Islands Ecosystem Mapping Project (DIEM), Forest Trust for the Children of Cortes Island Society (FTCCIS), Cortes Island biologist Sabina Leader Mense, geologist/naturalist Christian Gronau, and teacher/naturalist Rex Weiler and students.

Exhibitions at Wild Cortes

Wild Cortes Exhibition Opening–April 22
Cortes Wild! Partnership announces its Earth Day opening at Wild Cortes!!! Earth Day, Monday, April 22, 2024 7:00 – 9:00 pm @ Linnaea Education Centre Spring punch & dessert delights...
Taxidermy
Taxidermy A unique collection of taxidermy created by our curator Laurel Bohart. Part of Wild Cortes Natural History Centre. — curated by Laurel Bohart
The Mother Tree
The Cortes Wild! partnership invites everyone to celebrate forest with us with The Mother Tree exhibition. Bring the whole family! The exhibit opened on Earth Day, 22 April 2023. Top photo...
Climate Crisis: The Cascade Effect
2022 WILD CORTES Exhibition opened  Sunday, 29 May 2022 This series of exhibitions look at the ecological impact of climate change from different perspectives.  Curated by Laurel Bohart and Donna...
The Big Three: Cougars, Wolves, and Bears
2021 Wild Cortes In the fall of 2020 Cortes Islanders reported that bears were damaging property and stealing chickens.  Laurel Bohart, our natural history curator, saw these events as the perfect...