TORONTO.- Want a living planet? Just add water. Opening March 5, 2011, the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) displays Water: The Exhibition, presented by RBC Blue Water Project, a celebration of the power and wonder of this life-giving substance and a call to each of us to become stewards of our blue planet. A dramatic sensory and educational experience for visitors of all ages, Water uses cutting-edge technologies, multimedia installations, hands-on exhibits, live animals and cultural artifacts to illuminate the indispensable role water plays in our lives and the urgent need to protect it. Water is displayed in the Garfield Weston Exhibition Hall on Level B2 of the ROM’s Michael Lee-Chin Crystal until September 5, 2011.

“The value of water to humanity physically, culturally and even spiritually cannot be overstated,” said Janet Carding, ROM Director and CEO. “Powerfully underscoring the ROM’s dual mandate of natural history and world cultures, Water provides visitors with a new appreciation of how water encompasses, challenges and unites all living creatures. This message will be further enhanced through our diverse series of thought-provoking debates, lectures and programs.”

RBC Blue Water Project is the exhibition’s presenting sponsor. “Since launching the RBC Blue Water Project in 2007, we have learned that most people tend to be unaware of, or undervalue the worth of water. At RBC, we're doing our part to try to help change that perception,” said Jennifer Tory, President, RBC Royal Bank, Greater Toronto Region. “We are confident that Water: The Exhibition will provide an unforgettable experience to visitors, helping drive the message home that water is the world's most precious resource.”

WATER: THE EXHIBITION
This immersive and engaging exhibition is divided into nine sections examining water from a scientific, environmental and cultural perspective. The first several sections consider the unique physical and chemical properties of water, its origins and the critical role it plays in the natural world. Next, aspects of water use are explored, including its importance culturally and how humans manipulate our water resources. The final area illuminates impacts of our actions and what each of us can do to reduce water usage to help renew and protect the Earth’s lifeblood.

“Water is essential to life on Earth, making it one of the most environmentally relevant topics of today,” said exhibition co-curator Mary Burridge, Assistant Curator of Ichthyology. “Freshwater is surprisingly rare—it makes up only three per cent of the water on the planet’s surface and yet somehow sustains all creatures living outside of oceans.”

Co-curator Dr. Kim Tait, Associate Curator of Mineralogy, adds “The United Nations estimates that by 2025, two thirds of the world's population could be living under water stressed conditions. The exhibition presents this water crisis in a dynamic, meaningful way. Visitors leave understanding the vital importance of water to our world and feel empowered to protect and preserve every last drop.”

Employing a variety of dramatic techniques including towering walk-though dioramas, interactive technology, touchable displays and live animals, the exhibition gives visitors a firsthand experience of a threefold message: water is essential to all life; water plays a key role in shaping the landscape and governing climate; and all water on Earth is linked, finite and unevenly distributed around the globe.

EXHIBITION HIGHLIGHTS
The exhibition features 12 live creature displays, among them a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, a Gila Monster, newts, fishes and frogs. These diverse species exemplify how life has adapted to challenges presented by too little or too much water. As the sole Canadian venue for this North American tour organized by the American Museum of Natural History, the ROM has created approximately 22 areas of Canadian content, informing visitors that global water issues are present locally and affect each of us. ROM research on water-related topics, as well as artifacts and specimens from the Museum’s collections are highlighted throughout the exhibition.

Nineteen interactive experiences, ranging from hands-on specimens and computerized quizzes to towering reconstructions and life-sized models serve to engross visitors of all ages while conveying important lessons about water. In the section Blue Planet, Science on a Sphere, a 1.7-metre (5.6-foot) suspended globe, displays maps and satellite images of Earth. The dramatic display illustrates how water is distributed and used around the world and graphically describes the ceaseless, flowing cycles of water that go on around us every day. Nearby, a walk-through reconstruction of a water-carved slot canyon gives visitors a deeper appreciation of water’s ability to physically sculpt our surroundings.

The importance of clean water to human wellbeing is examined in the Healthy Water section. Visitors learn where our drinking water comes from and what processes are involved in making sure it is safe. An interactive video microscope permits visitors to view a few of the many microorganisms that inhabit a single drop of water. In another interactive display, visitors can drip water onto rocks to discover how this apparently solid substance can actually store water.

The exhibition section titled Not a Drop examines the cultural issues surrounding water, including how civilizations throughout time have developed innovative ways to access, collect and clean the water they need to survive. Visitors are also introduced to the connection between water scarcity and gender equity in many developing countries. In one interactive kiosk, visitors are challenged to lift a full water jug, a daily task that often falls to millions of women and young girls worldwide.

Other Water highlights consist of several detailed dioramas, including that of a Great Lakes wetland, revealing the important role of these natural water purifiers. The exhibition also features a number of animal specimens, including an adult Polar Bear from the ROM’s collections. A four-metre (13-foot) Beluga Whale model hangs suspended above the Water Works section of the exhibition to highlight the impact of water contamination on individual species and emphasize the need for humans to reduce pollution. Northern countries around the globe, including Canada, are joining forces to conserve this majestic creature.