EXHIBITION GOALS
The Department of Natural History of the Regional Museum of Lapland has produced an exhibition focusing on the effects of climate change on nature in Finnish Lapland. The ex- hibition was initiated, designed and written by Stéphanie C. Lefrère, curator at that time of the Natural History Department. The exhibition aims to raise public awareness about climate change and its effect on biodiversity and ecological balance in Lapland, while offering examples of what people can do to lower their impacts.
Production: The exhibition was produced by the Regional Museum of Lapland, in coope- ration with the French Institute and the French Embassy in Helsinki, the Finnish Ministry of the Environment, the Finnish Environment Institute SYKE, the Finnish Embassy in Paris (for the French version), the Ministry for foreign affairs of Finland and the International Barents Secretariat for the Russian version. WWF has also been a partner: WWF Finland, WWF France and WWF Russia. Private businesses of organic and ecological products have been partners as well. The exhibition exists in three different versions so far: French- English, Finnish-English and Russian-English and has traveled respectively in Finland, in France, in Russia and in Morocco. The exhibition got the logo COP21 by Ségolène Royal, French minister of the Environment, Energy and the Sea, in charge of international relations on climate. The exhibition was presented at the international climate conferences UNFCCC COP21 in Paris and at the COP22 in Marrakech.
PRESENTATION
This exhibition recounts the effects of climate change on animals and plants specific of Lapland region. Even though the thematic of climate change is widely discussed, people usually know more about the situation in Polar Regions and are not so aware of the condi- tion of nature and biodiversity in other Arctic areas. Moreover, Lapland is mostly known for its safaris and other touristic activities that operate in an environment where nature’s vulnerability must be taken into consideration. The exhibition aims to raise public awareness about climate change and its effect on biodiversity and ecological balance in Lapland, while offering examples of what people can do to lower their impacts. The exhibition presents how the climate in Finnish Lapland has changed over the past century, how it will change in the future, and how those changes will affect the landscapes, the behavior, the feeding habits and distribution of animals, and the distribution of plants.
Recent scientific information on the effects of climate change is explained with the help of texts, figures and photos. The exhibition contains 19 scientific panels and 18 photos, is enlivened with music and slideshows presenting the annual cycle of nature and northern lights. Various products are presented that people could use to reduce their ecological footprint, for example, solar panels, clothes made of recycled materials and other ecological products. Visitors can test their knowledge by taking a multiple-choice interactive quiz about climate change in Lapland. For nature lovers or just passing visitors, this exhibition has a lot to teach us. The exhibition is designed in an educational way and promises a rich and interesting journey.