My World, My Future – Poole Museum, Dorset Goes Wild

Young girl holding flower surrounded by paints

Climate change challenges for young children

Poole Museum worked with 33 families with young children (5-13 years old) from the Dorset Goes Wild Facebook Group.

The variety of activities included art and science workshops, a nature-trail trip to Brownsea Island, and an invitation for each child to record their experiences in their own Summer Journal.  

Summer Journal - climate change challenge

As a self-directed activity, the children were each given a specially-designed Summer Journal, and invited to use it to record their experiences as they explored nature (see photos below). 

Watch the video (right) of Community Curator, Erni Pelham, talking about the finished journals.

Brownsea Island nature trail

The museum also organised for the Dorset Goes Wild group to visit Brownsea Island. They followed a nature trail led by the National Trust and Dorset Wildlife Trust, did wildlife studies and saw the impact of climate change on their local environment. 

It inspired me to become a zoologist and learn about wildlife and nature.

It’s been very fun so far!

The best thing I’ve done today is going on the nature trail.

Three children sitting on a bench - sea behind
Dorset Goes Wild group, Brownsea Island.
Siblings: Isaac, Sebastian and Eliza
(holding her Summer Journal).

Arts and science activities

Museum-based activities included an art programme which took place in the garden at Scaplen’s Court. Freelance artist educator, Emma Kerr, started by getting the children to practise mindfulness. She encouraged them to use all their senses to experience nature. Then she encouraged them to channel their feelings into thinking creatively about climate change. 

Community Curator, Erni Pelham, led science sessions about fossils and greenhouse gasses, then helped the children to create artworks and posters (see photos below). 

Child sitting on floor doing poster
Dorset Goes Wild group doing artwork
in Scaplen's Court garden..
Curator watching children do artworks
Erni Pelham and children from
Dorset Goes Wild group.

Please tell us what you think of this exhibition by completing our short survey.

Sawfish are also called carpenter sharks...but they are rays, not sharks!

There’s also a species called a sawshark, but that’s, well, a shark!

What the heck is a lek?

Males great bustards perform spectacular courtship displays, gathering at a ‘lek’ or small display ground to try to impress the females.

Road Runner!

The great bustard has a dignified slow walk but tends to run when disturbed, rather than fly.

Belly Buster!

The hen-bird on display at The Salisbury Museum was one of the last great bustards to be eaten in the town!

Skip to content