10:00am-12:30pm on Friday 20 March
Times shown are in GMT (UTC +0) up to the 26th March. For events on or after 27th March times are in BST (UTC +1).
Alison Richard Building, Sidgwick Site 7 West Road, CB3 9DT
At this interactive exhibition stand, you’ll find layers of engagement for all ages, from curious children to seasoned explorers of our Fens (and other wetlands). Through hands-on displays, creative making activities and lively conversations, visitors can explore the materials, stories and ideas that flow through the Fens and other wetland environments.
Materials on display:
Get up close with the living materials that make up and transform wetlands – such as peat, willow, clay and reeds. Handle and examine these natural elements, learn about how they interact over time, and discover how researchers and artists are using them to inspire new forms of making – from baskets to homes – and thinking.
Creative making table:
Take part in wetland-inspired creative activities that are suitable for all ages. Draw, make and craft with natural materials that have been harvested from our local wetlands. Create your own multi-species drawings, exploring the plants, animals and human stories that coexist in these semi-aquatic worlds in a sensorial manner.
Words from pictures and mapping of the Fens:
Add your memories, words or ideas to our collection of ‘wetland stories’ – a collaborative community artwork capturing how we see and feel about these landscapes. Discover how researchers are mapping the Fens, revealing their histories and futures. Contribute to this exploration by marking your own experiences (such as walking routes) on a large-scale printed map, helping us to build a living picture of how people connect with these environments.
Conversation and discovery:
Talk with researchers and artists about the future of wetlands for a sustainable future, learn about innovative materials emerging from wetland ecosystems, and share your thoughts on how we can care for and collaborate with these vital landscapes.
This exhibition offers multiple ways to engage – from sensory and material encounters to reflective conversations.
Over the past 500 years, England and the world have drained almost 90% of its wetlands for agriculture, industry, housing and even forestry. Wetlands play a major role in climate repair and regulation – arguably more important than forests – and yet they continue to be undervalued.
Come and meet the wetlands in new and unexpected ways, and help to shape change in how we value nature.
